A taste of autumn

A restaurateur mixes northern appeal with cuisine.

By MICHELE MILLER, Times Staff Writer
Published November 8, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [David Degner | Times] Kevin Upton, 49, opened his third restaurant in Florida, the Central Park Family Restaurant, in February.

It is perpetually fall in the Central Park Family Restaurant.

That's just the way Kevin Upton planned it for his customers - especially those who, like him, hail from northern territory.

"One thing we have down here is plenty of green," said Upton, who moved from Muttontown, N.Y., in 1982 and since has owned several small restaurants, in Boca Raton and the Tampa Bay area.

"One thing you hear from people is they miss the change of the seasons," he said. "People don't miss the snow but they miss the changing of the leaves."

So far the decor has been a bit of a hit for this little restaurant that first opened in February in the Shoppes of 54 strip mall on State Road 54 in New Port Richey. The wait for breakfast most weekend mornings is about 15 to 20 minutes, said Upton, 49. "People keep telling me I'm going to have to knock out a wall and expand."

Upton, who co-owns the Central Park Family Restaurant with Michael Bloxam, decorated with October hues, silk autumn-leaved maple trees, and granite-topped tables. A mural of a fall-themed horse-drawn carriage in Central Park also adds a nice touch.

"I think it gives people a little slice of home," he said.

Homemade emphasis

That same kind of thought, Upton said, went into the menu.

A lot of what ends up on your plate is made from scratch, said Upton, who also took some good advice - "Salt shakers on the tables but no salt in the cooking" - from his ex-wife and best friend, Karline Upton, who is a registered dietitian.

"We cook our own meat for the sandwiches as well as the meals," he said. "The soups are all homemade - the stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, the muffins for breakfast."

And while some of the desserts, such as the tiramisu, come from a box, Upton churns out batches of scrumptious apricot almond shortbread cookies that are kept under glass at the front counter and sell for a buck apiece.

"It's just a basic shortbread recipe. The trick is to cook them at a low heat," said Upton, who also bakes chocolate cookies when the mood strikes him.

Upton concedes that the tomato sauce, cooked 20 gallons at a time in a big, old stockpot, begins in a can. Upton slow cooks the paste, then adds puree, garlic, basil and oregano and a little sugar to cut the garlic, much to the chagrin of some of his Italian customers.

"They're always telling me "the sauce is good but you don't have to add the sugar, you know," said Upton. "But some of the ladies, they don't like the smell of the garlic on their breath."

Not much goes to waste in Upton's kitchen.

The stuffing for the jumbo shrimp and pork chops comes from leftover rolls. The tops and bottoms of sliced tomatoes used for sandwiches and salads are tossed in with the roast beef to add flavor to the gravy. And the taco-crusted tilapia? You guessed it - comes from tacos that never made it to the table yesterday.

"I always believed in homemade cooking," Upton said. "I think if you offer a quality meal at a reasonable price, people will come back over and over again."

Michele Miller may be reached in west Pasco at 869-6251 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505. Her e-mail is miller@sptimes.com

IF YOU GO:

Central Park Family Restaurant

Find it at 7657 State Road 54, New Port Richey. It is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For information, call 727 376-7402.

[Last modified November 7, 2007, 20:57:19]