truth be told, local 188 is probably my favorite restaurant in all of portland. actually, anything Jay Villani does in food, i favour. it’s taken me quite sometime to remember to bring my camera to local in the attempt of actually reviewing the place. but yesterday morning, after our typical sunday morning stumble up congress street, i found myself at the regular spot at the end of the bar next to A, with my digcam in hand. the night prior, we had gone to sonny’s- which until then i had protested… ask me why, and i will tell you, but i should have believed that if jay’s work at local is wunderbar, then it would be the same at sonny’s. so the idea that i had committed a dirty double in both of mr villani’s places of business, made me content, as any foodie would be. i had indulged the night before in a feast- fried avocado, chipolte cheeseburgers, chicken enchilladas, and raspberry sangria sorbetto. sonny’s exceeded my expectations… and i plan on returning stat so i can take photos and do a review as well.
i don’t know when i started going to local. actually… i do. it all began when a and i lived on the west end. we’d meet j for brunch every sunday when i was in the 6th grade. i would always order a grilled cheese and the daily soup. sometimes if i was really hungry for “breakfast”, i would order their scrambles with carmalized onions, bacon, and machengo cheese. i have very fond memories of the place, and it seems as though everytime i go, good times are rollin’. as of late, i feel as though the one consistent restaurant i find myself in is local, and i have to admit, that’s not such a bad thing.
dinners at local are exquisite- their gnocchi is always light and crispy, the tortilla de nocha is also delicious. the inclusion of locally harvested ingredients and seasonal specialities is one of the reasons, why not just me, but most in portland who have dined love local 188.
moving on to my brunch yesterday. a and i ordered a bloody mary- the best in town, and while we battled over what we wanted to eat, we ordered a pecan sticky bun. the caramel was gooey, and the cinnamon reigned supreme. i couldn’t find the pecan, but that was okay, but i don’t really love nuts in my buns…(cooking sexual innuendos). the bottom was crispy, and the top melted in your mouth. it was garnished with fresh strawberries and mint- it was pretty heavy, but delicious nonetheless.
a decided to go with her staple- a scramble. she had red peppers and broccoli in hers- not to mention the house made english muffin on the side, with local’s savory homefries. she seemed content with what she got, and she said the eggs were cooked to her liking. she even enjoyed the homefries, which is a big step for her. overall, she was happy, per usual with her brunch at local.
i decided to go on the more “lunch-like” route. i picked the local 1/2 lb burger, which is served on their in house baked bun, with lettuce, tomato, onion, and homefries. the burger was cooked medium well- just like i asked, and the meat was seasoned well, with a small amount of fresh herbs, and salt n pepa. my homefries did me quite well, the little pieces of onion and green pepper were delicious, and i was very happy. i do have to say, that this burger is one of the best in town- not to mention well priced.
we sat at the bar, our service was fine, and the day was beautiful. as always, local made my day as great as it could be. so great in fact, that i ended up sitting on their couch at 11pm the very same evening, enjoying conversation, and sipping beverages. i guess this is where i should talk about the decor and atmosphere. local has always been for locals- though as of late, more and more tourists and out of staters have journeyed to local after seeing them on the national food scene. the tables are all vintage, and the chairs never match. the space is large, yet intimate, and their is a very artsy feel about the place. you can go to local with a group of ten and be seated comfortably, or you could go alone and experience the same comfort. local art is hung from the walls, and a very hipsteresque track is always playing. the staff is great, and not to mention, aesthetically pleasing. all the tableware has been thrifted, and there’s a lot of character in the place. the bar is handpainted, with fun, bold little illustrations. all in all, local is the best environment for someone like me, and it’s situated in the best area of the portland arts district.
i love local, and i think you will too.
