The Local
Thursday - Saturday 8am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Sunday 8am - 3pm
Chef Jason Van Marter opened The Local in 2017, and this culinary tour de force in very unpretentious digs already has aficionados from far and wide making the pilgrimage to the once-proud little town of Cheriton. Van Marter prides himself on showcasing local produce of all kinds, and he incorporates it into delectable creations both cutting edge and traditional, exotic and classical.
The herbs and micro-greens that grace many dishes are farmed in house, and the seafood and terroir are from nearby bay, ocean, and farm. Be sure to pick up eggs from Morning Star Farm while you’re there, you won’t buy from a grocery chain again.
A Johnson & Wales University graduate, Van Marter came to the Eastern Shore to raise his family but also to help the town of Cheriton come back to life. His masterful blend of East Asian, Indian, Central American, and down-home Southern comfort food is certainly doing the trick. Locals have learned to humor his occasional soup-nazi tendencies.
Homemade cinnamon rolls and the age-old dieter’s dessert dilemma: are they delicious enough to justify all those calories? At The Local, you bet they are. “If you’re going to sin, go all in,” one townsperson was overheard saying before closing her eyes and sending her tastebuds into orbit.
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