Referral Friday is an ongoing series inspired by John Jantsch's Make-a-Referral Week. For more about that, and loads more referrals for everything from cobblers to coaches to gee-tar teachers, start here. Pass it on, baby!
Funny that until I'd actually typed out the name of my new-favorite local eatery here in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, the aptly named "LOCAL", I'd never thought of the potential for shifting the stress to the other syllable and making it "Lo-CAL", a world away in meaning, for want of some punctuation.
LOCAL is about many things: fresh, delicious, simple ingredients prepared with love in novel and exceptional ways; a laid-back, neighborhood-y vibe in which to enjoy your squares; and, yes, hot guys (see above photo for documentation, living in hipster L.A. has its advantages). What it is not about is anything lo-cal, by which I chiefly mean food-esque items that have been manipulated into simulacra of real food, only with whatever extracted so that you don't plump up around the edges. You know: the diet, lo-cal crap you find packaged in stores with labels like "Healthy Gack" or anything with the extra consonants in the word "light" removed.
Then again, LOCAL is hardly a fat-fest, and should you bring your level head along to direct your mandible, I'm guessing you'll come out alright. (Or, if you're local and walk or bike there, you can pig out with relative peace of mind.) But there are things like pig in various delicious forms on the menu, and there are eggs, and there is butter. Tasty, tasty butter, as in "a good pat and a half on my thick-cut, fresh-baked slice of rye toast." Sweet Jesus, carry me home.
There are also plenty of yummy vegetables to balance things out. My dining (or rather, breakfasting) companion had a mind-blowing side of sauteed spinach, yes, spinach, laced with thyme and apple matchsticks. And that was only the obvious and/or visible prep: our host and pork-enabler, Lee, explained the rather elaborate three-step process the spinach went through before things like heat and apple matchsticks were introduced. And something-something locally sourced and organically grown and OH, LOOK, A BUNNY!
Whatever, Lee! Just keep those lovingly-pulled Americanos coming and smile at us with your icy-blue orbs of magical goodness, and we're good. Nay, great.
xxx
c
Local Restaurant, Silver Lake
2943 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-662-4740
Open for breakfast 7 days
Open for dinner Tues - Sat
See site for hours.
Image by steven damron via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.