The following is a 100% authentic, 100% real review. I was not provided a complimentary product or compensated in any way for this review.
I just love exploring different neighborhoods in my home town of Orlando. There is so much variety and so many different places to discover. I don’t make it up to the College Park neighborhood very often, since it’s on the other side of town from where I live. But when I do, I am sure to make the most of it.
More About College Park, Orlando
College Park is a neighborhood north-west of downtown Orlando. It’s an up-scale neighborhood well on its way to gentrification. The main road in the neighborhood is Edgewater Drive. Edgewater Drive runs north and south through the neighborhood, from West Colonial Drive to the south and Parr Street to the north.
You’ll find professional businesses such as consulting companies and attorneys offices in College Park, along with up-scale retail and a wide range of dining opportunities. I had the pleasure of having dinner at K Restaurant recently and wanted to provide some thoughts on my experience.
K Restaurant
1710 Edgewater Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
407-872-2332
The Atmosphere at K Restaurant College Park
K Restaurant appears to be a renovated and converted house, as many businesses are in the College Park area of Orlando. It sits right on Edgewater Drive, which can become rather busy at times. On the Thursday evening we were there, we didn’t even notice the traffic and we even sat on the front outdoor deck. The weather was perfect and we took advantage. At some establishments, sitting outside means poor service and / or cold food. Neither was the case at K Restaurant.
Interior seating is quaint, with adequate mood-setting lighting and enough space between tables to provide for some bit of privacy. I suspect if the establishment is full it can get rather noisy. There’s a bar behind the hostess stand, with no where to sit. Don’t go to K Restaurant if you’re just going to drink. You’d be doing yourself a dis-service by not eating there, anyway.
The Service at K Restaurant College Park
I dined at K Restaurant on a Thursday evening. The restaurant had customers but wasn’t overly busy – as to be expected on a fall Thursday evening. I really wish I remembered our server’s name because he was really key in tying our experience together with K Restaurant. He had been working at the restaurant for 3 years and was pursuing his level 2 sommelier credentials – and both showed. He was very knowledgable not only of the menu but of parings with their wine selections. He actively made suggestions and even brought us small samples of wines he thought we’d enjoy (he was right the majority of the time).
Kudos to K Restaurant for hiring and retaining people that care about what they do and enjoy doing it!
The Food at K Restaurant College Park
K Restaurant hasn’t been along for very long, as is evident by the sign on the awning of the building. You can see see the previous name of the restaurant that occupied the building before them. Nonetheless, the food at K Restaurant clearly comes from a chef that knows his way around the kitchen. Our server said during introductions that the chef Kevin Fonzo enjoys “sneaking in flavors”, which I fully appreciated. There’s a time and a place for certain flavors to dominate a dish, and chef Fonzo seems to walk the line rather effectively.
I personally ordered the following dishes that night:
- The “Stack” – layers of tomato, mixed greens, goat cheese, citrus dressing.
- Fried Green Tomato – sweet corn and crab salad, grain mustard dressing.
- Mac N’ Cheese – maine lobster, roast tomato, parmesan, herbs.
Our server warned us that the mac n cheese may be too rich for some and recommended sharing. Well, I didn’t take his warning because I couldn’t. Stop. Eating it! It was so good! I managed to hold off on finishing it, so that I could take some home with me to enjoy for lunch the next day. I highly recommend trying this if it’s on the menu. Share if you must, but don’t feel guilty about not. I didn’t.
The “Stack” was tasty but not necessarily anything to write home about. I am hit or miss sometimes on goat cheese, but I did enjoy this salad. The citrus dressing was light, almost to the point of being unnoticeable. This is a good choice for those not looking to try anything new or for those watching what they eat closely.
Lastly, the fried green tomato – this dish was ordered to share for the table, which was a good thing. I normally wouldn’t have ordered it on my own accord. Not because I don’t like tomatoes or fried foods. It’s just not usually my speed. However, as you can see, this wasn’t what I’m used to for this dish. It was AMAZING and would totally order again on my own (and not share). It had such a mix of flavors and textures and yet didn’t leave me feeling like I just ate something fried. Perfection for this dish, if you ask me.
K Restaurant Photo Gallery
Click any photo below to view a larger version.