Orlando Family dining critic Michael Lit sizes up College Park’s K Restaurant.

Bucatini Pasta

A New York City native, Chef Kevin Fonzo graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America, after which he became part of the opening team at Orlando’s Peabody Hotel. Flash-forward to 2001, and Fonzo launched K Restaurant—one of our area’s first chef-owned and operated eateries. It was also one of Orlando’s first establishments to showcase local ingredients, design a menu that changed regularly to reflect the seasons, and offer a full cheese list.

At K, Fonzo has won almost every notable culinary award in Orlando. What’s more, he was nominated for “Best Chef Southeast” by the James Beard Foundation in 2010, and he’s been invited three times to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.

K is located in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood on a quiet street surrounded by old houses, shops and trees. The exterior is modest yet welcoming. Once you park, you can peek behind the restaurant to find a charming vegetable garden strung with lights. Here, Fonzo and team have created their own small farm where they can grow seasonal produce to use in their dishes.

The hostess appeared at the podium moments after my wife Toni and I arrived. She greeted us and led us to our table in a small room toward the back. The décor was pleasant but not overly fancy. I liked the less-formal style, because it kept the room from feeling too stiff.

Our waiter was just the right level of friendly: neither too distant nor overbearing. She was very good at knowing when to appear to refill drinks or clear plates, and when not to intrude. Like the décor, the tone of the service helped us relax and enjoy the meal without worrying about being too stuffy.

We started out with one of the signature appetizers, the Fried Green Tomato ($15) with crab salad, sweet corn and grain mustard dressing. I can see why this is a signature item. It’s an appealing combination of crunchy and soft, hot and cold, savory and slightly sweet, and all aspects were well harmonized. The only unfortunate incident was that we also ordered the Fried Brussels Sprouts ($9) with crispy pork belly and hot sauce honey. Once tasting these sprouts and sighing in disbelief on how amazingly delicious they were, I didn’t want to go back to the fried green tomatoes—they were really on a whole other level.

For our salad course, we decided to share the Bibb Salad ($8), which included bacon, apples, aged cheddar and a warm bacon vinaigrette. It was quite delicious, and the textures from the apple and bacon were a lovely touch to the Bibb lettuce.

Duck Breast

Toni ordered the Bucatini Pasta ($25) with shrimp, tomato, green onion and shellfish butter. The presentation was colorful and vibrant, and the shellfish butter had a wonderful light touch with the Florida shrimp. I ordered the Duck Breast ($27) with root vegetable hash, maple, sun-dried cranberry mostarda and a pinot noir sauce. I love duck paired with sweetness. The root vegetables were al dente, and the cranberry with the maple and pinot sauce all worked well with the earthy root vegetables and the gaminess of the duck breast. It was quite enjoyable. (On a side note, I must say that all the items we ordered were a surprisingly larger portion than one would expect from a fine dining establishment such as K Restaurant.)

The dessert course was an extraordinary treat. The Pumpkin Cheesecake ($9) was light and delicate without too much pumpkin spice, and the bottom crust had a crisp texture that tied the dessert in a beautiful bowtie of flavor. Toni left nothing on the plate. It was such a great take on a pumpkin cheesecake, I would go back for some coffee and dessert just to try it all for myself. We also ordered the Chocolate Torte ($9), which for me was decadently perfect. The contrast of the chocolate layers was sinful, and the presentation was spot on.

Go to K Restaurant if you enjoy gourmet food served in a setting that is upscale yet homey. It’s romantic enough for a date night, yet laid back enough for lunch or dinner with family and friends. The prices are reasonable considering the high quality of cuisine. I’m already looking forward to my next visit, and those Brussels sprouts better be on the menu. I also want to give a shout out to Fonzo for being a great role model for many up-and-coming chefs in the Central Florida area. He is an inspiration on how a local chef can give back so much to the community while maintaining his restaurant and standards that make him a pioneer.

An Orlando resident for more than 25 years, Michael Lit is the executive chef for Central Florida Regional Hospital and also has extensive experience in both casual and fine dining.

K Restaurant
Orlando (College Park)
(407) 872-2332

Published and copyrighted in Orlando Family Magazine (November 2016).