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February was a big month for Nomad’s Park South Hotel. On February 3, Stone & Soil opened, stirring and shaking up 22 cocktails that follow the ethos and precision of Japanese bartending. Less than a week later, another concept made its grand debut on the ground floor. And the story here is all about skewers.
On February 9, Skëwr Mediterranean Grille officially opened, following a soft opening run in December. Similar to the bar around the corner, the restaurant is also backed by JK Park Hospitality, founded by industry veterans Jimmy Rizvi (co-founder of Bungalow and GupShup) and Kanvar Singh (founder of Elsie Rooftop and Elsie Penthouse). But unlike the dim and sultry Japanese bar down the hallway, the restaurant channels the glow of the Mediterranean with a white tufted banquette that curves around the entire dining room, deep sage dining chairs and planters that sprout with all types of greenery. It all faces the stretch of the open kitchen where it is easy to glean chefs stoking the flames of the live-fire grill.
Manning the grill is executive chef Austin Torsiello, whose decade plus of experience include time spent at Michelin-starred Junoon, The Breslin and Masa. At Skëwr, chef Torsiello touts a clean, “guilt-free” Mediterranean menu, one that eschews seed oils and avoids processed, refined and/or artificial ingredients.
You can find all of the usual suspects of Mediterranean fare here—dips, spreads and, naturally, as the name implies, skewers of all kinds. A meal here should begin with a spread or two or three for the table, best explored by ordering the mezze trio or the mezze grande that comes with five choices. Mix and match you way with bowls of hummus dressed with jalapeños or shredded lamb, creamy labne that's whipped to a bright pink thanks to the addition of smoked beets or the tangy chili whip feta with fronds of dill on top. It is all accompanied by lettuce wraps and sizable puffs of freckled pitas that bite with a noticeable tang due to a two-day fermentation.
But, as the name suggests, skewers are the calling card. There are over 15 of them to choose from, including diver scallops, spiced lamb (adana kebab) and thin-slices of wagyu with drizzles of tallow. You could easily make a meal on the skewers alone, or you could go for entrees that are also touched the flame, including the whole branzino, a half chicken-rubbed down in a herby toum or the lamb shank. Pair it with a cocktail that also follow through with the Med theme, as tipples come shaken with beets, cucumbers and olive oil.
So next time you are in Nomad, chart a course to the live fire and flames of Skëwr.