Burn Notice

Fuel

by David Snyder

A menu that offers no dish exceeding 500 calories sounds more like part of a sadistic Top Chef challenge than the centerpiece of a real-life restaurant — especially when said restaurant is owned and run by a radio DJ. But after a few bites at Rocco Cima's health-conscious Passyunk Avenue spot, Fuel, it's clear that this Q102 personality knows how to rock more than one kind of mixer.

Normally, caloric limits translate to stunted flavor, and despite Cima's chops (he's a Restaurant School grad), I was initially skeptical. But Fuel's selection of starters, salads and sandwiches is both smart and impressively layered.

The crab and corn chowder has the body you'd expect thanks to puréed corn, potatoes and half-and-half, and the stacked flavors of fresh crab meat, Old Bay and minced jalapeño are bold enough to help you forget about the whole calorie thing. Cima employs heat effectively in other dishes, too — a touch of Sriracha gives lettuce wraps stuffed with chicken, crushed peanuts and fresh lime a gentle kick; the fiery red-pepper-seasoned shrimp are balanced by a light house-made cucumber yogurt.

Puréed sweet peas, olive oil, garlic and a topper of sun-dried tomatoes make up a standout wonton starter. Green tea extract-smoked salmon, wrapped around asparagus and served alongside cantaloupe, is another clean energy kick-up.

For Fuel's panini, the locally baked white bread's your best choice — though I loved the rustic texture of the wheat, it tends to muffle the subtle flavors Cima works hard to engineer. (It's important to note that Fuel's 500-cal limit does not include these starches.) House-mixed lemon cream cheese gives a refreshing lift to a "high-protein" grilled cheese. Generous chunks of roasted-daily turkey pair wonderfully with a delicate homemade pesto. Though the lemon aioli is too watery for presentation in a wrap, it's an ideal dressing for tuna, arugula and artichoke.

Given its sinful texture, I was certain Fuel's housemade pumpkin cheesecake broke the 500-calorie limit, but Cima states that it rings in at 370. Very good news for me, since when I first took this critic gig, a fellow reviewer told me I'd gain 10 pounds. He was wrong — I gained 20. It always feels good to eat healthy — and in this case, it felt even better since it tasted good.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)