I realized that it had been ages since I’d visited 310 Park South, the American restaurant that occupies that address in Winter Park. And I was surprised when I looked back through my files that it has been there since early 1999. Before it settled in, the space was occupied by a Fat Tuesday frozen drink emporium, and, even earlier, a short-lived restaurant called the No Name Bar and Grill. (I know that coming up with a name for a restaurant is a difficult process, but come on.) Over the years, the original restaurant helped launch the curiously named 310 Lakeside (which is not its address) in what was once a Sam Snead’s across from Lake Eola Park, and the also-on-Park, lowercased blu on the avenue.
I figured it was time to stop back in, so I arranged a lunch meeting with a colleague there recently.
We had a very pleasant meal, sitting in the front near the big windows overlooking the sidewalk patio (it was still too hot outside to take one of those tables, but it’s a very nice place to sit). The whole place has taken on a comfortable feel, lived in but not worn.
The same menu is offered at lunch and dinner and covers a vast array of options. There are entree-sized salads, steaks, fish dishes, pastas and several sandwiches. My guest selected the Mediterranean Salad with Mahi Mahi, a large plate of fresh mixed greens, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumber, fried capers, crumbles of feta cheese, shredded carrots and little pearls of quinoa. It was all dressed with a light balsamic vinaigrette. The mahi was grilled perfectly and had a golden crisped outside and big, moist flakes of flesh.
I had a special of Steak Tips, sauteed with tomatoes and cheese and served atop a half toasted baguette. That is, it was half of a baguette that was fully toasted, just to be clear. A little bit of melted cheese and a cup of vegetable soup and I was happy.
Service was affable and fast, which was appreciated during the lunch hour — or half hour as we were observing.
It’s nice to see that 310 Park South has endured all these years and has become one of the old-timers on Park Avenue.
310 Park South is at…oh, come on, you know. It is open for lunch and dinner daily, including late nights, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The phone number is 407-647-7277.
