While the food at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar is quite palpable to one's sense of smell, the food just doesn't match up to what one perceives and what the palate expects upon walking in.
We started off with a house made anchovie, perfectly cured in a tangy, acidic vinegar and olive oil base. By far, the highlight of the night, served on a crostini with a sprig of thyme. We then moved on to a N'Duja Crostini (a Calabrian sausage whose name derives from the famous Andouille sausage) served with a side of Caccio Cavallo cheese. The sausage was reminiscent of chorizo but with a bit more kick and the cheese was quite mild in flavour as one would expect with most sheep's milk cheeses. Quite good, but nothing extraordinary. As the level of noise increased and our conversation became more muddled, our entrees arrived. First up was the pork belly with lentils, roasted parsnip and topped with a quail egg. While it was tasty, it was rather ordinary and the pork belly was not as tender as I would have liked. Next in line was the Arctic Char with roasted brussel sprouts and Guanciale (a bit like pancetta but stronger in flavour). Again, tasty but uninspiring.
Since Local Kitchen & Wine Bar specializes in house made salumi and pastas, it's fair to say this review may not represent what the restaurant is known for. On the other hand, if you're looking to be inspired by innovative flavours and cooking, this probably isn't the place to go.
Dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine $150 with tax and tip. www.localkitchen.ca
Pork Belly, lentils, roasted parsnip, quail egg
Arctic Char, roasted brussel sprouts, guanciale
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