Local

Open for only 14 months, Local has taken the Valley by storm, and the steady business and long lines at the counter have taken owners Jeff and Joe Igneri by surprise, far exceeding their expectations. Originally from New York, Jeff Igneri spent the last few years at Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island before deciding on the Valley as the home for the new business. Their focused menu allows them to do what they do best: hamburgers and fries. Using local ingredients whenever possible—much of their beef comes from Chicoine Farm in Easthampton and River Rock Farm in Brimfield, and each week they get over 1,000 pounds of potatoes from Szawlowski Potato Farms in Hatfield—they've attracted the attention of the likes of the "New York Times." Customers from Germany, Dallas and West Palm Beach have all asked that the Igneris consider opening in their far-flung locations. While their burgers and fries are topnotch, they also pride themselves on their fried pickles, and they've just begun experimenting with Captain Crunch encrusted chicken tenders.