The Heart of Bob's Country Meats & The Spirit of Valentine’s Day

Tired of chocolates and flowers? Have you heard of a heart-shaped steak? 

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to check out how local businesses in Santa Clarita were gearing up for one of the largest retail sales days, aside from Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) projects that Americans will spend a staggering $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day. 

We stopped by a local favorite, Bob’s Country Meats & Deli and spoke to new owner, Richard Schwartzberg, to see what customers were swooning over and to check out their locally famous heart-shaped steak. Schwartzberg bought the business after his friend and beloved owner, Tim Mowery, passed unexpectedly in 2021 from surgery complications. 

My first question? How do people know about these beloved steaks?

“Word of mouth and people like you. Plus, they are a hit when people see them in the glass case,” says Schwartzberg.

When asked how the heart steaks began, Schwartzberg says, “It’s a novelty that works out perfectly when you cut ribeye a certain way.” 

I wanted to know what the community thought of Bob’s Country Meats before meeting with Schwartzberg. So, prior to stopping in, I hit the streets of SCV and asked residents to share their thoughts about Bob’s. Among the many comments were: 

“I love that it’s a husband-and-wife duo.” 

“They are so friendly, and the customer service is always top-notch.” 

“They literally have the best cuts of meat of anywhere I’ve been.”

“A real treat for anyone who loves quality meat.” 

And then there was this… 

“My husband and I shop there all the time. My husband is Armenian and it’s his favorite place for meats. Once, I was in there by myself, and the store was completely empty. I was bending over a shelf, looking for something, and someone bumped into me so hard that it pushed me forward. When I turned around to apologize for blocking the aisle, there was no one there. I thought to myself, whoa, I wonder if it was the previous owner’s spirit watching over his store?”

When asked if he felt the spirit of his good friend, Tim Mowery, in the shop, Schwartzberg smiled and said, “Yes! Absolutely. I hear things all the time! I’m a believer in that stuff. When I come in early, while it’s still dark outside, I hear all sorts of noises. So, I talk to him. Keith and I have known each other since we were kids. We worked together when we were 18 or 19 years old and were trained by the same old-timer. He moved to Canyon Country and I went to the city. Before taking this over, I worked at Bob’s Meats in Santa Monica,” says Schwartzberg. Coincidentally enough, there is no relation between the two establishments. 

He ended our interview with big heart eyes & a smile, “Meat, it’s been my whole life…”

Flashing a big smile and showing off his Valentine’s Day special, his heart is no doubt in his work. 

Written by: Kelly Ingram (Nishimoto)