Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Northern Exposure

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Northern Exposure
10955 Kingston Pike
671-6397

by Connie Seuer

It's tough for me to get excited about a strip mall restaurant. Especially one in west-west-west Knoxville (i.e., Farragut). Let's face it. There's only so much that can be done with a windows-on-one-side, rectangular shell. Plus, if you live east, south, north, or even slightly west, the idea translates into a long, traffic-scary drive (a.k.a. Death Race 2000) on the interstate or Kingston Pike.

With expectations at a low, Heinrich and I drove into the sun on I-40 one recent Sunday afternoon.

When I peeped inside the nondescript door, oh my shame! I discovered a large, dimly lit, masculine foyer. It was neat, tidy even, and not a bit schticked-up. To my right, a bar, with television a-flicker, but not a carcinogen-particle did my nose detect. And on the stereo, a steady stream of blues classics, started off by Ray Charles unmistakable gravely voice, Drown in my own tears....

I felt the fool. This was not what I had expected.

We were ushered beyond the bar to the non-smoking section, a long narrow hallway of wood booths. It's a pet peeve of mine to be seated in "non-smoking" sections that are but a breath away from the smoking area. Northern Exposure has one of the most effective barriers between smoking and non-smoking sections that I've encountered. The wall mural in this area of the restaurant, depicting cityscapes of Manhattan and other urban nightlines, is a bit goofy but not distracting. Besides, the booths are so deep and tall that as a diner, your focus and attention can all comfortably rest with your party.

A quick survey of the appetizers revealed an instant standout—German egg rolls ($6.75). What, exactly, would compose such an hors d'oeurve? Our waitress was quick with an answer: bratwurst, sauerkraut, spinach, and cheddar cheese rolled into a traditional, paper thin wrapper and deep-fried. It sounded just peculiar enough to work. And it did. Served with a liberal dousing of spicy oil dipping sauce, the rolls were crisp, flavorful and unique.

The presentation was full-on as well, centered by a fluff of mesclun greens and vibrant, orange ribbons of carrot. This dish could have veered astray in so many different directions, but someone's in the kitchen at Northern Exposure who knows what he or she is doing. Remove one component from this appy and it didn't work, but all together, the German egg rolls sang.

Had we ventured to Northern Exposure in the evening we would have enjoyed one of the draughts. The restaurant serves up the regulars from the tap, along with a couple of interesting mugs (Carolina Blonde, Shinerbock, Warsteiner). But as it was a Sunday afternoon, and we were still bound for errands in West Knoxville, we eschewed the suds.

Although I went straight into my entrée, one salad caught my eye that I feel deserves a mention. The port wine poached pear salad ($6.50) is a toss of mesclun greens, walnut vinaigrette, Gorgonzola, and poached pears. Judging by the rest of our meal, I strongly suspect this salad would have been every bit as light and refreshing as it read on paper.

Heinrich seized the opportunity to sample the house dish—the Pierogie Bowl ($9.50). For those unfamiliar with the friendly pierogie, think potato ravioli. When done well, the simple and traditional cuisine can be exquisite. Northern Exposure's pierogies were quite good on their own, but the restaurant had gone out of its way to make the pierogies into something they aren't. On this particular occasion (the pierogie bowl receives a chef's choice of sauce every day) they arrived dressed in a balsamic, oil, and garlic sauce, tossed with tomatoes and spinach. To me, this was too Italian for the potato filling. Butter and garlic would have been more to our liking. Heinrich and I, we are simple people.

Redemption came again in the form of my entrée, Grilled German meatloaf ($9.95). This homely dish, so frequently done so wrong, is given its due at Northern Exposure. This 10-ounce homemade meatloaf presented a perfect crust earned on a true grill. The moist interior, well-blended with onions and seasonings, delivered comfort with every bite, and the accompanying red curry barbecue sauce (go figure) was a pleasing complement. Served with a heap of garlic mashed potatoes, this plate got the business from both Heinrich and myself, yet we still had leftovers for home. One thing's for sure, Northern Exposure won't let you go hungry.

The chocolate "O" ($4.95), an oversized ganache-filled chocolate cake, topped with whipped cream, capped our repast. It delivered warm, moist cake and beyond-rich ganache, and in response, we supplied the "ohhhhs."

Despite the drive, Northern Exposure is working with what its got and doing a whole lot right. My only regret: I wish I'd made the trek "north" sooner.