"Had a delightful birthday dinner at this underrated tavern. I partly chose it since they offer outdoor dining, and I thought it may not be overcrowded, due to the random suburban location. Oh, yeah, and I recall having a delectable lunch there last year. And they did not disappoint. The food at The Local is consistently above average. And their menu, while fairly extensive, is not scattered or overwhelming. Down to the food and drink... Started with the burrata and heirloom tomato salad.. A bit of a splurge, but worth it. The balsamic glaze alone was better than most desserts. Tangy, vaguely complicatedly sweet and not overpowering. I requested more than the decorative dabs they originally provided, but it was my birthday, no regrets. Main course: Rosemary and garlic salmon, with sweet potatoes and green beans. The sweet potatoes were tasty, if a little overcooked. But the greenbeans were perfectly crispy and tinged with garlic. The salmon was tender and delicately seasoned. It's easy for rosemary to overwhelm a dish, but that wasn't the case here. It was also served with a half lemon, wrapped in cloth, a touch that I wouldn't expect from a typical bar grill. It's kind of a small thing, but it's also very nice to not have to worry about squeezing lemon seeds into your food. My partner chose the chicken florentine, which was not nearly as tasty as my salmon, though the chicken was notably tender. I would drop the review a half star for this less-than-stellar entree, but it may have simply dulled in comparison to the rest of the food.Lastly, there was the dessert.. We shared the warm skillet cookie, which was sooooo good. It was giant, with gooey melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream and chocolate and butterscotch sauce. The butterscotch was a bit of overkill, but everything else about it was just right. I'll definitely return to The Local, hopefully soon. Just need to work off the extra pounds from that delectable skillet cookie.."
