RESTAURANT REVIEW: Local Kitchen + Wine Bar

1736 Ocean Park Blvd. | Santa Monica, CA 90405 | 310-396-9007 | localkitchenandwinebar.com | Prices: $$$

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Contributing Writer

Six years ago, when she took over the old Talking Stick location and opened Thyme Cafe & Market, restaurateur/chef Maire Byrne helped transform a dark, sleepy, sketchy stretch of Ocean Park Boulevard into what’s now gunning to become the next Montana Avenue.

Now Byrne, whose resume includes Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ajax Tavern in Aspen and San Francisco’s Aqua, continues forwarding the street’s evolution with the experiential Local Kitchen & Wine Bar.

Essentially a gourmet Italian restaurant with a wood-burning pizza oven and extensive wine and cocktail selection, Local Kitchen was originally set to open in September. Ultimately, the restaurant opened its doors on Oct. 27 but for fans of Byrne’s magic touch, it was well worth the wait.

Running the kitchen and creating the delicacies at Local Kitchen: Chef Stephen Murray, who served as sous chef for Michael Chiarello at Bottega in the heart of Napa Valley.

It’s easy to overlook the low-lit restaurant, wedged in the middle of a dark block. However, step inside and you feel as if you’ve been transported to posh Yountville, Calif., where Murray worked for Chiarello.

Local Kitchen sets the mood for an intimate dining experience with exposed brick and wood-rafters ceiling, copper bar and butcher-block tables, tastefully crafted by Byrne with help from longtime friend, interior designer, Leslie L. Hunt. The horseshoe patio provides ample cushy seating for large parties, and tables and stools accommodate pairs (perfect for dates).

Murray’s dinner menu is calculated and deliberate—not one ingredient is left to happenstance. For $5 a piece, an array of “Bites” (starters) launches the evening. Two highlights are the Grilled Persimmon (prosciutto, basil and balsamic vinegar) and the Bruschetta (white bean, anchovy and olive), a delectable morsel.

Generous Artisan Cheese and Salami Boards ($15 for two; $28 for four) can kick-start a great meal for larger parties.

The menu’s “Share” section is expansive, including everything from Baby Tuscan Kale Salad ($11)—with bagna cauda, olive oil croutons, persimmon and fresh goat cheese—to the savory Monterey Calamari ($14), replete with capers, preserved lemon, radish and a chile bread crumb.

The highlight of this course is arguably the Lamb Meatballs ($14), atop a small mound of chopped cauliflower and pine nuts in a sea of pecorino gremolata; beyond flavorful.

Among the “Pasta” fare, you may choose from Orecchiette ($18), Risotto ($20) and Pappardelle with Veal ($18), but definitely try the Swiss Chard Malfatti ($16). Its bright, pesto-green gnocchi-like dumplings not only melt in your mouth but also look sensational, covered in roasted pear balls, sage, brown butter, heirloom squash fonduta and Swiss cheese shrapnel.

Presentation is big here, and there is no such thing as an unattractive item at Local Kitchen.

Main courses up the ante substantially. The signature Chicken Under Brick ($22) offers up two generous portions of pollo breast covered in a balsamic-chile glaze and charred onion and jus with a chile on the side. But guess what? It’s neither spicy nor overwhelmed by the jalapeno flavor.

Murray exercises amazing restraint with this entrée to let the natural tenderness and flavor of the chicken come to the fore.

Meanwhile, the dry-aged New York Strip ($26)—four plump morsels doused in smoky jus with green beans, crème fraiche and crisp shallot—offers a different kind of steak plate than we’ve seen before in Los Angeles. Good luck now trying to decide on your main course…

Dessert-wise, the best move here is the Banana Budino ($8), a perfect pudding of biscotti crumble and whipped cream with shards of caramelized banana that crystallize with a crème brulée texture demanding to be accompanied with a good, clean cup of French Press ($5).

If you’re after something more refreshing on a warm night in a shaved ice sort of way, try the Pomegranate Granita ($5).

For something chocolaty, you can order a plate of tasty, beignet-like Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts ($8) with vanilla bean mascarpone over which a chocolate fonduta is poured.

Local Kitchen has beverages, libations and corkage galore. From the “Art of Tea” section ($5), the Earl Grey Crème is as sweet as sarsaparilla. More adventurous drinkers can choose from a range of port, Scotch, whiskey, tequila and hand-crafted cocktails ($12 each), such as the Local’s Only, a margarita incorporating Grand Marnier; the pear-based Pear Sour and the Prickly Mule; and the gin-and-vodka-fueled Vesper.

Surely, by now you’re thinking that we’ve forgotten to mention the pizza. Not a chance, just saving the best for last.

Whether splitting a pie with a group alongside other entrées or devouring one solo, definitely make the pizza here a priority.

There are plenty of varieties to choose from. In addition to the basic Margherita ($13) and House Sausage ($16), a more daring choice is the Verde ($14), a green pie smothered with garlic, chile, salsa verde, basil and broccoli rabe.

However, the true rock star at this restaurant is the decadent and uber-scrumptious White Pizza ($14), a five-star, five-formaggio extravaganza—truly a cheese-lover’s paradise that guarantees you will never miss marinara sauce again.

Prepare to drive home with the roof of your mouth burnt because once you behold, you won’t wait for this pie to go cold!

Bottom line: With formidable supper fare and an extensive brunch menu, count Local Kitchen as a welcome, classy addition to the Sunset Park neighborhood where diners will no doubt return repeatedly for the food, friendliness and good feelings.