Downtown Ferndale's newest restaurant opened Saturday promising "familiar food done extremely well."

Local Kitchen and Bar has been taking shape over the past several months in the former Via Nove location at 344 W. Nine Mile Road.

Rick Halberg, the owner and chef for Local, said on Friday he feels "fantastic" to be ready to open.

"We're really excited to see what the community response is," said Halberg, who previously owned the upscale Emily's restaurant in Northville, which closed in December. "We feel really good about what we're offering, the place came out great and we're thrilled to get open."

Local Kitchen and Bar features a wood-burning fireplace in front and space for outdoor dining. Halberg said he has hired 60 employees, many directly from the Ferndale community.

The restaurant will offer dinner only for now. It will be open seven nights a week starting at 5 p.m., with a limited menu offered after 11 p.m. until it closes at midnight or 1 a.m.

"We want to kind of see what the need is going to be and then we'll figure out our precise hours," he said.

Halberg said in February he wanted to open a more casual restaurant and found Ferndale to be the perfect location. He will use locally grown foods on the menu - which he describes as "small and hand-selected" featuring “familiar food done extremely well” including “a fantastic burger, super-fresh seafood and fish,” along with craft and local beer.

Via Nove closed in late December.

For more information on Local Kitchen and Bar, visit http://localkitchenandbar.com/ or check out their Facebook page.

If you go

• Where: 344 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale.
• Hours: Opens daily at 5 p.m. Limited menu offered after 11 p.m. until closing at midnight or 1 a.m. (Exact hours still to be determined.)