Feedbag - Act Locally

The LocalThe Local may be the most aptly named bar in town. You just can’t not like it. It’s your standby when you don’t feel like making reservations, or when you’ve got friends in town visiting, or when you just want to throw on flip-flops and grab a beer.

Creature comforts abound: a nice little patio, a great selection of draft beers, friendly wait staff, a killer jukebox. The decor is standard-issue dive bar, but everything’s been polished to a shine (except for the bathrooms, but we won’t go there). Big, high-backed booths and a cozy nook up front are prime seating and usually fill up by 10 p.m., but a spacious (though less popular) second room makes for less cramped quarters. The Local gets busy, but it never gets especially rowdy. Mellow seems to be the operative word.

The grub at the Local sets the place apart, too. It’s at least five notches above standard bar food. Belgian fries, wrapped in paper and served in a pint glass, are deservedly the Local’s claim to fame. Golden-brown and crispy, they’re totally addictive. The barbecue isn’t half-bad, either. A pulled pork plate features Texas toast, hush puppies and tender, unadorned pork. Of the barbecue sauces they offer on the side, I’m inclined toward the tomato-based one. It’s smoky with a hint of spiciness. I find the jarringly tangy mustard-based sauce overwhelming.

Even better than the barbecue plate is an unexpectedly yummy barbecued chicken wrap. They melt cheese on flatbread and then roll it up with sauce-slathered chicken and coleslaw. That with a side of fries and you’re set. I can’t particularly recommend the other sides: fried okra tastes like it’s from the frozen foods aisle. It could be fried pencil erasers for all I know - it doesn’t taste much like okra. Black-eyed peas are bland. My mom, a good Southern girl, has always made terrific black-eyed peas, so I asked her what the secret was. “Hog jowl,” she replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. So there you go, folks. Next time, throw some hog jowl in the pot with the peas for good measure.

I shouldn’t fail to mention the fried corn. I ordered it reluctantly. I generally shy away from corn in restaurants, since it tends to be waterlogged from overcooking. But fried? I pictured a soggy, greasy mess. I was dead wrong. Half-cobs had been dipped in the fryer just long enough to lightly caramelize the kernels, but not long enough to saturate them with oil. To finish they’d been sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. These puppies were exceptionally good - our table was fighting over the last one.

The Local is the kind of place where time flies. A few rounds in, you look at your watch and realize it’s past midnight and time to head home. A cheap, effortlessly good time. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s about as good as it gets.

florence.byrd@creativeloafing.comWine 101Get to know New Zealand wines on Thurs., July 7, at Pano’s & Paul’s. The restaurant hosts a tasting in the lounge from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sommelier Markus Rutz gives patrons a peek into the wine cellar as he presents flights of reds and whites from Down Under. Each flight will be paired with appetizers. Cost is $30 per person. 1232 W. Paces Ferry Road, 404-261-3662. www.buckheadrestaurants.com.

What’ve You Got, Toulouse?Exotic wines are on the menu at Toulouse this week. The restaurant holds a tasting of Chilean and Argentine wines on Sun., July 10, at 6:30 p.m. Sample 12 to 15 wines and light appetizers. 2293 Peachtree Road, 404-351-9533. www.toulouserestaurant.com.

Pass the PastaOn Mon., July 11, Pasta da Pulcinella hosts the Bridge, a monthly dinner club event, from 5:30-10 p.m. At the end of the evening, Pasta da Pulcinella will donate 20 percent of the night’s proceeds to the Bridge, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of abused and neglected teens and families throughout Georgia. 1123 Peachtree Walk. 404-876-1114. www.pastadapulcinella.com.

Globe-Trotting CocktailsThere’s plenty of cocktail action over at the Globe. Midtown’s newest hip hangout has a new drink list that includes the orange and lime caipiroska (a caipirinha made with vodka), the honey-rhubarb daiquiri, the pear martini, the mango margarita, the Italian job (a saucy mix of passion fruit, Campari and OJ) and kicked-up sangria made with Verdejo and triple sec. 75 Fifth St., 404-541-1487. www.globeatlanta.com.??