The Local is a fairly well-established restaurant in Belmont, a neighborhood in Charlottesville just south of the downtown mall. Like the downtown mall it tends to stay clear of most of the student population which is just fine by me. The Local prides itself on using local ingredients including cheeses, meats and vegetables. Though I didn't try any of the appetizers, they feature unique soups, salads and a cheese plate ranging from $4-10. Instead I tried the french fries which were as delicious as my friend had told me.
Entree options are varied featuring freshly made gnocchi to chorizo stuffed trout to meatloaf wrapped in bacon. I decided to try a vegetarian entree: Vegetable and Local “CaroMont” Goat Cheese Strudel with Israeli Cous-Cous and Tomato Coulis ($14). It was delicious and unique and quite reasonably priced for the portion size. My friend had the tuna steak and it looked delicious.
The drink list features, of course, several wines from Virginia, though not as many as I would have liked with the proximity to so many vineyards. There are a few whiskey's from Virginia offered, which surprised me because I didn't even know they existed. For beer they also feature a few Virginia brews, both well known and not.
So the long-winded point of this feature is that The Local is a great place to try new things from farms just down the road, all in a quiet setting (though maybe a little dark), with a great patio to sit on if the weather is nice in a neighborhood that shows something beyond "the grounds."
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