Food halls, an incredibly popular trend in recent years whereby a space – see the Ferry Building in San Francisco and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles as two of the best examples – haven’t found an easy fit in Mill Valley, with the lone exception being the foodie array at the Mill Valley Lumber Yard, either because lack of viable real estate or a desire to launch in larger communities.
But since its arrival in Mill Valley in 2022, Local Kitchens, which have created an ever-growing network of ghost kitchens that you can visit in person and function as a “digital food hall. It’s a micro food hall offering several fast casual concepts under one roof, with a much smaller footprint than the aforementioned spaces above,” as Local Kitchens CEO and co-founder Jon Goldsmith told us in 2022. The business concept lets customers “mix-and-match your favorite local restaurants in one easy order.”
Local Kitchens in Mill Valley is located in the former Starbucks space in the Alto Plaza shopping center near the post office at 741 East Blithedale Ave., #775B.
For families, one of the brilliant elements of the concept is the ability to avoid the debates and delays associated with the preferences of each member of the family. At Local Kitchens in Mill Valley at the moment, the menu spans Boba Guys (artisanal teas and quality Boba), Nopalito Tacqueria, Proposition Chicken, Square Pie Guys, Sushirrito, Sajj Mediterranean, The Melt, Humphrey Slocombe and much more.
The latest arrival is Turkey and the Wolf, Bon Appetit’s 2017 “#1 best new restaurant in America.” The menu is called Flavor Trippin,’ a sandwich and salad concept developed by Chef Mason Hereford, founder of award-winning sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf. Flavor Trippin’ is a collection of sandwiches, salads, and sides that elevate nostalgic dishes with new and exciting flavors. Flavor Trippin’ is now exclusively available at 10 Local Kitchens locations throughout Northern California and is the third recent partnership between Local Kitchens and a nationally recognized chef.
The Menu: The menu is composed of familiar sandwiches and salads, each of which are reimagined with their own inventive twist. Each dish references a memorable past time – a family recipe passed down from generations, the neighborhood diner, or gas station snacks you’d only get during weekend road trips. The sandwiches and salads complement the rest of the Local Kitchens menu by providing guests with an irresistibly unique lunch option. Each recipe features textural contrasts and various blends of acid, sweet, savory and spicy ingredients to create a Flavor Trippin’ dish.
Menu Highlights include a Griddled Mortadella, a spin on Chef Mason’s claim-to-fame: the Grilled Bologna Sandwich, The Griddled Mortadella takes this sandwich to new heights, literally. The sandwich is piled high with seared Mastro mortadella, melty American cheese, fresh iceberg lettuce, and a mountain of crunchy salt & vinegar chips. The sandwich’s spectacular sweet and sharp kick comes from Tay’s Hot Mustard, Chef Mason’s best friend’s mom’s home recipe. Guests will get to “smash” the chips between two thick slices of toasted Rockenwagner bread, adding a playful experience to this signature sandwich.
Ham & Cranberry
An ode to his favorite childhood sandwich from a humble gas station, Hereford creates a perfect marriage of smoky, salty, sweet, and creamy with the Ham & Cranberry Sandwich. This sandwich is made with slow-smoked pit ham, sweet and tart cranberry sauce, Vermont aged white cheddar, fresh wild arugula, and toasted Rockenwagner bread. The sandwich is lathered with herb mayo, a recipe that Mason’s mom retrieved directly from a beloved neighborhood gas station.
Italian Turkaletta
Italian Deli meets New Orleans Deli with the Italian Turkaletta Sandwich, a fresh take on the NOLA classic, the muffaletta. This sandwich is stacked with pan-roasted turkey, zesty Calabrian dressing, fresh iceberg lettuce, red onions, hot olive salad, and briny banana peppers. It is served on toasted Rockenwagner bread covered with a creamy roasted red pepper and feta cheese spread.
Woozy Fries
A mashup of a west-coast classic, loaded cheesy fries with Russian dressing, and an east-coast classic, the chopped cheese, our woozy fries are built with crispy French fries and topped with a hearty portion of chopped beef, American cheese, sautéed onions and jalapeños cooked in Mason’s woozy sauce, a spicy Russian dressing, briny banana peppers, and fresh parsley.
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