Dining out: Newk's Eatery

Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Jean Le Boeuf recommends this restaurant for families. Follow the critic at facebook.com/ jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.

FAST-CASUAL THAT’S A STEP ABOVE

Newk’s Eatery is a slightly more elevated version of Panera, McAlister’s or a Jason’s Deli.

The national chain debuted its first Southwest Florida location in early March at the new strip mall off Naples Boulevard in front of the Hollywood 20 movie theater. Local franchisees Rebecca Fuller and her husband, Jeff Verbois, fell in love with the brand’s scratch-made, Southerninspired recipes, and so far seemed to have found a market for it in North Naples.

The fast-casual restaurant has been pretty busy during my visits. At lunch, women dressed business casual fetch their online orders from a shelf near the door. In the evenings, families crowd around one of the big corner booths, children plucking at little pepperoni pizzas.

Diners place orders at one of two counters at Newk’s, and employees quickly deliver meals on a tray to the table. At the center of the room is a “gourmet” table with complimentary vats of sweet pickles, garlicky housemade croutons and roasted garlic. The centerpiece of the place, though, is the expansive, open-concept kitchen.

Newk’s prides itself on made-fresh ingredients. Chicken and other meats for the restaurant’s personal-sized pizzas, salads and sandwiches are shipped raw, marinated on site and grilled to order. Food isn’t fried, microwaved or warmed in a quick-zap oven. My guess is that it’s all an effort to buck the cookie-cutter sameness of most franchised delis.

But, if I’m being honest, it’s hard to set it apart from the others that have come before it.

If I had to sum up Newk’s in a few words, I’d call it a slightly elevated version of a McAlister’s Deli or Panera Bread or Jason’s Deli. It makes a little more sense once you realize that the family who started Newk’s in 2004, is the same one who started McAlister’s. Everything is good. Fine. Alright. A turkey avocado sandwich is pretty ho-hum, with avocado that tastes a little stale and plastic-y. Its chicken salad is pocked with sliced grapes, pecans and red onion. The sandwich bread, though, is nicely crusted on the outside and earthen and soft on the inside, a satisfying busted crease down its middle.

Newk’s personal-sized pizzas are made with semolina flour and pressed thin. The crusts bubble up nicely in the oven till blistered with just a little char. One of its signature pies is the Newk’s Q, topped with sliced, flame-grilled chicken breast echoing with a hint of smoke, crumbled bacon, tomatoes and jalapeno rounds. A creamy smear of white barbecue sauce underneath binds it all together, along with a mass of melted mozzarella and provolone. Priced around $8 or $9, it’s not a bad way to go.

The salads are massive. I enjoyed the black and bleu, with its shavings of petit tenderloin steak grilled till just mediumrare, a buttery smooth chew with each crunch of green. It’s also tossed with nutty Gorgonzola, pecans, grape tomatoes and red onion.

Newk’s staff is friendly but still new and working through the kinks. I nearly befuddled one employee when I wanted to order a salad that wasn’t on the “pick two” list, but still wanted a cup of gumbo soup. And with such an open kitchen, the kinks are put on full display here. I overheard at least one shrill reminder from the kitchen to “Wash your hands!” (Yes, please do that.)

Newk’s Eatery » Location: 6340 Naples Blvd., North Naples » Price: under $10 to $15 » Phone: 239-230-2310 » Online: newks.com » Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday » Noise level: Low » Etc.: Online ordering and pick-up available