For hours on Monday around midday, the line outside Ottomanelli & Sons Meat Market stretched from midblock on Bleecker St. until almost the corner at Jones St., moving slowly but surely. Villagers and other hopefuls from farther abroad came to Ottomanelli to buy the fixings for their Christmas dinners. Asked what he was going to buy, one young man smiled and said, “Whatever I can. I don’t want to get my heart set on something in case they don’t have it.” Most others, however, did have their particular meat and type of cut in mind. Some had “reserved.” Others were just optimistic. Rib steak, venison, capon, duck breast and leg of lamb were on the hopefuls’ shopping list.
