Local Foods would be a first-ballot entrant into my hypothetical Looks Like a National Chain But Is Local Hall of Fame. I mean that as a compliment.
But I’m not the average diner. And this is no national chain. The explanation behind the smart curation and design comes from the fact that the owner, Martin Berson, has been in the restaurant business for decades. He also founded Snap Kitchen and later left the company during its broad expansion efforts.
Berson is a professional. It’s not just that he knows what works and how to package it; he actually cares about the product he’s serving and has rigorous standards for his food. It’s not often you see an owner-operator testing soups on the line with his executive chef or fine-tuning cookie recipes. Yes, Local Foods — and Berson — started in Houston, where there are now a handful of locations, but Berson is the operating partner for the Austin outpost from the group that was founded by longtime friends of his.
Tossed in among a host of chain and private equity-backed restaurants in downtown, Local Foods stands out with dishes like a summer harvest salad packed with a bounty of vegetables, fruit, sprouts and cheese from about a half-dozen Texas farms; a grain and protein bowl that outshines haphazard, algorithmized slop from mass-produced shops; and sandwiches with fresh ingredients, smart flavor profiles and restrained builds.
The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, with brunch served on weekends. Music to many Austinites’ ears, the restaurant offers free parking (for two hours) at a garage on the east side of Medical Parkway between 38th and 39th streets. (Note: The restaurant’s website asks that diners not scan the QR code in the garage but note their license plate number and mention their parking needs to the counter-service restaurant’s cashier.)
Dining and Cooking