Local has the beginnings of an amazing restaurant
I feel like none of us hang out in Deep Ellum quite enough these days. It has so many treasures and I am set on discovering more of them, except the ones with lines that wrap around the corner. Local has the beginnings of an amazing restaurant. Lets talk looks…she looks like Sara Jessica Parker standing on a street corner in New York City. You know the episode you walked into the living room while your wife was watching just before you sat down and acted like you didn’t want to watch it, but secretly enjoyed it? Local is located in the Old Boyd Hotel, and the dressing is still intact, with the “Local” sign elegantly included. She (Local), stands surrounded by history and even some bikers, but obviously elegant and draws you in with its exterior charm. As we walked by the front door, the chef and owner opened the door and said, “Are you here for Local?” and right away knew our names from the reservations. She personally took us back to a great booth, dimly lit, ok maybe too dim for me, but nice for a romantic evening. My suggestion. Ask to sit and enjoy a cocktail in the bar. It’s amazing and feels like a narrow European restaurant with perfect music and décor. My overpriced cocktail would have been perfect while sitting at the bar!
Our server took a while to come over, roughly 10 long minutes. I would like to blame it on the full house, but they only had 4 tables in the joint, so I can only chalk it up to being slow and inattentive. Finally, I had her attention and took the chance to order the signature drink, Champagne with grapefruit and rosemary sorbet. After the sorbet melts the flavor really comes out, albeit a tad pricey for the quality of the drink. The highlight was the candied, and very warm nuts that resembled warm nuts in the American Airlines first class section…it can only be described as indulgent! Hey I needed my own bowl though, it was tiny!
About halfway into our drinks, and not knowing when she might come back, I ordered a fabulous and reasonably priced wine, the Bordeaux blend, Chateau Paul Mas for around $60 and let it decant while we ordered food. I have to say, a gentleman began to “help out” our server and our experience improved dramatically! The wine is earthy, but fruit forward with a hint of the oak swirling around it. Let it decant and enjoy!
For dinner I ordered the Fish and Chips! Thoughts of London and even a little LJS came to mind and I was so excited! The menu calling out the homemade hush puppies and tator-tots! Wait, what to amazement did I see? A piece of fish stacked atop of a few tots with a slaw garnishing that tasted like it was cabbage dipped in vinegar. Breading…did I miss it? This was nothing like I expected. My fish was naked, and I was craving breading and grease! The hush puppies were bland, like marble sized balls of dry corn bread that I used to soak up the exquisite tartar sauce that smeared the bottom of the plate. The portion was small, so I ate it all and then helped SD with her tender and delicious spare ribs! I should have ordered that! I ended with the Chocolate Composed, which was as big as my fish and worth the 15-minute wait! Trust me, this dessert is worth the street parking! Come here for an awesome date, order beef, and sit at the bar and you will have an awesome night! Be prepared to drop a few bucks though because the value is lacking, but the ambiance cannot be beat at Local.
“Local”, boasts honest, simple ingredients with a seasonal menu using area farmers, breweries, cheesemakers, wineries and ranchers. This is all admirable but what grabs you first is the unique space the restaurant embodies. It is located in the historic Boyd Hotel in Deep Ellum which is the oldest standing hotel in Dallas, circa 1908.
This is a great romantic date night spot but it’s so much more as well! Local has a huge bar and lounge area which creates the perfect after work meeting place for a drink and a bite or somewhere to celebrate something special.
So now that we have the atmosphere covered let’s start with service and cocktails. Took a bit for a server to claim us and then even longer for some water. HW ordered the champagne drink which has scoops of grapefruit rosemary sorbet floating and I got the prosecco mojito which had lime, turbinado and mint. I ended up preferring the champagne cocktail over mine but both were very good however not modestly priced. Next we started with the heirloom tomato salad which was light and fresh but brought out prior were tiny cups of corn chowder and a warm bowl of nuts. It was sweetly sized and a great starter. For the main course I ordered the spare ribs which were amazing! The meat was fall apart tender and the mashed potatoes had a pinch of horseradish which was a perfect addition. Portion sizes were just right but do not go there if you are expecting enough for leftovers. I was literally scraping the glaze from the ribs off my plate. Unfortunately, HW was not quite as lucky in the main course department. His fish and chips were less than stellar and not traditional. Along the way we drank an amazing bottle of Chateau Paul Mas. Dessert ended the night with a split vote as well. HW had the chocolate composed which was divine and accompanied by an Ovaltine shake. I had the spice cake which was a little like a brick. On the last note for the ladies the restrooms are clean and private. Local made for a wonderful evening in a restaurant that feels very metropolitan. Many more hits than misses!
