Adam Brimer/News Sentinel

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I deliberately waited a few weeks before taking on the recently opened S&W Grand, the modern-day update of a downtown Knoxville dining institution. I had heard mixed firsthand accounts from friends and acquaintances, which led me to believe that a few kinks needed to be worked out in the early going.

However, some of those early negatives were the result of the inevitable comparisons between this restaurant and its ancestor, the S&W Cafeteria. Not having been around Knoxville in those days, I have no personal basis of comparison, so when The Grub Spouse and I dined at the S&W Grand on a recent Saturday evening, I went in with a clean slate, choosing to evaluate the restaurant on its own merits, not weighed down by the anchors of history.

We pushed our way through a revolving door into the open lobby, which offers an unobstructed view of the main dining room beyond and the L-shaped upper level dining area, which is accessible by a wide staircase. A large vintage scale (for weighing oneself) stands near the foot of the stairs, and my research indicates that it’s the very one that had originally occupied the cafeteria.

Once we were seated in a booth, I was able to absorb more of our surroundings, which included floor-to-ceiling mirror-paneled walls, ornate ceiling and crown molding detail, and a bar area with flat-panel monitors (hey, not everything can be retro). Overall, the visual presentation is on the austere side, a mood enhanced by the somewhat unsettling bluish gray cast of the overhead lighting.

The menu has already gone through some tweaking. In fact, an older one posted on the S&W Web site has many items that The Spouse and I found absent from the most current revision. There are about a half-dozen soup and salad choices as well as a like number of sandwiches and appetizers, including beef carpaccio, pig and biscuit, oysters Rockafella, and liver and sausage paté, Several of these were tempting, but the only one we could agree on was the fish and chips.

The fish are fried smelts, which have a pungent fish flavor, but we were surprised to find that the chips are actually potato chips, not the British version of what we call French fries. For $8.95, I thought this item was underwhelming in both quality and value.

The dinner menu does have some S&W Cafeteria throwbacks like liver and onions and Crab Imperial, but overall, the fare can still be described as old-school American comfort food. There are exceptions, but one should generally go in expecting a heavy meat- or fish-based meal.

I ordered the veal meatloaf ($15.95), prepared in a Parmesan crust and surrounded by a moat of creamy Rosemary potatoes. The Spouse got the stuffed shrimp ($17.95) — six jumbo crustaceans served with a baked crawfish stuffing on top of lemon risotto and etouffée sauce. We decided to share a side of deep-fried tobacco onions (all sides are $4.95).

I thought both selections were absolutely wonderful. The meatloaf, accented by chopped onions, had a subtle but pleasing flavor. The Parmesan crust was a nice touch, and the potatoes were indeed creamy to the max. The plump shrimp were a treat, but I could have enjoyed the crawfish stuffing and risotto base all by themselves. This dish is indeed spicy. I liked it, but it may be too zesty for some diners.

The greasy deep-fried onions were a poor choice on our part, but we’re not into collard greens, and so many of the other sides were potato-based items, which would have been potato overkill for me. For dessert, we shared a slice of coconut-pineapple cake, which gave us a sweetly fruity send-off without being too heavy.

Based on my experience, which was enhanced by fabulous service from beginning to end, I have no trouble recommending the S&W Grand. I believe there are some inconsistencies in quality from dish to dish, but overall, I think it’s worth experiencing. It may help if some of you leave your preconceptions at the revolving door.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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