Have you ever thought how much pressure we put on lunch?

Sure breakfast is the most important meal of the day and dinner is communal, but lunch is the one that sustains us in a critical part of the day. Lunch is where we run to when we need something to fill us from being the crazy hungry monster at work. (I know I’m not the only one this happens to). It’s the meal we use to impress clients during business meetings. And it’s the meal we give kids in hopes that it well send them into a blissful nap. Lunch has a big job to do every single day, and that’s why I take it seriously.

A great place to take some of the pressure off of lunch is at Local Table in Downtown LA, located in the financial district of the city. Local Table offers unique breakfast and lunch options in its business to casual-style restaurant. With plans to serve dinner later this fall, the restaurant prides itself in making food that is homemade, healthy, and delicious. This is apparent from their cold pressed juices to dessert items. The restaurant is in an ideal location as it’s within walking distance from LA Live, Figat7th, and The Bloc.

Although I’ve been to Local Table before, it was always after a crazy night at LA Live so I never had the chance to fully take in their menu and interior. This time would be different! For this visit, I wanted to take in the atmosphere of the restaurant before diving into the food. First walking in, you could feel the crisp and modern aesthetic. The warm tones of brown, orange, and burgundy add a calming feel to the bright white paint and gray columns lining the restaurant. Bottles of wine are not only sold, but used as a decorative piece along the walls. You can even see the cooks prepping vegetables while you’re waiting to be seated. Then there’s the fresh drinks sold by the cash registers. They’re bright, bold, and eye catching. And what stood out the most to me? The giant New York city piece accenting the left wall? Nope. It was the “made here for you” engraving that you see when you walk inside. I know that sign wasn’t made for specifically for me, but just seeing it made me feel like it was.

After gazing over the restaurant, I grabbed a seat next to the window and ordered lunch. Before I ordered my main, I got the Mango Ginger Ale ($3.50). The lovely waitress recommended it and although I’m not really a fan of ginger, I wanted to give it a try. Once she brought it to my table and I took a few sips, I felt like she made a nice suggestion. The drink wasn’t super light since the ginger added a strong accent to it, however, the flavor definitely packs a powerful punch to keep me going through the day.

When it was time to order food I thought I could go for a familiar dish, a burger of course. But I went with an item whose description caught my interest. It was the Salmon in a Pouch ($16). The signature dish of salmon sealed in parchment paper was glazed with two house made butters, and placed atop of quinoa and vegetables. Once I unraveled the piping hot parchment paper, the steam escaped and the aroma surrounded me. It only took a few sniffs before my fork was in the plate. One of the butters on the salmon is an almond butter the chef makes daily and it was mouth-watering! It made the entire fish succulent. Taking forkfuls of the salmon, quinoa, and vegetables made me want to devour the dish over and over again. I was compelled to lick the paper just to get every last drop. I didn’t do it, but I sure was tempted.

To finish my lunch I had to get a dessert. Looking over their dessert display I struggled between deciding what to get. While I took photos of the jarred Strawberry Shortcake ($5.00) and thought that was what I would eat, it turns out I didn’t order it. Instead I just admired how adorable it looked!

I ended up ordering the Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake ($5.00) and the Raspberry Pistachio Tart ($5.00). When I tell you that both of these desserts are amazing, I feel like I am still understating how delicious they are. The chocolate cake is staked with layers of creaminess, coco richness, sweet hazelnut, and sprinkled with crispy flakes. I’m getting excited just talking about it now. Then the raspberry tart is colorful, sweet, and the pistachio and raspberry balance each other so nicely. I can easily see myself going back to Local Table just to satisfy my dessert craving!

I am so happy that I went back to Local Table and really took in the restaurant and the menu. The interior is lovely, the menu is delicious, and the deserts are memorable. Even better, the restaurant creates points of interaction where they leave nice quotes to go along with their dishes. It’s little things like this that gave me the feeling like the restaurant is here for me.

Better yet, made for me.

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Address: 800 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 488-2654
Hours: Monday through Friday – 11:30am to 4:00pm (Lunch Only), Saturday and Sunday – 9:00am to 4:00pm (Brunch Only)
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