Eat In, Check Out

Food blogs are fine for a quick menu fix or a glimpse of gastroporn, but there's no substitute for dog-eared, sauce-spattered cookbooks.

To that end, here's to one of the best (and greenest) additions to San Francisco's culinary community--the cookbook lending library at the brand-new Local: Mission Eatery.

This all-day restaurant promises knockout sandwiches and pastries from chef Jake des Voignes and his wife, Shauna. But owner Yaron Milgrom-Elcott wants to provide the neighborhood with sustenance beyond mealtime. His vision includes hands-on cooking workshops, community dinners and, most intriguing, a huge inventory of cookbooks that can be checked out by Local library members.

Joining is easy: Individuals pay an annual fee of $35; couples pay $50. (Fees go toward growing the collection.) You can borrow one book per week and you don't have to promise to wash your hands each time you turn the page. These books, after all, are meant to be cooked from.

Local will house a range of books, from the monstrous A Day at El Bulli to the focused The Complete Book of Cookies. In fact, the library already boasts hundreds of titles.

What a thrill to be both frugal and green--while still keeping an infinite supply of new recipes at your fingertips.

Local: Mission Eatery, 3111 24th St. (at Folsom St.); 415-655-3422 or localmissioneatery.com