Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant

(SoMa)
330 First St.  
415-777-4200 Map it
www.sf-local.com

$$-$$$
American
business lunch, dine at the bar, late-night dining, open 7 days, open kitchen, private dining or party space

SCENE: At first glance, this might seem like an odd place for a restaurant—far from any others, in the shadow of the on-ramp for I-80. But then, upon further consideration, it could be prescient. With luxury lofts springing up nearby daily, Ola Fendert’s newest restaurant, a glass-and-stone grotto with an open kitchen and an attached wine shop, is poised to become this neighborhood’s go-to spot.

EATS: As at Oola, Fendert’s first restaurant, the food served here is mostly of the comfort variety—there’s a Caesar salad, a rotisserie chicken and a selection of pizzas from the wood-burning oven, and you can order sides of parmesan-truffle fries or roasted root vegetables. Risotto might make an appearance, along with a house-made pasta or two; main plates include simple fish and meat dishes. In sum, it’s a menu composed of things you might make for yourself, at home, except they’re exceptionally executed and employ top-notch ingredients. Happily, this seems to be exactly what the locals want—so much so that, at times, the crowd here gives you the sense that this is their private neighborhood cafeteria.