The expression 'food fit for the evolved 21st-century Everyman' brings to mind the Jetsons and Automat diners. But even though cabs arenít flying in the air--yet--the stream of traffic hasn't slowed to the door of Local, a newcomer to Manhattan's Theater District, where executive chef Franklin Becker is fast gathering a devoted clientele with his own brand of ìevolved New York cuisine."While the restaurantís motto may have some food critics confused, its manifesto is clear. In fact, it's printed at the top of the menu. Local, it seems, wants to be the contemporary equivalent of the old corner cafe. "It's a Local place, evolved, for the new laborer in New York," the menu begins.

"So what is evolved New York cuisine?" William Grimes pondered in The New York Times. "It's hard to say. A real American Local would simply call it good eats," Grimes concluded, adding, "Franklin Becker has put together an enticing menu of two-fisted classics with intelligently applied international touches."

One look at the chow emerging from Becker's open kitchen and you can tell that Archie's Place this ain't. Bowls of steamed mussels come with chunks of chorizo sausage, potatoes, and a vinho verde broth. A pan-seared filet mignon is accompanied by fried gyoza dumplings stuffed with potato and leek. "His ginger-scented borscht, scallop seviche, and sea scallops riding a crabcake are all knockouts," Gael Greene wrote in New York.

Such Becker creations are the natural evolution of a lifetime spent in kitchens. As a boy, he took over the family cooking duties when his mother was hospitalized for a prolonged illness. Then, while working as a busboy at a neighborhood Italian cafe, he filled in one night for an absent chef; he was immediately promoted to cook. Becker cooked his way through Brooklyn College before getting formal training at the CIA. After stints at Mesa Grill and the Penn Club in New York, he served as private chef for Revlon magnate Ron Perelman.

Join us this month as we savor the cuisine of Franklin Becker. As Localís manifesto states, "Sit back, relax, and enjoy our labors."