Special Event @ Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant

Update Review, April 2024

Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant is a restaurant I walk by every single day.  It really is my "local" restaurant.  And yet ... I somehow never go there.  In the 14 years they have been open, I have been there several times for special events, I've gotten takeout maybe twice, and had their pizza at other events a few times.  But I haven't really sought it out, despite it being such an easy option. 

"Inspired by global cuisine and the bounty of California produce in our backyard, we proudly offer seasonal dishes and wood-fired pizzas with American comfort mediterranean flavors and the freshest ingredients. Our produce, meats, and cheeses are all locally sourced from Northern California and "Local" is truly our mantra."

The concept at Local Kitchen is, well, "Local".  In practice that seems to mean a fairly basic menu of American / Italian cuisine, with scatterings of Mediterranean ingredients, and more recently, Mexican.  It is the sort of menu you read and yawn, as there is nothing particularly interesting about it.  Sure, everyone can find something they want, but there isn't a single dish that sounds particularly unique.  Not the sort of cuisine you'll ever remember.  There was a *very* brief time, around 2019, when they brought in a new exec chef who added some Singaporean dishes, which was actually very exciting to me, but sadly, she, and the menu, did not stay long.  Although "and Wine Merchant" still remains in the business name, they have certainly pivoted away from the strong wine program focus, and are mostly the "kitchen" now.

Local Kitchen is open for dinner most nights.  At different times in the past, they've also been open for brunch on weekends.  I'm honestly not quite sure how they stayed in business for so long, as 14 years is a looong time in the SF restaurant scene, and in particular, how they weathered the pandemic, as it never seems actually busy.  They also have a sister restaurant, Buena Vida Cantina, that moved in to the old Oola space down the street on Folsom.  It has a Mexican focus, and you can see elements of that influence on the Local Kitchen menu (and, at the event, they brought some dishes from there as well).

I finally returned this year when they hosted a 3 night long open house for the neighborhood, to celebrate their 14 years in business (and, presumably, to remind us all they are still there!).  I was able try a very large portion of the menu, spanning from appetizers to entrees to pizzas to pastas AND dishes from Buena Vida.  I was pleasantly surprised by the above average quality of the food I sampled over the course of two nights at the open house.  Again, fairly boring and basic menu, but, well prepared food.  It made me actually want to return to order a real meal.

Bites / Small Plates

The menu at Local starts with a section of "Bites" (if you are reading the online menu) or "Small Plates" (if in person).  The lineup isn't extensive, but has a couple Italian appetizer style items (meatballs, arancini, whipped ricotta) that go well with the mostly Italian focus of the restaurant, a somewhat generic cheese & charcuterie plate that makes sense alongside wine, a Middle Eastern spiced flatbread that seems like a bit of an odd match for the rest of the menu, and truffle fries.  I was able to try a few items from this section, and I've had the meatballs in the past (although I didn't review then, nor really remember them).

Mushroom Arancini.  $14.

"Fried risotto balls | mozzarella | mushroom aioli."

Arancini of some form have been on the menu at Local for quite a while.  I've seen slightly different mushroom ones, and butternut in the past.  As I'm not one for rice (unless in dessert rice pudding!), and really not into risotto (mushy rice? Meh), I don't generally go for arancini, but for some reason I decided to try one.  I'm glad I did.

These were actually pretty good.  I had one when it was hot and fresh, and enjoyed it more than expected.  Super crispy shell.  Molten cheese inside.  Soft (but not mushy) mushroom forward risotto ball.  Better than average arancini, probably the best I've had in ... the past 10 or so years, but I haven't really sought aranini out that much.  High ***.

I had another once they had been sitting a few minutes, so not quite as fresh, and it was solidly meh though.  The molten center really was key to the enjoyment.  I wished I hadn't gone back a second, as it left a less good final impression.

$14 for a regular size appetizer on the menu, half-price at happy hour (3 to an order for $7).

House made flatbread. $10. 

"Za'atar & harissa seasoned flatbread, seasoned dip trio."

I didn't try the flatbread, but I did try the olive and romesco sauces that were part of the dip trio (hummus was the other).  They were fine.  Not memorable, nor really things I'm excited for.  ***.

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Whipped Ricotta. $14.

"Whipped ricotta, olives, toasted almonds, extra virgin olive oil, grilled bread."

I didn't get a photo of the whipped ricotta, which was served as individual crostini.  I took one not knowing what the topping was, and it was a good gamble (not goat cheese, phew!).

This was actually very good.  I didn't care for the oily and hard toasted bread base, but the whipped ricotta was tasty, and the toasted almonds added a great crunch.  Olives briney and salty.  Better than expected, good mix of flavors and textures.  ***+.

Pizzas

Pizza is, and always has been, a main attraction at Local.  They have a big wood burning oven in the open kitchen, and it has always been a focal points of the restaurant, in every iteration of it I have seen.  I think they might have briefly taken pizza off the menu during the era of the Southeast Asian chef, but it quickly came back. People want their pizza.

The pizza menu has a dozen or so curated pizzas, ranging from your standard margherita to a frankly rather confused sounding Vodka Chicken with ham, bacon, chimichurri, and soft scrambled egg (in addition to what I assume is vodka sauce and chicken?  I'm wondering if this is an error on their printed menu), or you can build your own.  All one size only.  They do offer a gluten-free option, but no vegan cheeses. 

Our event had a variety of pizzas coming out at all times, but they weren't ever labelled, so it was hard to know what was what.  People did seem excited about the pizza though.

Funghi. $29.

"Garlic Puree, Mozzarella, Wild Mushrooms, Wild Baby Arugula, Pecorino Cheese, Truffle Oil."

I didn't try any of the pizza the first night, and almost didn't the second (I've just had a ton of pizza lately, and wasn't really in the mood).  But when a fresh funghi pizza came out right when I was standing there ... I impulse grabbed a slice.

I was definitely in a wild mushroom phase, and had just discovered (and devoured) the White Truffle Potato Chips the day before, and so, I saw fancy mushroom and truffles and dug right in.  I completely forgot that I hadn't cared for this before. 

The crust was ok, although my piece was actually a bit too charred.  Nicely puffy though, decent chew.  I had Tony's Pizza Napoletana the week before though, and this is just no comparison (Tony's is worthy of all those accolades!).  I've also been really into Detroit style pizza (current fav is Square Pies Guys, I adore the lightly fermented flavor of the crust, and of course, the crispy cheese situation).  So this crust for me was uninteresting at best.

It was a white pizza, which I prefer.  But I didn't taste nor really find the garlic puree, nor any other creamy sauce.  Besides the cheese, that was melted well and well distributed, it was really quite dry.  The mushrooms seemed to be some small crimini mushrooms, and perhaps some regular brown mushrooms.  Fine, nicely cooked, meaty, but not particularly big pieces, and not as novel as I hoped wild mushrooms would be.  The arugula on top was nice for freshness, but added to it eating pretty dry.  Truffle oil was actually not particularly strong.  I really wanted more truffle flavor.

Overall, I was just not into this.  It has been on their menu for ages, and I think they consider it a signature pizza, but I certainly wouldn't get it again.  Low **.

More Funghi.

For a comparison photo, you can see how they served it the previous night, rather than a full size pizza on pizza pan, they plated it up a bit differently for easier communal serving.  This one was significantly less charred.  I think you can see the lack of creamy sauce a bit better here too.

Margherita. $25.

"Basil, Fresh Mozzarella, San Marzano Tomato Sauce."

Since I wasn't really feeling the pizza, I didn't try the margherita, but I do remember thinking it was decent in the past.

Large Plates

And finally, the large plates section of the menu.  Much like the small plates, the selection isn't particularly large: 3 pastas, a token burger, and one red meat (steak), one seafood (salmon), and one white meat (pork).  While the pastas are very traditional Italian basics, the proteins actually all take on Mexican elements, which doesn't quite fit with the rest of the restaurant, but perhaps is a tie-in to their sister Mexican restaurant?

This is the section of the menu I was not familiar with prior to this visit, as previous encounters have always been either just pizza, or cocktail receptions with appetizers.

CACIO E PEPE. $25.

"Linguine, Roasted Black Pepper, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Romano, Marinated Chicken Thigh."

I've heard good things about the pasta at Local, and was happy to see they were bringing out big plates of it.  The menu has 3 different pastas, all fairly classic, nothing unexpected: rigatoni bolognese, shrimp penne alla vodka, and cacio e pepe.  I only saw the cacio e pepe come out, and it came out several times.  While not innovative, I gladly would have tried any of them.

Normally this is made with linguine, but this batch used penne (presumably what they use for the penne alla vodka) and the previous batch was rigatoni (from the rigatoni bolognese).  I never actually saw a batch with the linguine.

The first batch I tried was the rigatoni version, and it wasn't very fresh when I got it (hence, no photo).  It was pretty much cold, but actually quite tasty.  Very creamy sauce, high pepper level, and perfectly al dente pasta.  ***, although if I had it hot I am pretty sure it would be at least a half star higher.  I wished I had it fresh, as I heard multiple people raving about it (I think the reason we got subsequent batches was from one of the guests telling the manager very directly how much he liked it and wanted more).

The batch pictured I had fresh, straight from the kitchen.  The sauce was still good (although not quite as much of it, not quite as creamy), but the penne I didn't care for as much.  A bit softer, just less interesting flavor to it, and the sauce fell off it easily without the ridges from the rigatoni.  It was fine, but, fairly average, and akin to what I feel most people can make at home.  Garnished well with both grated and shredded parmesan.  Very average lwo ***.

If chicken isn't your thing (it isn't mine, so I didn't try it), this is also available with grilled shrimp (+$2) or vegetable mix.

Local Burger (Slider Version).

"Housemade Everything Brioche Bun, Organic Chuck, Short Rib, & Brisket Patty, Vermont White Cheddar Cheese, Mustard Aioli, Lettuce, Tomato, French Fries."

I remember having a slider at an event in the past, and in particular, I remember being impressed with the execution ... normally sliders are far over cooked, the toppings are an afterthought, they aren't warm, etc, but it was actually really nicely assembled.  They showed up both days of the event, and were grabbed *instantly* by everyone, clearly the crowd favorite.  I didn't try them the first day, sorta thinking, "yup, sliders at an event, when are those ever actually good ...", but the second night, right before leaving, I finally did, when I was standing there right as a fresh tray was brought out.

Sliders are not on the regular menu, but they do have a standard size burger that is another menu staple.  The larger one comes with a different style bun (housemade everything brioche bun, which, does sound fantastic), but otherwise, I think it is essentially the same burger.  The full size burger with fries is normally $20.  You can add bacon, avocado, or fried egg for an additional $3.

The bun on this looked pretty basic, just a white bun, but I actually really liked it.  It was very fluffy, lightly sweet (not Hawaiian roll sweet, but, slightly), and lightly toasted on the inside only.  Considerably better than average, and better than it looked.  High ***+ bun.

Local Burger (Slider Version): Inside.

The rest of the burger was also shockingly good.

The patty was very flavorful (their blend of chuck, short rib, and brisket works wonders), it was well seasoned, AND it was cooked medium (sure, I'd prefer medium-rare, but for a tiny patty, that is hard to do).  I couldn't believe it when I bit in and it was slightly pink.  Probably the best tasting burger patty I've had in a while.  Low **** patty/cook.

And finally, the toppings.  Again, far better than average.  The tomato slice was juicy, the sharp cheese (yellow, not white as the menu said) was nicely melted, the classic iceberg lettuce was crisp, the pickle delighted me, and the mustard aioli was a flavorful "special sauce" (although I did slightly miss having some ketchup too).  All high ***+.

Putting that all together, I think it was a great slider, the best I've had in memory really, ****.  I suspect their full size burger, cooked to my preferred temperature, would be even better.

Pan Seared Salmon. $29.

"Braised greens, fingerling potatoes, and salsa bravas" /"chimichurri, crispy potatoes, zucchini, squash".

I was quite surprised when the staff brought out individual plates of the salmon entree (although I assume this is a smaller portion).  You could tell people were a bit uncertain if we were supposed to take the whole thing?  (indeed, we were).  Normally the salmon is served with braised greens, fingerling potatoes, and salsa bravas, but for our event they seemed to use some of the garnish from the steak instead: no braised greens, but zucchini and squash with the crispy potatoes (along with arugula garnish).

I was fairly impressed.  The salmon was quite moist, cooked well - I prefer mid-rare, and it was fully cooked, but, not hammered, no albumin seeping out or anything.  Well seasoned.  ***+ salmon.  The salsa bravas was an odd pairing for me on top of the fish, although it made sense with the hunks of crispy potato underneath.  The squashes (both green and yellow) were fine, and it was nice to have the lighter juicier pieces alongside the potatoes (they were cut about the same size as the potatoes, so it was kinda a medley). Garnish gets a low *** due to personal preference.

So, not really a dish I'd order, but well cooked salmon, and Mexican inspired garnish that wasn't quite my thing, but still a decent dish.  ***. 

More Salmon: Different Sauce?

Interestingly, about half the dishes had a less red sauce on them, another salsa it seemed, but, different.  You can also see the zucchini and yellow squash hunks better in this dish.

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Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder. $26.

"White bean & garlic ragout, salsa verde."

The first day, they served large format versions of one of the entrees (rather than individual bowls we saw the second day).  

I tried a bit of the roast pork shoulder.  The pork was very tender, but quite greasy.  White beans and salsa verde not really my thing, so the rest of the dish wasn't personally appealing either.  They are definitely pushing the Mexican influence across the Local menu, which frankly, isn't what I'm looking for.  Not bad, but, a heavy dish. ***.

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Off Menu Polenta.

They also had plates of a dish I don't see on the menu anywhere, not dinner nor brunch.  It was a polenta base, with a ragu style topping that I think I heard someone say was chicken sausage.  I could imagine it with an egg on top being great for brunch?  Anyway, I tried the polenta, and really quite liked it.  Very well cooked, flavorful.  I wish I could have tried more, but I got the very last of it.  ***+.

Dishes from Buena Vida Cantina

In addition to the already clearly Mexican inspired entrees from the Local regular menu, we also were provided with several selections from the menu of Buena Vida, their sister restaurant down the street.  I actually didn't even know Buena Vida was there, and it isn't far away.

I didn't get a photo of the chips, salsa trio ($6), or guacamole ($14), but all were fairly average.  Thin crispy chips, different styles of salsa.   I was hopeful that some of the sides like fried plantains, yucca fries, or chcharones might come out, but since they were using the Local Kitchen, I suspect that wasn't really feasible given the deep fryer setup.

As I'm mentioned, I don't really care for most Mexican food, so I mostly skipped all of this.  Between the two nights, we had quite a variety of tacos from across the menu (they have 14 different taco options!). Our selection ranged from classic carnitas and chicken tinga, to the more interesting quesabirria taco that comes with a side dip broth, one of their multiple vegetarian options, the "sin carne" (that is your fairly standard boring grilled veggies).  I wished they had the fungi one with fried maitakes, pickled mushrooms and truffle cream, or any of the seafood options, but, alas.

Crispy Carnitas Tacos. $11.

"Crispy and tender pork shoulder, salsa verde, red onions, and a sprinkle of fresno peppers."

I *think* this was the carnitas taco, but I'm not sure (it might have been the cochinita pibil).  People seemed to like them.  I didn't try.

Tinga Taco. $11.

"Shredded chipotle chicken, crunchy cabbage, and lime crema."

I loved the look of the chicken tinga taco with the vibrant crunchy slaw on top, but as I don't care for chicken, I skipped it.  

Original Review, September 2017

Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant is a restaurant that I frankly don't understand.  The location is a bit odd, tucked away on 1st St between Folsom & Harrison, a very busy street, but busy with cars headed onto the Bay Bridge.  It is not much of a walking neighborhood, and certainly wasn't when Local opened several years ago, and none of these cars pull over.

And yet, they aim to be a casual neighborhood restaurant.  They are open for weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner every night.  The menu isn't extensive, nor fancy, just the basics like pizza, pasta, a handful of mains, a few apps.  Not really a menu I was drawn in by.  A decent wine and cocktail program.

No real reason for it to stand out.  Which, it never has.  I remember visiting once years ago, and thinking "Meh, nothing interesting", and commenting that it was pretty pricey for what it was.  I went to an event about a year ago with pizza from Local, and again, thought "Well, that was ok pizza, but for nearly $20 for a small pizza, why?"

But, my apartment building had an event hosted there, so I had a chance to check it out for free.  Why not?

We occupied a large space in the middle of the dining room, and food was brought out as ready, mostly appetizers and finger foods from their party menu, plus plenty of the signature pizzas.

I was not impressed with the experience.  It was very loud.  Food was brought without a description.  There was no cutlery.  It just didn't seem all that well equipped to handle our group.

That said, the food was delivered hot and fresh, the staff were friendly, and my glass of Pinot Noir was actually really quite good.

Would I go back?  Nah.  Was it awful?  Nah.  My opinion is basically just as before.  It is fine, but not notable in any way, and kinda pricey for what it is.  But, they seem to be succeeding, so I clearly am just missing something.

To Share

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Smoky chicken skewers | roasted shishito peppers, black garlic aioli. $7 (Happy Hour) $12 (Dinner)

Our group started with a big bowl of fried chicken bits, with a smaller bowl of roasted shisitos, and a little bowl of black garlic aioli.

There were no serving utensils provided, and none of us had cutlery.  So ... people grabbed with their fingers.  Eww!

Since we didn't know what anything was, I just saw crispy fried things with creamy sauce, and grabbed one.  The crispy coating was tasty, not oily, nicely seasoned, but inside was chicken.  It was moist enough, and probably good if you like chicken (people seemed to like it), but I don't like chicken, so this wasn't for me.

The menu says the dip was aioli, but it tasted like butter to me.  The texture was that of soft butter, and it wasn't creamy in the way aioli is.  It wasn't really pleasant to dip into.

The roasted shisitos were pretty standard.

Overall, a pass for me, but, I don't like chicken.

Local Burger Slider.

"Caramelized onion, aged cheddar, lettuce, heirloom tomato, pickles."

Next came platters of sliders, in 3 varieties: fried chicken with slaw, classic cheeseburger, and veggie.

Since I don't like chicken, I stayed away from the fried chicken ones.

I took what I thought was a regular beef cheeseburger, but it turned out to be a veggie slider, a bun stuffed with a few slimy roasted veggies (onions, bell peppers), and romesco sauce.  It wasn't very good, and the table quickly turned into a pile of discarded sliders.

On the 3rd or so round, I was finally able to grab a beef slider, a smaller version of their burger, a menu staple at all meals.

The slider roll was the same as the veggie one, nice enough looking, shiny top, black and white sesame seeds, toasted, but it wasn't particularly fresh tasting.

The patty was ... odd.  I bit into it, and it was sorta ... chewy?  But, when I looked down, it was pink.  I was impressed that it didn't *look* overcooked, as it is hard to have a slider come out less than well done, and, I'd call this medium.  Except, the texture was just strange, it wasn't juicy, and the flavor wasn't very good.

The aged cheddar was nicely melted on though, the lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the pickles flavorful and crunchy.  And each had two pickles!  It also had plenty of mayo, which I of course liked.

It was really strange how well executed it was (melty cheese, fresh veggies, toasted bun, pink meat), yet it wasn't actually good.

$16 for a regular burger at dinner, and $50 for 10 sliders on the event menu.  I guess it was good for a $5 item?

Pizza

Pizza is the star attraction at Local, served at all meals.  The open-ish kitchen features a wood burning pizza oven.  The menu has only 5 pizzas, although you can also create your own.  Our group received 3 types of pizza (Margherita, Salsiccia, Funghi).

The pizzas were always brought out and placed in the same spot on the table, e.g. sausage on one end, margherita in the middle, and mushroom on the other, and it was impossible to get to anything not right in front of you, which meant I wasn't ever able to try the one I really wanted, the sausage.

I'm not much of a pizza girl, but it was decent.

Funghi. $19 (Dinner only).

"Porcini cream, wild mushrooms, arugula." 

The pizza that kept coming in front of me was the funghi.  I do like mushrooms though, so I wasn't upset to try it.

But, it wasn't very good.  Hot and fresh, yes.  The crust, crispy enough on the bottom.  But I didn't care for the cream sauce and cheese, nor the heavy mushroom flavor.  It tasted like fake, cheap, truffle oil, in a way that permeates everything.  And there was too much cheese.

Along with the veggie sliders, many people left slices of this discarded on their plates.  I was actually pretty surprised by how much people just left behind, as that isn't really normal behavior at events.

$19 for a pizza of this size and quality seems way too high.

Margherita. $9 (Happy Hour) $15 (Dinner).

"San marzano, basil, fior di latte, extra virgin olive oil. "

I finally managed to snag a slice of the Margherita, the one I remember thinking was decent before at an event.

And, it was much better, certainly the best thing I ate.

The crust was crispy, the sauce tangy and well seasoned, the fior di latte just barely melted and flavorful, and the torn basil fresh.

A very simple Margherita, but, good enough.