Local Burger, Northampton, MA

Couple of nights ago, Fleeper, Erik, and I went to Local Burger in Northampton. For a few days, I'd been craving a good burger in the worst way, so we decided to pop that cherry and get us some gourmet fast food. That's really what Local is, anyhow. I was under the impression that it was quasi fancy, but when I got there I threw off my rental jacket because it was refreshingly casual and hip. And they were playing my childhood on the damned radio, I swear. It was like they'd popped in the "Foodette lives the 90's" mix CD- Gin Blossoms, LFO, and Daft Punk. All stuff I used to hear all the time and left in the vaults. So, thanks.

So even though I'm back to watching Daria and Doug and living in the past, this burger is blatantly fresh in my mind. I ordered the Juicy Lucy, a burger stuffed with American cheese and grilled with maple mayonnaise. With that, we got a large order of fries, too, for sharing.The fries came out first, actually, and those were lovely to snack on while eating. I would have liked them all together, though. They were very fresh and very crispy, and soft on the inside. I liked the seasoning that they used a lot, because I don't think it was just salt. I tasted garlic on it, too, and that was a different and tasty touch. However, the amount was average sized and was definitely not enough for three people, especially at $3.50 apiece and when most of the fries are under an inch long. Five Guys has twice the fries for that price and they're much bigger. Still, a hand cut fry is a hand cut fry, and that's delicious.The burgers came out a little while later, while we were still working on the fries. My burger was a beast. Being accustomed to chicken, I think I underestimated how large ten ounces really is, especially on your plate. And I now have a little more admiration for those people who finish a 60 oz. steak in an hour. The burger was nicely charred, but a little tough and dry to chew through and wasn't seasoned enough. It was very juicy and the cheese oozed out beautifully and kept it nice and moist. I might have preferred a cheese with a higher melting point, because although I liked the goo, I would have enjoyed it more in my mouth and less on my plate. It was still very tasty and fun to eat, though. The mayonnaise was delicious and imparted more of a maple flavor than mayo, but gave the burger a nice moistness that both flavored and lubricated.Overall, I would definitely come back and try this restaurant again. They had some really interesting sandwiches on the menu and they played amazing music. Their other dishes look interesting and innovative- Captain Crunch chicken tenders? I'm there!