Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Skewers

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Skewers
10244 Kingston Pike
470-8250

by Connie Seuer

It's one of the fastest growing market segments in the restaurant biz—Fast-Casual. Most easily described as a confident step above fast-food, Fast-Cas fare is healthy, prepared to order, and generally pretty darn tasty. Conversely, it's a noticeable step beneath table-service, tipping, and non-recyclable dinnerware. Most venues are chains, easily recognizable franchises luring customers to strip malls with formulaic menus and market-tested graphic design. These eateries, offering a little something for everyone, are instantly successful in serving the best of the mediocre.

I'm not against Fast-Casual dining. After all, it's a safe haven from the burger joints and chicken coops glomming the berms of America's roadways. My only real objection to Fast-Casual cafes is the general homogeneity. But Skewers, located inside a yellow, Q-bert shaped building (formerly home to Cafe Gibran) in Farragut, is an independent endeavor. It's Fast-Casual, but co-owners Jim and Lori Klonaris (Kalamata Kitchen in Bearden and Farragut) have given the restaurant's recipe an original touch. As the name portends, Skewers is all about food on a stick.

As lunch date Heinrich and I perused the menu above the counter, an energetic young employee deftly explained the modus operandi. Diners choose from five different selections for skewers: marinated chicken breast ($4.95), yellow-fin tuna ($5.95), strip steak ($5.95), gulf shrimp ($6.95), or a vegetable ka-bob of pepper, squash, eggplant, and onions ($3.95). Next, select the seasoning: American Barbecue, Cajun, Cyprus (a light glaze of olive oil, lemon, and garlic), Mediterranean (a blend of Middle-Eastern spices), or an Oriental hoisin marinade. However you mix and match, your items will be skewered, grilled over flames, and presented in (last decision, folks) one of two ways: as a platter or as a wrap.

I opted for tuna with American Barbecue seasoning, the most far-reaching combination I could manufacture from the menu. It was a challenge—show me what you can do, Skewers. Make it a platter ($5.95), and while you're at it, throw on a cob of the grilled corn (95 cents).

Grilled corn on the cob, baked potato, tabbouleh salad, Caesar or garden salad compose the somewhat limited options for sides and greens. But it appears Skewers' approach is to do a small number of things well, rather than offer a smorgasbord of average edibles. Good thinking. The corn was some of the tastiest I've tried. If it had been a bit crisper, I wouldn't have complained, but it was otherwise perfectly hot and perfectly juicy. Forget the butter and forget the salt—this grilled favorite called only for teeth and a napkin.

As for the tabbouleh, I'm accustomed to the grain (cracked wheat) being the foundation of the salad, with finely chopped vegetables and seasonings blended throughout. Skewers' version is delicious—healthy and leafy—but is more accurately lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with a light, wheat dressing. It's a commendable twist on the traditional, and you can bank on it for a refreshing lunch.

When my platter arrived, the tuna skewer was atop a comfy cloud of rice pilaf, sided by sautéed vegetables and pita bread. The solid meat kabob was about nine cubic inches (or, for those English majors among us, about two fingers wide, one hand long) of craftily grilled fish. Spot-crisped on the outside; moist, yet fully-cooked, on the inside. And the expertly administered barbecue seasoning gave the skewer a tangy flavor without overwhelming the innate goodness of grilled tuna.

As for the platter's sides, let's face it. There are few things more pervasive and ho-hum than rice pilaf and vegetable medleys. Skewers' platter pilaf was surprisingly buttery, with a dainty parsley garnish. And the sautéed vegetables—onions, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, and zucchini—were definitely above average. Especially the pleasingly ripe red peppers. Unfortunately, all the vegetables were sautéed in an overdose of oil. The slick didn't ruin the vegetables' taste, but a little less oil and the veggies could have been spot-on.

Heinrich ordered a sure-to-be-hearty, wrap-style strip steak skewer with Mediterranean seasoning ($5.95). For wraps, the skewer is removed and the meat (or whatever your selection may be) is rolled into a plump, chewy pita along with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and dressing. To Heinrich's pleasure, the steak wasn't overdone (an easy pitfall for steak-in-a-sack sorts of sandwiches). Even though the meat was a tad fattier than he prefers, the extra smarbling didn't prevent his cleaning the plate.

I'd planned on making steady sneaks of Heinrich's french fries (the come-along with wraps), but alas, the fries were disappointingly warmish and heavy. Which made me think—perhaps french fries should be left to the fryalaters of fast-food. Skewers could offer more complementary choices—fruit or baked chips—instead of the American side-by.

The desserts, brownies (95 cents) and cookies (65 cents), are simple, but unmistakably homemade. And although the brownie was chocolate-y and good, we favored the decadently moist cookies, both chocolate chip and peanut butter.

As we readied to face the treachery of Kingston Pike, tummies full with food to spare, it was clear that Skewers has got a good thing going. And next time we're in the 'hood, we'll probably stop in. The food was above average, the service was fast, and the atmosphere was (need I say it?) comfortably casual.