Judging by the popularity of Charlottesville and Belmont’s new little jewel, The Local, many of you have already eaten there and like it. We’ve asked you what you think of The Local and published The Local’s Menu.
We’ve visited The Local several times in recent weeks and now it’s time for a formal review. If you peruse the menu, you will find that The Local has a very reasonably priced menu. It hits that $13 to $16 entre range that has driven a similar success to restaurants like Continental Divide.
Ambiance
I’ve had three meals at The Local and sampled various dishes. The Local did an amazing job renovating what used to be an art gallery for animal lovers. It’s a pleasant, modern atmosphere with exposed brick walls, open space, high ceiling, large windows, manly bar, cloth napkins and boutique lighting. If you don’t believe me, go in there at night. The ambiance is up there with Mas, Enoteca and Ten.
Service
The Local, for its price range, has amazing service. I am happy to have a Charlottesville restaurant that isn’t overpriced and also offers reservations. We’ve had trouble getting reservations last minute, so make sure you call ahead at least a day in advance. The staff at The Local has been particularly helpful and, unlike many other Charlottesville establishments, cares about your enjoyment of the meal. Not once have I been served and felt like things were rushed, even during a 7:30PM dinner hour on a Friday.
Victim of its Own Success
The Local, like many new Charlottesville restaurants, has been a victim of its own success. If you don’t have a reservation, be prepared to wait. Through the grapevine, I’ve heard that people are getting seated faster at Mas on a Friday night. The sheer number of people waiting on the outside patio on a Friday or Saturday night should give you an idea. But, you can’t say I didn’t warn you; GET A RESERVATION. IT’S EASY.
Food
The Local has many choices for dinner. With pasta choices and various meat (pork, steaks, tuna, chicken) choices, you have several things to choose for entres. I’ve eaten the pork, the short rib and samplings of various other dishes. The cuts for tuna are generous and the plates are very filling. I will say that the short rib is extremely fatty which is a good thing for some, and a bad thing for others. The pasta dishes are excellent and I highly recommend the truffled ragout and the gnocchi. The Local serves Mona Lisa pasta which is, hands down, the best pasta you can buy in town.
The salads are good, but I think they are overpriced given the small sizes and relatively parse ingredient list. I enjoyed the Caesar dressing’s light, lemony taste immensely, but the presentation seemed haphazard.
The side dishes left me unimpressed. Sure, potatoes are good, but the pairings with things weren’t creative and certainly took away from the meal. I enjoyed the spice rub on the pork, but it didn’t have depth to it. I’ve had a big problem with the fries not being cooked correctly. I don’t know if they don’t double cook them or what, but they are soggy. They look very appetizing and are fried in peanut oil, but I’m not a fan. It’s a problem because they have three versions of steak frites which I’m not interested in because of the fries.
Dessert wise, I adore the banana split. It’s simple, lovely and everyone digs it. Order it and don’t feel sorry. Other desserts are simple, straight forward and good. You can’t go wrong.
Drinks
I love The Local’s wine list. They have very reasonably priced bottles with a variety of old and new world. I fell in love with the $28 2005 Spanish Tempranillo from Gran Familia. You can do a serious exploration of wine without spending over $42 (which is their most expensive wine). The servers are more than happy to help you with your decisiong and I’m glad they suggested the Tempranillo to us.
Besides wine, The Local has a full service bar that hasn’t suffered in speed. With micro brews on tap, a full liquor closet and soothing ambiance, I’d say it’s going to be a very popular place to hang out once the initial rush wears off.
Overall
The Local brings excellently priced dishes to Charlottesville budding downtown Belmont area. Make your reservations, stick to the pasta dishes, appetizers and the wine list. Enjoy the late night menu; bring friends. It’s going to be my new hangout for a quick meal and a beer. Where else can you get amazing service, a large entre, a beer and great ambiance for under $20? No where. Go there and tell them cVillain sent you. We are in love. How about you?
P.S. Hope they can keep the prices low!
[Photo Courtesy of Tom Daly]
Popularity: 55% [?]
Tagged as: bar, Belmont, Charlottesville, Food, Local, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, review, Scene, The Local, Wine
We can all be “friends in peanut oil”…!
I’m gonna go against the tide and compliment Thor on this review. You took your time, were thorough and comprehensive. Thanks, man.
The setting is great. Exposed brick, large beams, wood floor and subtle art work. Cool bar too. One of the best in Charlottesville. Definitely the kind of place I’ve been waiting to have around corner. And once the outdoor deck upstairs opens this summer, it will be one of the best summer watering holes in town. And their booze is reasonably priced too (a few dollars here and there below popular Downton Mall bars).
BUT…and this is a big but…the food is bland and the menu needs some major renovations. 4 meals there now, each time hoping to be impressed…and no success. I think they rely on salt as their primary spice. Underwhelmed and even disappointed. I say this as a person who plans to keep going back until I try everything on the menu and hopefully find an item that hits the mark (because I REALLY want to love that place). Please Local, don’t let me down again.
Any recommendations of what I might be missing out on?
I’ve already forwarded the review…! I haven’t been to The Local yet but looking forward to it. I thank Thor as well..just thought the typo was perfect!
I’m gonna go against the Tide and wash my clothes with Cheer. Haven’t eaten at the Local yet, but I look forward to it, especially once the second floor balcony patio opens up in back. That is gonna be all kinds of sweet.
I don’t know if they don’t double cook them or what, but they are soggy.
That’s exactly what I was wondering. If that’s really the case, I propose that they try a week of double frying the frites. See what the feedback is. I know that one or two people have come out as lovers of the soggy fry, but I think they’d find that a huge majority of their customers would prefer a light, crisp shell with soft potato-y goodness inside.
I still want to try this place, but I gotta wonder why I would pay to eat Mona Lisa pasta there when I can just take Mona Lisa pasta home and cook it.
7: I feel the same way about Jim Beam.
/wait, what?
Good review, Thor. The only thing I disagree with you on is the side dish comment. I’ve only eaten there once and gone for drinks a few times but I will say that I thought the fries were amazing and served in a cone lined with paper reminiscent of a Belgian style fry serving. I also thought it was cool that they had the “frites” part of the menu (I had the tuna, which was amazing) for that reason. Having the tuna was like two dishes in one.
I wouldn’t say it’s the best ever, but I was very happy.
Also, the bar service is great with John D’Earth’s clone behind the taps!
Nice, even-handed review there, Thor. Looking forward to trying it. I know the chef personally and he’s a nice guy and a good cook (despite the fries . . . did you offer constructive criticism on those?).
@8: Touché
i agree that the setting is great, the service is lovely, i enjoyed going there solely to drink. but the menu itself unexcites me. i loved the gnocchi, i liked the fries fine (i’m not very picky about wine, particularly after several glasses of wine), but i don’t particularly need to eat there again. that said, i encourage you all to go there; it’s a nice place, just not for me.
So I went for a late night meal there the other day (first time back since opening night for a meal), and had a really nice time. The fries are finally crispy, the service was great, the pork chops were perfect, and the tuna seemed to be perfectly cooked (on opening night, the tuna was more on the medium well size, not seared). Great improvement, and nice addition of some more veggie options to the menu.
(despite the fries . . . did you offer constructive criticism on those?)
I know I did, during the soft opening they held. Part of doing a soft opening is to work the kinks out. I praised the menu, the price point, the service and the rest of the food, but I did say that the frites were too soggy.
I will say, in agreement with icenine, I loved the presentation of the frites. Just not the execution.
Wait. Tuffy, you had crispy fries? Hmm. Maybe the tide is finally turning!
I’m telling you. Mad crips. Very very good. No sog, no nog. Give them another try all.
I was always going to give them another try, but was just waiting for a sign. And lo there were crispy frites. I’ll definitely be back. Thanks, Tuffy!
Maybe that’s why I disagreed with the fry comment. I ate there for the first time on Wednesday night.
My fries were as crispy as a dead earthworm on the sidewalk in 100 degree heat with 0% relative humidity.
Okay, maybe not that crispy (that would be gross), but you get the picture.
niner… that’s so weird. I ate there on Wed night too. Hmmm…. it was close to 10PM when the food arrived, and some big groups just took off. I wonder if the chefs had a bit more time to relax and get it done right. Which, btw, they should do every time, but that could explain it.
@11 hey it ain’t April 1st anymore watch the french!
I was there as things were dying down too. Probably around the same time as you…we didn’t have to wait for a table at all and were able to score the sweet table in front by the window (to the right just as you walk in). Maybe that’s why we got the crispyness…
I kept remembering how that dude Hal used to sell his wildlife photos in there and serve lemonade. It’s a great space for sure…
mine weren’t crispy last friday. they were kind of like 5 guys.
@ 16 - you better not let the bloods know that, or else we’ll really have a gang problem here…
@20: Shit. Speaking French is my job!
I also complement the wine list. About a dozen bottles priced below $30. That’s really great to see.
Ooooh, look at all these comments, nicely done stands.
@25. D’oh. I mean “compliment”.
Thor thank you for this great review. Nice to see a thoughtful post.
Thor thank you for this great review. Nice to see a thoughtful post.
Suck-up.
WTF happened to Layla?
Oh. She just posted. neener neener
What, are other posts not thoughtful ?
Thor, we have to revisit the fatty short rib. I had this and all I could think about as I was slowly working my way through them is that is was like having a rib drenched in chocolate ganche (that’s a little redundant, but you get the picture). Not one for fatty meat, I should hate those ribs, but instead I was in a somewhat blissful state of finger licking and arterial dissent, and while I don’t think I’ll be able to indulge on a regular basis, I can tell that they will be added to the short list of Charlottesville cravings that I get from time to time.
Layla - next time pair the fatty short rib with a 2002 Cheval Argentina. You know - the Mendoza region.
Light to medium bodied. Blackcurrant (cassis) fruit and raisins, almost tawny-port-like, with a fresh bright balancing acidity. Caramel and coffee hints, zingy green peppers, black olives and spicy tobacco leaf. Very herbaceous and spicy, lending a slightly woody (but not harsh) character. Tannins are very soft and round and the length impressive.
I’ve eaten at this new spot and think that the food is pretty damn good. I really enjoyed it. Also the interior is right up my alley, bricks/beams and what not.
My only complaint is about the bar. IT IS VERY TALL! And then the bar stools are short. It’s as if they bought the chairs and then didn’t really explain to the carpenter how tall the bar needed to be accordingly. Try and sit at the bar and enjoy your meal without feeling like you are a little kid trying to reach the tabletop. They need new bar stools. Otherwise I think it’s a nice new addition to the regular rotation of restaurants.
lolo, you talk so sweetly. It’s a deal.
@35 hahaha i forgot about the tall bar!
That bar is GIGANTIC! I feel like Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann on Sesame Street.
Funny this should get posted today, because I wanted to eat there tonight. Anybody down for a cvillain party at The Local?
Ate there last night. The romesco sauce with the shrimp and mussels appetizer was incredible. In fact, the tuna and steak frites, the burger, the pork chop, the beef shanks w/gnocchi were all terrific. Alas, the fries were a bit soggy. I think the problem there is that unless you get them immediately from the kitchen, they steam in their serving cone and lose any crispiness they had. The only clunker was the mashed potato with chipotle gravy that came with the pork chop. I love chipotles and was really looking forward to this, but it the gravy was bland with no hint of a kick from the peppers. Service was pleasant if a bit spotty and of course the interior is gorgeous. We’ll be back.
@39…party? nobobody around here likes parties! Let’s see what we can arrange!
i should try it soon, but as a restaurant owner myself i am curious how they will be able to keep their low price without pilling up too much overhead.
probably by volume? good food attracts large crowds.
@35 You got that right. They need new stool. That or they need to keep a bunch of phone books on hand to use as booster seats
stealing my idea!
Dear Frenchy,
Stick with what you know. The Local is not deporting Jews or appeasing Nazis. Until that day, you’re not needed.
HE SEEMS NICE.
@46: Ouch, why we attacking Frenchy? His input as another local restaurant owner ( and a very cool one at that) is appreciated on a post about another local restaurant. Oh wait, you’re making fun of the French. In that case, Va t’en faire foutre .
@45 Yes. What I lack in originality I make up for in brazen theft.
@49: Hope you and Orchid had fun last night. Kissing on the sofa at OXO!
Oooooohhhhh!
silmo check your email. your silmomail.
@ 50 That’s it. The wedding is off!
hee hee…
you’re overreacting; i’m sure we can work things out. i already bought my dress!!
What will I tell my mother *sob* her heart’s not so good you know… *sniff*
now you’re making ME cry! this is so sad!
that demon alcohol who drives families apart and destroys lives! someone should put a stop to this!
BAN ALCOHOL!
“…since you’ve been gone, all thats left is a band of gold…”
Dont ban alcohol. Im gonna dress up in my useless tux and go drink a lot and listen to country western music.
It all seemed so… so.. perfect. *sniff*
ok, don’t ban alcohol. i blame our breakup on shen
/guns don’t kill people, gunistas kill people
no shit. she’s not happy ’til everyone’s business is lit up here like christmas.
/ then again, it *is* a gossip site.
// gots reciprocal dirt, but wont post it
/// maybe silmo wears my tux size. lord knows I wont be using it. *sniff*
@58: What?! When I made out with a lesbian on a table at the Café, you rhapsodized about it on here for two days. If you’re a cVillain and you do stuff with other cVillains in public, it’s gonna end up on here.
And btw, I wasn’t being malicious, I think cVillain hookups are cute. If you wanna post details about who I’ve hooked up with on here, go ahead.
@ 58. I know. I had video (now destroyed). But link to *any* comment in which I “rhapsodized”, for I believe you have me mistaken with someone else. When street his issues a couple weeks back, I did not mention it until he raised the topic. And believe me, that is just the tip of the iceberg. I defend villain’s secretive ways, gossip site though this is. But that’s just my golden rule dogma filtered through my own fucked up social life.
If you’re a cVillain and you do stuff with other cVillains in public, and Im around it’s gonna end up on here.
fixed that for you. hee hee…
Its all good, though. Like I said, this is a gossip site.
good thing the guy with the really high IQ isn’t one of us; then he’d think he has a chance. i’m pretty sure he wears a different tux size though, b/c of those huge calves.
@61: Here’s the linky-poo where everyone detailed my making out at Escafé. Enjoy:
http://cvillain.com/2008/01/31/wheres-the-ink/
the cafe seems to have that power over people…
@ 63 Thanks for that link, where you outed *yourself* at comment number 29. Nobody brought it up until *you* did, so I say, once again… its a gossip site: play at your own risk. No harm no foul, but “two days”? really? “rhapsodizing”? c’mon now… I aint doggin you for gossiping, far from it. But I will say that if Im ever mackin, it wont be where those that post other’s personal shit are lurking in the wings, that’s for sure. Im already out enough, thanks.
Please feel the love but accept the reality.
Oh, and by reality you mean you being an asshole, methinks. But keep trying to verbally rip me apart; I’m sure everyone’s enjoying it. Wow, I must have done something really shitty to set you off like this. Or you’re just mentally unstable. I’m sure we have no posts to prove that. Oh shit, I forgot to insert my *s and my “s! They mean I’s serious!
I am an asshole (graduated from jackass), though I dont gather that from my most recent comments. True. I am definitely mentally unstable, confession, no proof necessary. I sincerely mean you no harm, peppered my comments with disclaimers, and I certainly don’t mean to rip you apart. I am sorry if you took it that way. You called me out, but I guess I crossed a line. My apologies. You have never done anything intentionally shitty to me. It wasn’t you that fucked my life up by bringing my personal shit to the attention of folks who don’t read this blog. I am just trying to defend the idea of not bringing up other people’s moments before they do themselves, “cute” or no, as there might be repercussions beyond the surface. But again, play at your own risk, I realize this and own it. Believe me, I will stay out of your way from here on out, seems I only piss you off. You win. Enjoy. Again, my apologies. Peace.
/so much for playing oxo, huh? sheesh.
(After a ponder… )
Jesus. Getting skewered by the home team. Time to beg off for a bit, I think.
Enjoy villains! Catch you on the flip side.
Yo out.
@46
such an ignorant, remember Lafayette
as long as it isn’t the thought Nazi’s at play. You WILL accept my authority. I hope I just read an argument between an erudite funny self-deprecating guy and a 22 year old Yooveay Grad student supported by Mumsy and super Daddy who hasn’t lived in the real world a minute, because otherwise I fear for my own gender more than I already do.
But stomp…I’m leaving if you guys don’t give me complete attention and I mean it…NOW. Yeesh.
I’ve raised toddlers who were less starved for attention.
My 2 cents on The Local. Ate there Friday night.
1. Space = Supercool
2. Atmosphere: Crowded and electric.
3. Service: Excellent until they got really crowded, then somewhat spotty, but forgivable.
4. Food: Very good. Highlights included the appetizer of fresh mozzarella over heirloom tomatoes. Tomatoes were really ripe and juicy. Steak entree was cooked to perfection and delicious with the tamarind sauce. Portobello & tofu entree also delicious and a “must try” for vegetarians in the crowd. Bottle of pinot grigio was unremarkable but inexpensive. Finally (and I hate to bring this up), the fries were soggy and a little disappointing.
5. Price: Very reasonable.
6. Overall: A-/B+. I’ll go back.
Could “soggy fries” replace “proper tartare” as the litmus test by which all eateries are judged.
We’ll find out at eleven…
i’m willing to overlook soggy fries as long as everything else is good. besides bad fries is less likely to kill me than bad tartare.
just to clarify, the bad tartare statement is just a general one, and not directed at any particular dining establishment.
Soggy frites weren’t a dealbreaker for me. The rest of the food was wonderful! And, well, I ate a lot fewer fries due to said sogginess. Maybe they were just looking out for my cholesterol.
I don’t agree. The pasta at the local is not that good. The ragout is just too much on spices (not spicy just too rich). I have only tried that one, but barely ate more than three bites (although I don’t eat much, that is a small amount even for me). I do love the prices and the wines. I have faith in this place…I have a feeling time will only improve it (I hope).Plus, I LOVE the interior and service.
woah… after reading this thread… woah is all I can come up with… oh yeah and FIRECROTCH! WOO HOO! The Local is happy! ESC is amazing! Shannon is hot! and I like glitter and shiny things! ESC if you really want to play at OXO that badly then you should speak to your agent… = ) and I like pretty stuff! and things… XO
I made it to the Local finally and it was gud. Really warm ambiance and friendly staff. Prices were very reasonable. The pros and cons:
Pros:
Lots of veggie options!
Small and large portions of the pasta
The Tofu/Portobello “steak” was incredible…worth far more than $12
The banana split was delicious and light on the dairy, focused on the caramelized banana
Cons:
Lighting too bright
Fries not that gud, no cool dipping sauces to go with
Pasta ok, nothing special
So, overall the hits far outweight the misses. Cool place and I look forward to spending many summer nights there.
Was planning on going to The Local for dinner tonight, but instead ate at home.
I’ve only been there for drinks. I know a bunch of people that work there, and really want to be able to go often, but honestly, what I had from the bar was far more expensive than it is just about anywhere on the downtown mall. (Liquor on the rocks.) I order this all the time everywhere and was amazed by the price I was charged. When I realized that the restaurant is also charging $3 for sodas I saw that they’re probably able to charge lower prices for food when they’re making money off of hard alcohol and Pepsi.
That said, I can’t wait to go back, especially to sit outside, but I’ll be more judicious about what I order from the bar. Will probably stick with wine, since you all said the wine was very reasonably priced.
Re: Carbonara–there was some talk of the raw egg thing… In my favorite recipe for carbonara, tossing the pasta with the beaten egg and some of the bacon fat cooks the egg. So, that makes the egg a lot more “cooked” than it is in Caesar dressing, right?
@81 i didn’t know caesar dressing had raw egg?
last weekend i discovered that the local’s high bar is great for napping after wine festivaling all afternoon.
i mentioned my friends about a $6.50 drink somewhere, & they were all outraged that drink cost SO MUCH in charlottesville & “this is why we never go out!”
1) good thing then that they never came to boheme! (or anywhere else).
2) obviously not true because then they would be at south street right now.
Caesar dressing traditionally has raw egg, just like it traditionally has anchovie paste, but there are plenty of places that get around that. Or they don’t make it from scratch.
The thing about the price of drinks, also, is that some restaurants are able to include tax in the prices, and some aren’t. Like Zocalo’ll charge you $6.50 flat cuz the tax is already figured in. So it really makes a difference when you’re used to paying 6 or $6.50 and then suddenly you’re paying 8 PLUS tax, which comes to $8.72, which feels like a big difference from 6.
I can’t remember how much drinks are at Boheme. I seem to frequently get hooked up there.
@83: $10
Hunh.
Absolutely wonderful! Great atmosphere, great service, phenominal food! I was specifically impressed with the mozzerella appetizer, such flavor and exhuberance!! High Five to this new establishment, will spend many more great evenings dining!
We ate there the other day, I had the chicken with the garlic mashed potatoes and it was delicious, our wine was also really good, something from Portugal…my friends were pretty disappointed with the Gnocci though, they said there just wasn’t much to it.
I had the gnocchi when I was in there and thought they had served me the appetizer sized portion by accident. the bill, however, did not reflect this. salty but very tasty, there just wasn’t much of it.
@87 we loved the gnocchi when we first went there & returned a few weeks ago just for it. it was overcooked but still good.
@88 seriously way too small.
why aren’t my comments posting? i hate the internets.
orchid, email me. I wanna set you up with this hot chef I know.
je ne sais pas l’email de shenanigans, mais l’email d’orchid est killerorchid@gmail.
Allez voir votre courriel!
/The Local rules!