Cuisine:

• American
• Bar
• Brew, Pubs, Microbreweries
• Pub
• Others
• Contemporary
• Health Food

Local 121 Description:
Local 121 has nothing to do with organized labor, but it does represent a union of sorts. It breathes new life into a downtown Providence landmark while hewing to the modern ethic of supporting local purveyors and sustainable agriculture. Owner Joshua Miller, a Rhode Island state senator and owner of the nearby Trinity Brewhouse, smartly retained the original woodwork and stained-glass windows from the fin-de-siècle-era Dreyfus hotel, giving the restaurant a clubby but comfortable atmosphere. Executive chef Dave Johnson takes a somewhat deconstructive approach to many of his dishes, challenging diners to rediscover the innate flavors of each ingredient. Corned beef on rye crostini make for a fun appetizer-like twist on the classic deli sandwich; the creative red-beet flatbread pizza is equally successful. What really shines here, however, are salads, mostly notably the beet salad with tender cooked potatoes over arugula, tossed with a light, fresh onion vinaigrette. A lobster special, meanwhile, typifies the Local 121 dining experience, so minimalist as to stress the natural sweetness of the lobster. Ultimately, we leave Local 121 with a new appreciation of the subtle charms of, say, the lima bean---but also with the suspicion that the kitchen's biggest challenge may be convincing the average diner that "simple" hardly equals "plain."


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