Skip's Kitchen Brings 'Gourmet Casual' to Carmichael

Skip's Kitchen in Carmichael doesn't have an "open" sign, but so far it hasn't needed one.

The restaurant at El Camino and Mission avenues has been open about two weeks, and owner Skip Wahl said he's seen a steady stream of customers despite a lack of advertising or formal announcements.

"We just opened the door and people came," said Wahl, a former Chili's managing partner.

Wahl said his restaurant aims to deliver a "gourmet casual" experience, and said a customer described it as having "brought a little of midtown to the suburbs." The tables are topped with re-purposed hardwood flooring and an outside dining area includes an astroturf area for kids.

Wahl, a Carmichael resident, compared choosing a signature dish to picking a favorite son, but said he's particularly proud of the burgers, which are 15 percent lean and have less fat than most patties.

The restaurant relies on fresh ingredients and doesn't have a freezer, offers wine and beer, takes customer orders on an Apple iPad and will soon offer online ordering, he said.

"This is some cutting-edge stuff I'm doing," Wahl said.

While some aspects of the restaurant would seem more at home in Sacramento's trendy midtown neighborhood than Carmichael, Wahl said he wanted to stay rooted in the town he's lived in since 1994.

He's involved with local little league and soccer leagues and his wife teaches at .

"I like to be rooted in the community," he said, adding that he can tell how long customers have lived in Carmichael by what they remember the building as: a Dairy Queen, the former location of , or something else.

He also stressed that he wants the restaurant to be a place for families. Wahl, who has two children, greets customers warmly, recognizing some as previous visitors and jokes with kids while he takes orders.

He said so far, he's been overwhelmed by the response and positive support he's received in person and on social networking websites. Skip's Kitchen currently has 18 reviews on Yelp, and nearly 80 customers have "checked in" on Facebook while at the eatery.

During the restaurant's first week, Wahl estimated he worked about 100 hours. The restaurant doesn't have a set closing time, and Wahl said he just closes the doors once business slows down.

"To be a victim of your own success–how great is that?" he said.

--

Skip's Kitchen is located at 4717 El Camino Ave., and opens daily at 11 a.m. It can be reached at 916-514-0830 and a menu is available online at http://www.skipskitchen.com.