Whenever it's Sunday night in San Francisco,
treat yourself to All You Can Eat Artisan Pizza for $12.95 and $15 Draft Beer Pitchers at Local
Kitchen & Wine Merchant in Rincon Hill. My friends and I certainly did, even after spending a weekend getaway eating our way around San
Francisco – and it was the best deal in town.
5 of us stuffed ourselves silly with 8 (maybe more) hand-crafted pizzas, made from whatever local
ingredients the chef decided to craft together that night. Servers passed around the fresh out the wood-burning oven pizzas on a paddle from table to table, "grab 'n go" style. Here's
what we liked most and least, in that order.
The Grubdown:
- earthy, wholesome Fungi Pizza with Fresh Wild Mushrooms, Crisp Arugula, Spring Onions & Roasted Garlic
- tangy, salty, scrumptious Proscuitto Gorgonzola Pizza with Crisp Red Onions
- super cheesy Pepperoni Pizza with Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce & Parmesan
- surprisingly good Point Reyes Blue Cheese Pizza with Mozzarella, Sweet Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Chopped Garlic & Basil
- light 'n fresh Margherita Pizza with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan & Large Basil Leaves
- sweet, Asian-influenced Roast Duck Pizza with Chopped Cilantro, Caramelized Onions & Mozzarella
- slightly soggy & bland Shrimp Pizza with Pesto Sauce, Chopped Tomato & Basil
- looked divine, but not a fan of Roasted Potato Pizza with Green Olives & Caramelized Onions
1. An all around favorite of my group was the Fungi Wild Mushroom with Arugula. The Spring Onions are caramelized, which gives a sweet balance to the pepperiness of the fresh 'n crisp Arugula. And the flavors and textures of all the different Wild Mushrooms make each bite unique.
2. I absolutely loved the Proscuitto Gorgonzola pizza! The creamy Gorgonzola balances out the salty Proscuitto, but with a tangy bite and crunch from the Red Onion. Definitely wash this one down with some beer.
3. The Pepperoni Pizza has so much ooey gooey Mozzarella that drizzles off each slice. Not to worry, all pizzas are served Flatbread style so bring on the cheese!
4. A couple of my friends didn't like the idea of eating Point Reyes Blue Cheese on a pizza, but the pairing of the Sweet Oven-Roasted Tomatoes & stand-out Chopped Garlic made them forget all about it.
5. The best part of this Margherita Pizza that separates it from other restaurants is the crispy, big Basil leaves and large chunks of Parmesan. The tomato sauce is light 'n fresh, same with the Mozzarella.
6. Our least favorites of the pack start with the Roast Duck Pizza. While I quite enjoyed the tender Duck and different flavor combination in my my mouth – Sweet Caramelized Onions, Chopped Cilantro, Soy and a touch of Sesame – the majority of the group did not.
7. None of us are big fans of Shrimp on Pizza, so we were already a bit biased going in. One friend said, "the Shrimp smells funky," another one said, "it's kinda soggy," and even though it has Pesto Sauce & Chopped Tomato, the flavors are quite bland.
8. Same goes for Potato on a Pizza, or in a Taco, or on any other Carb for that matter – one's enough for my waistline and my palate thank you very much! While the Roasted Potato Green Olive Pizza definitely looks divine, it's hard to get past the Carb on Carb action
I think we sampled a few more slices, but by that point my camera was pizza'd out!
Other Local Entrees include Pastas like Linguini with Manila Clams, Mussels & Tiger Prawns in a Spicy White Wine Tomato Sauce ($18), Fresh Fish of the Day (MP), Organic Whole or Half Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Sage Brown Butter Demi Glace ($15/20), and Braised Rabbit Pot Pie with Root Vegetables ($16). They also have a fantastic, enclosed Private Dining Room – fits 11 people – next to their Wine Shop with over 250 bottles.
So next time you visit San Francisco, make sure to schedule a Monday departure, so you can take advantage of Local's unbelievable $12.95 All You Can Eat Artisan Pizza & $15 Draft Beer Pitcher deal.
If only they delivered to L.A., but that wouldn't be very Local now would it?
P.S. Happy Hour is every Tues-Fri with $3 Beers, $5 Wines, Half Off
Pizzas, and other Bar Menu Discounts. Fridays and Saturdays are $1
Oysters.