Willow Glen, California Since 1992
Cafe Willow Glen
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in the old ways of butchering 
Meat Expert: Montana Hutton, owner of Ralph's Smokehouse, has been running the business in Willow Glen since 1972. Hutton smokes any type of fish or meat, along with making sausages. By Staci L. Jameson Not long ago, people would go to a butcher's shop to buy the meats they wanted. Since the onset of large grocery store chains, most of those shops have closed down. But Montana Hutton, owner of Ralph's Smokehouse, still believes in the old ways. Named after the state of his birth, Montana Hutton was taught by his father the art of "dressing" out an animal. To Hutton it was a craft born of necessity. That talent later took him into the U.S. Army. When the Army did away with its own butchering department because of the convenience of prepackaged meat, Montana became a dietician for the Army hospital in Korea. After leaving the Army, Hutton made his way to San Jose, where he began working at Ralph's Smokehouse. After 10 years of working there, he purchased the smokehouse from then-owner Ralph Prickett. That was 30 years ago. "I like what I do, and I like the community that I do it in," says Hutton. "You have to in order to do it for this long." So what do you do with that deer you shot on your last hunting trip? You take it to Ralph's, where it will be inspected, aged and packaged. "We have a lot of hunters who bring their kills in here. We have a list of cuts that we can do. We take the order and in a couple of weeks the hunter comes back and picks it all up. Pretty simple," says Hutton. While the idea may seem simple enough, the work that goes into the process is much more difficult. Hutton knows just the right spices to add to the meat to get the perfect sausage. Hutton also has a keen eye for spotting bacteria on meat. Not a hunter? Not a problem. You can still purchase bacon, pork or venison chops, most kinds of sausages, and many other cuts of meat. There is a selection of duck and pheasant, as well as smoked salmon. Ralph's Smokehouse also has the usual cuts of beef, with prices comparable to those in chain grocery stores. County fair time is a busy time for Hutton. He gets most of the business from the animals that are auctioned off by members of Future Farmers of America. Ralph's Smokehouse offers eight different gift boxes, ranging in price from $20 to $80, for the true meat connoisseur. At times there is lunch service in the store, with most of the Ralph's Smokehouse meats on the menu. With the success of his lunch menu, Hutton has branched out into the catering business as well. "I just got back from doing a family reunion in Washington for about 135 people a few months back," says Hutton. "I take the meat and the equipment, cook it up, and watch the people enjoy." After 30 years in the business without much time off, Hutton is ready for someone else to take over. "I'd like to go hunting again or just travel," says Hutton. Hutton has been a large supporter of his community as well. The walls of Ralph's Smokehouse are covered with plaques of appreciation as well as awards from chili cook-offs at which Hutton has won more than his fair share of blue ribbons. Ralph's Smokehouse, 885 Delmas Ave., is open 8 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 408-279.4009 or visit www.ralphssmokehouse.com. |
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