Foodie Asshole: Local 149: South Boston

Before my roommate Myles and I went out to South Boston to dine at Local 149, I read the menu and was sexually excited by what I saw. It'd been too long since I'd had a real foodie restaurant, so off we went.

Other than Local 149, which opened the weekend of St. Patty's Day this year (2011), South Boston doesn't have any foodie restaurants (which isn't to say there aren't some satisfying normal restaurants), so I just had to know how good this place could be. And by South Boston I'm only referring to the non-museumy area.

It took Myles and I five to ten minutes just to find a place to park, at one point parking at a lot that some kids then informed us was private. Finally we found a spot that is towable Monday to Friday from 6 PM - 10 AM, but it was Friday at 8 PM, so we figured we were fine, which we were.

The place was bustling with business, and it was a ten minute wait just for two seats at the bar, but there was a lounge area where we could order drinks. Having already read the menu ahead of time, I already knew the one cocktail I had to try, which was the Libretto (Cazadores Reposado, Carpano Antica, St. Germain, Cynar, and Xocolatl Mole Bitters - down $10). I had to try this one because I didn't let myself actually plunk down the $21 for those bitters when I went to the Taza Chocolate Factory the other day, so this way I've technically tried them. I say "technically" because in reality my palate is hardly sophisticated enough to discern a dash of bitters in a cocktail with all this going on. I quite enjoyed the cocktail, that's all I can say.

Our friendly waitress pointed out to us the bar bites (not on the menu) available that day, mostly $4 small plates. We tried two of them.

Duck Drumstick $4

The dim lighting in the restaurant at night made me sad because my picture all looked like they would be almost completely black, but I diligently took them all anyway, with the exception of the cocktail, and have now wound up learning a bit about editing photos! I know these aren't ideal, but they're better than I hoped, and this should mean that my pictures will all be better from now on! Yay, learning!

Anyway, this was delicious. It was moist and tender, falling off the bone, tasting kind of like chicken. Whatever the sauce and seasoning was, yum's the word.

Fried Cheese Curds $4

These were also great. They came out hot without being burn-your-mouth hot. They somehow delivered delicious fry with creamy cheese curds without them seeming too heavy. I'm not sure what the red sauce was, but it seemed to be some improvement of my nemesis ketchup, so that I actually enjoyed it.

The day's appetizer special was a pot pie for $8: with house made sweet potato chips on top

Everything about this was awesome. The crust was flaky and buttery, the inside hot and so flavorful in a way I've never experience in a pot pie. I think there was lemongrass involved. Whatever was happening, it was at this point that Myles admitted to me that he didn't really know how much of a foodie I really was until now when he was finally coming with me to a restaurant I picked out. The poor thing misses NYC and thought Boston didn't have great restaurants, but I told him I can show him how to eat in Boston like he's in New York (if you will). In fact, I think I could show him how to eat in NYC a lot better than he knows too.

This delicious Cape Ann Lemongrass Saison was only five dollars! Their drinks are so reasonable!

Chicken and Waffles $17: With Blueberries, Lavender Butter, and Caramel Sherry Syrup

Whew, that picture truly is awful, when this dish was such a thing of beauty. We saw a couple of these go by us while we were deciding to order, and it just had to happen. Not to mention, I needed to try the lavender butter. The fry on the chicken was crispy and crackly, nesting tender and juicy chicken. The waffles were sweet without being too sweet and oh so flavorful. I asked Myles, "Aren't you going to have bites with chicken and waffle together?!" He didn't know! I asked him if he didn't combine everything in his meals together, and apparently he didn't! What?! "Why do you think they're serving chicken and waffles as a plate?! Like someone just said, 'Hmm, I think I'd like chicken and I'd like waffles right now, so I'll make them both and put them on the same plate.' No! They're to put together for sweet/savory, breakfast/dinner food sex!" Well now he knows.

Yellow Fin Tuna Burger $15: Eggplant Bacon, Caramelized Onion Marmalade and Wasabi Pickles on an English Muffin with Plantains (except I subbed in spicy pimento cheese fries for an extra $2. You could get fries instead of plantains without extra charge, but I wanted the melted pimento!)

Damn! I forgot to pay attention to the eggplant bacon, which I believe just means eggplant sliced and cooked to a similar consistency as bacon. The sandwich was a little small, but I consider that a good thing especially with all the other food happening. The English Muffin was soft, a wonderful pillow for the dense, flavorful situation inside. I don't know what it was about this burger that reminded me of both the 5 Napkin Burger and the Apocalypse Now Burger at Nosh Kitchen in Portland, Maine. I had thought this flavor those two had in common must have been from the melted gruyere, but since this burger didn't have any of that, I'm confused! Well, now I have a mystery to solve by performing some taste tests in my own kitchen. Anyway, the burger was tasty, and the fries were rad, covered in creamy, melted pimento cheese sauce. The sauce was a bit spicy, but not in a intrusive way that would distract you at all from the perfectly crispy/soft waffle fries and the indulgence of the side of Ranch 149 I got on the side. Myles and I believe that their house recipe involves a little fish sauce, which I thought was delectable.

Dessert Menu:

One of the couples next to us had the fried fluffernutter, and it looked amazing. The raspberry glaze and the way the man's fork sank into the fried nuggets like butter almost made me give in to ordering the dish, but Myles and I were really way to full for such shenanigans. Be careful to save room if you wanna do some of this action.

They participate in Level Up now! Click here for $15 off through Level Up, which'll earn me $5 too! I'll love you forever!

The Foodie Asshole Guide to the Menus:

Things I am dying to try, as opposed to things I want to try, which would just be the whole of both their regular and brunch menus, including drinks:

Dinner:

Mac and Cheese Fondu: Fresh Cavatelli, Soft Ripened Cheese Fondu, Fried Maine Mud Clams, BBQ Pork Cheeks - $16
Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Skillet Roasted Mushrooms, Baby Spinach and Truffle Cream - $16
Sea Scallops: Smashing Sugar Pumpkin Risotto, Blue Cheese and Macerated Cranberries - $19
Pressed Duck Club: Duck Prosciutto, Porkbelly Bacon LTO, Cherry BBQ on Focaccia, with Salt and Vinegar Chips - $14
Venison Chili: with Manchego and Caperphilly Cheddar Grilled Cheese on Garlicky Rye - $12
White Pizza: House Made Duck Sausage, Narragasset Creamery Ricotta, Pickled Hot Peppers - $12

Lunch:

Lobster MacMuffin: Fresh Lobster Meat, Cheddar, Egg and Canadian Bacon on English Muffin with Hash - $13
Toast to Life and Bacon: Brioche French Toast Soaked in Espresso Martini with Cinnamon Life Crust - $9
Breakfast Pizza: White Pizza, Fried Quail Eggs, Smoked Cherry Wood Bacon, Baby Arugula, Spicy Creme Fraiche - $13
Chicken and Waffles $16: Blueberries, Rosemary Butter, and Caramel Sherry Syrup (I know, I know, I've basically already had it, but rosemary butt $er would be totally different, and anyway I'd love an excuse to have their chicken and waffles twice).

Desserts: