Savory Sustenance: Carne Diem delivers meat to mouths of Kansas City carnivores

Photo Courtesy of Carne Diem

When it comes to high-quality meat, Kansas City is for connoisseurs. For the husband-and-wife team of Louis Guerrieri and Sarah Nelson, that discerning taste is a big factor in their latest endeavor: Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry. Located in Briarcliff and just a few doors down from their restaurant, Ombra, Carne Diem is focused on sustainable practices, local delicacies, and damn good cuts of meat.

For Nelson, Carne Diem is also a bit of a homecoming. “I grew up in Kearney, Missouri,” she says. “We were surrounded by farms, and, at an early age, I started appreciating the little details I saw from our neighbors. Years later, Louis and I started noticing that many places around town weren’t taking advantage of the great meat and produce that’s locally sourced, and we wanted to strive to help fill that gap.”

Photo Courtesy of Carne Diem

In fact, Nelson grew up across the street from one of the farmers that she now sources from. With Carne Diem, Nelson and Guerrieri hope to be able to bring sustainable, high-quality meats, cheeses, and other groceries to Kansas City. As often as they can, they look to local products, but the focus is on upscale options for at-home cooks. If that means expanding their boundaries, they’re prepared to meet that demand.

“Carne Diem is an upscale meat market,” Nelson says. “But that isn’t everything—It’s a full, nose-to-tail butcher counter, it’s seafood from certified, sustainable sources, it’s premium cheeses, pasta, and deli options. We want it to be a place where you come in looking for a specific item, and leave with plenty of extras.”

Though Carne Diem doesn’t have seating or restaurant service, they do carry a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, soups, and more. The focus is on quick lunch items, so any customer who comes in hungry won’t have to stay that way for long.

The butchery side of things at Carne Diem is mainly Guerrieri’s realm. He started honing his craft in the sushi world before moving into butchery and charcuterie. At Carne Diem, he really wants to focus the butcher counter on true nose-to-tail work.

Guerrieri and Nelson are a collaborative force with decades of restaurant experience under their belts, and they’re both passionate about showcasing the best of local farms.

Photo Courtesy of Carne Diem

“Most of our meat and poultry—beef, pork, goat, chicken, duck, and turkey—comes from Barham Family Farms in Kearney,” Nelson says. “A big selection of cheese and our lamb comes from Green Dirt Farm. We get our flour for pasta, baked goods from Marion Milling, mushrooms from MyCo Planet, tortillas from Yoli Tortilleria, and freshly made bread from Ibis Bakery. We’re really proud of the items we’ve sourced from so close to Kansas City, and we’re excited to show off some of the things we’ve needed to bring in from further away, like seafood.”

On top of all these delicious takeaway items, Nelson and Guerrieri plan to use the space at Carne Diem for other new endeavors—Butchery lessons, cooking classes, and other educational events are in the works, and the space will lend itself well to both in-house event hosting or full-service catering.

Photo Courtesy of Carne Diem

With a hyper-focus on local, sustainable proteins and the highly-trained skills of its ownership team, Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry seems like it will quickly become a favorite for cooks who want to work with the best available products. What are you waiting for? It’s time to meat your new neighbors.

Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry is located at 4179 N Mulberry Dr, Kansas City, MO 64116 in The Village at Briarcliff.