The Local Eatery fills plates with fresh ingredients, ideas

Jan 16, 2023

MIDDLEBORO — There’s a new restaurant in town, and it’s owned by familiar faces.

The Local Eatery is owned by husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Destiny Smith, plus local chef Andy Trott. It opened its doors at 16 Wareham St. on Jan. 3.

“The three of us doing this together is the best part,” Kevin, who trained at Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts College in Florida, said. “Growing from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar and the process of doing it with this triangle is what’s been the best for me.”

The menu is filled with recipes conceived in the Smiths’ home kitchen. Options range from a meatball sub to a Korean barbecue rice bowl to blackened chicken tacos.

Trott has enjoyed making the pastrami sandwich, with homemade mustard containing local beer from Harper Lane Brewery. The sandwich is a bestseller so far, according to the owners.

“We pretty much make everything,” Trott said. “It’s three local chefs who have a ton of experience and we’re here to do different, cool stuff.”

Trott is friends with the owner of Harper Lane Brewery, which is planning to open a bar next to the Local Eatery. The bar will serve food from the Local Eatery to go with its locally-brewed beers.

While Local Motion Food Truck carries deep-fried delicacies like chicken wings and poutine, diners will find sandwiches and rice bowls with fresh ingredients inside the restaurant.

“We realized we needed to think about something for the winter and get inside somewhere,” Destiny said. “During the winter when the truck was open, the wind off the pond was so cold.”

The chefs want to provide a different menu compared to other nearby restaurants, Destiny said. She trained as a pastry chef at Johnson and Wales University and starts baking at 4 a.m. every day — despite still working as a loan officer.

The restaurant’s motto is “simple food done right,” but some of Destiny’s creations look as complicated as they do delicious. She calls cheesecake her specialty, and customers have bought lots of cinnamon rolls.

“We intend to grow the kitchen so that way we can offer a full menu,” Destiny said. “That way, we can offer a full menu as soon as we get all the kitchen equipment to help our menu grow.”

In the short time the restaurant has been open, the owners, who also make the food and take orders, noticed that owning their own business lets them spend more time with their young families.

“Kevin and I have been line cooks and executive chefs at restaurants for many different years,” Trott said. “To finally do it on our own has been the most rewarding part.”