Lessons from Dario Cecchini, the world's most famous butcher

DARIO CECCHINI is in the beef aging room at Harvey Gussman's tiny mid-Wilshire butcher shop. With a connoisseur's eye he inspects the stacks of short loins suspended from the ceiling, carefully examining the color, stroking the surfaces, sniffing. Then a photographer starts taking pictures. Cecchini flashes a maniacal grin, grabs a loin and cradles it like a baby. Then he plants a big kiss on it. If one can be said to ham it up with a piece of beef, Cecchini is doing it. You don't become the most famous butcher in the world by being shy.

By Russ Parsons

March 12, 2008