Dimitri states: "It's not too hard to find USDA prime beef at upscale
grocery stores like Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Gelson's. I have
read that most USDA prime ends up in restaurants, though."

Yes you can still find US prime beef at some grocery stores, and in the
past you could find it at many more. However US prime is just the
starting point, and only indicates that the beef has certain technical
characteristics needed for top beef. The ability of the beef buyer to
select the very best prime carcass is all important. A top supplier such
as Allen Bros. or Lobels selects only the very best despite the price.
Some others select the cheapest so long as it is US prime. Then there is
the matter of how the beef is then aged. Lobels is an expert on dry
aging. Allen Bros. provides top examples of both wet and dry aged beef.
Both Lobels and Allen Bros., as well as a few others, provide reliable
air delivery, so your location is no longer an important factor. The
stores you mention may have wonderful US prime beef - they are not in my
area, so I do not know. However I have yet to find any stores in my area
that have or that can special order prime beef that offers anywhere near
the quality of the sources I mentioned. Of course you will pay a premium
price if you want the top quality beef. But beef is fairly easy to
prepare at home, so in the end you will likely pay much less than going
to a restaurant that serves a lower grade beef and wines with high
markups.

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