myspace.com/q102rocco

From the kitchen to the studio, then back again — that’s the career trajectory for South Philly son Rocco Cima (right), who you probably know as an on-air personality at Q102. You see, he studied at the Restaurant School and completed some hardcore culinary training in France prior to jumping into the radio game. And right now he’s close to opening Fuel, a 26-seat lunch/dinner spot with healthy eaters in mind, at 1917 E. Passyunk Avenue.

Everything on the from-scratch menu at Fuel, which’ll also feature a fresh-squeezed juice bar, will be under 500 calories — an artery-friendly concept that definitely stands out down South. No specific theme to the menu, just “a bunch of fresh ingredients that I like,” says Cima — figure on plenty of roasted/grilled veggies (no deep frying), low-cal proteins like turkey, salmon and tuna and sandwiches served on house-baked bread. If you’re worried that the 500-cal ceiling will translate into teeny portion sizes, fear not — Cima says we’ll be surprised by just how much food you can crank out under the limit.

“I’ve always had the love for food,” says Cima of his decision to return to his pre-airwaves trade. (Since he’s on the radio at night, you’ll find him in the kitchen during the day.) “In my travels to L.A. or New York, I’ve seen similar concepts — but [nothing like it] in Philly.”

There’ll be a bit of outdoor Avenue seating and they’ll do delivery, probably up to South Street. Opening date will almost certainly be September 10.

UPDATE: Here’s the full menu for Fuel.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 2:43 pm and is filed under Openings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.