Where have they gone?

The other day I when I was glorifying the wonders of a collar of fish, I mentioned asking your fish monger to save you one.  What fish monger?  Where is there a true fish monger anymore?  The same goes for butcher shops.  Supermarkets have ruined quality product...yes, even the nice supermarkets like the River Valley Market and Whole Foods (trust me, I know the local farms and what they deliver to the supermarkets.  There is a hierarchy to who gets the better product and said markets are usually the last stop). 

As most do who live in New York, I became unbelievably spoiled by the bounty of butcher shops and fish markets seemingly on every other block.  I understand that big cities have more of a need for specialized food stores, but why doesn't the Pioneer Valley?  We love our food, we love getting our food from local farms and we love talking about where our food comes from over our food.  So why isn't there a place that specializes in just meat and a place that specializes in just seafood right here in the valley.  It is amazing to me that with all the restaurants and "quality" food shops in the Valley, I have to special order whole fish.  It worries me a little that even though we live so close to the ocean, businesses are comfortable getting pre-filleted fish and pre-fabricated meats.  What happened to restaurants caring enough to butcher their own animals and fillet their own fish.  We do.  What happened to being able to go to a place that is willing to cut a shoulder of pork while you ponder over a nice selection of sausage or a shop that carries whole fish and fillets it while you wait.  Aah, there it is.  While you wait.  Too bad we are in such a hurry these days.  If I find the right space in town, BLG Butcher will come soon after...