The space inside the Capital Plaza Two building has one of the more picturesque views of any dining room in the city, but even a scenic panorama of Lake Eola couldn’t prevent Sam Snead’s Tavern from losing its swing. Now, Joanne McMahon, 310 Park South’s owner and pastry chef extraordinaire, has moved into the space hoping to attract patrons to the riparian locale just as she does to her trendy streetside boîte on Park Avenue. But in terms of the vibe, the two restaurants couldn’t be more dissimilar. For one, the crowded, clamorous scene is absent at 310 Lakeside, as are the people-watching/see-and-be-seen tendencies. It’s airy, comfortably understated and leisured, and the high ceilings keep the din to a minimum. The bill of fare, on the other hand, mirrors 310 Park South’s selection of continental and new American cuisine ‘ nothing particularly awe-inspiring, but capable, well-executed dishes of the pasta, steak and seafood variety.
Fusing Buffalo wing sauce with Prince Edward Island mussels ($13) took ‘new American cuisineâ?� to depths I didn’t care to explore, but grilled flatbread ($13) layered with blue cheese, caramelized onions and morsels of beef tenderloin was a foolproof way to start the meal. Appetizers run the gamut from calamari to alligator, but their signature salads deserve a second look. Napoleon beet salad ($12), a stratified mound of diced roasted beets and goat cheese over garden greens, proved an intriguing sweet-sharp flavor combination, heightened further by a tarragon vinaigrette. A parallel zest permeated the snapper ($23), a pan-seared fillet garnished with a magnificent fennel-and-olive tapenade and anointed with mandarin oranges and slivers of red onion, evoking ceviche-like hints. Just as good was the polenta cake on which it rested, rounding out an altogether outstanding dish.
Sam Snead’s served up a pretty good burger, and so I was curious to sample the loaded ($10) Kaiser-rolled version served here, described on the menu as ‘ground Black Angus stuffed with crumbled bleu cheese and caramelized onions.â?� ‘Loadedâ?� is an overstatement ‘ I could barely detect any oniony essence and the cheese’s characteristic intensity was wholly lacking. The patty itself was fine, not too big, not too small, but a renaming is in order for this dish. Salty crinkle fries were mildly addictive, but what really got me hooked were the sweets. McMahon preps them in-house and in portions that foster hoarding. The silken fluff of chocolate mousse inside the berry cup ($10) is pure bliss; don’t be shy about devouring the shell. Strawberries were inexplicably absent, but there were enough blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to keep a Florida black bear satisfied. Eyes rolled after one bite of the chocolate trifle’s ($8) Kahlúa-drenched cake ‘ the glass tumbler came filled with a velveteen chocolate sauce, whipped cream and strawberries. It was an absolutely revelatory ending.
The restaurant may have lost a bit of that power-meal appeal, but that hasn’t stopped the noontime crowd from taking advantage of their $7 express lunch, comprising half a garden salad and your choice of flatbread, wrap or sandwich. 310 Lakeside’s large outdoor patio is an indisputable draw for al fresco diners, and, best of all, you won’t have to fight off poseurs clambering for a sidewalk seat.
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2008.