Local Kitchen Menu

Local Kitchen Restaurant Review:

Can a restaurant live up to the name Local if the interior is concrete, steel and glass and the exterior is a four-lane speedway heading for the Bay Bridge? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Thanks to generous happy hour specials, good cooking, attentive service and a crowd-pleasing menu, there were enough locals on a Wednesday night to keep things busy. While the menu was filled with the type of Cal-Italian dishes---burrata, herb fries, macaroni and cheese---that make one think of 1990s yuppies living in a SoMa condo, those dishes were worthwhile and well priced. A nicely charred flatiron steak gave the herb fries a higher purpose: soaking up the meat juices. The burrata appetizer used Calabrian chili, sea salt and arugula to good effect. Our pizza special, however---topped with figs and pancetta---lacked the characteristic crispness of first-rate wood-fired pies. Perhaps it was because we let it sit while enjoying the steak and fries? Desserts are familiar---profiteroles and chocolate soufflé. With a full bar, drink specials and abundant wine pours by the glass, you'll be tempted to abandon the actual bottle list. Don't---there are gems to be had, especially for lovers of juicy red varietals harvested from just beyond the Bay.