Dunedin’s never seen anything like Kelly's- Chica-Boom-Room. Oh sure, the restaurant’s been right there at 319 Main Street since 1989, and the bar opened 12 years later. They’ve been downtown favorites for a long time.
But there’s a new Kelly’s-Chica-Boom-Room, reimagined, re-configured and re-energized. The building and the menu have undergone major changes, thanks to new owner Dion Falzon. He’s a hometown boy, a successful businessman who’s come back to Dunedin with a mission: to “take it to the next level,” making the “new” Kelly’s an upscale destination — the city’s finest res- taurant attached to its hippest, most up-to-date and casual-comfortable martini bar.
The physical renovations began as soon as Falzon, who co-created the bay area’s 3AM liquor franchise, bought the business last summer. The patio deck out back was doubled in size and now includes a massive live oak tree, which may well be 200 years old. At night, the tree is illuminated by awe-inspiring indigo lights. There are fire pits, too, creating the perfect ambiance for inti- mate outdoor dining, imbibing and socializing.
Falzon is proud of his mighty oak. For him, the tree represents new growth, strength and stability — and that’s what he wants people to think of when they think of Kelly’s. “I want to do something innovative,” he adds. “I want this to be really special, not like every other bar, because there’s about 10 of the same in Dunedin.”
Kelly’s new owner has made the most radical changes to the menu. As managing partner, he’s brought in his younger brother Christopher, who spent nine years as a lead chef at The Top, one of the most innovative — and popular — restaurants in Alachua County.
“Christopher was living in Gainesville, doing extremely well, and we only saw him at Christmas,” Falzon explains. “So I did it for him. I said ‘I’ve got the liquor business figured out. I know what works. I know about attention to detail and cleanliness. I know what people like. And you’re an incredible chef — let’s do something together!’”
Christopher Falzon’s specialty is Modern American fare, new and delicious takes on traditional dishes. Just try to say no to his Citrus Herb Salmon (with lemon herb puree, roasted beets and aromatic rice), Sesame Tuna (with bok choi, purple kimchi, Sriracha Aioli and bourbon sweet soy), Osso Bucco (braised pork shank with red wine glaze, saffron risotto cake and grilled asparagus) or Midnight Pasta (angel hair, made on-site, with steamed mussels and arugula toasted in a light lemon basil cream with anchovy crumb). All of Kelly’s steaks are grass- fed Florida beef; all the chicken is free-range and non-GMO (try saucing them with Christopher’s unbelievable Oaxacan Red Mole Sauce, or Verdi Chili Lime, or Delta Blue). The Falzon brothers are committed to farm-to-table dining, and much of the restaurant's ingredients are organic and they are developing relationships with local farmers and fisherman to implement even more in the future. “I believe that way, I eat that way,” says Dion. “I live that way, and I know that’s the future.”
Soon, the menu will list the local providers, from the largest cuts of beef to the tiniest herbs. Falzon is only too aware that Kelly’s has been famous for many years as Dunedin’s best breakfast destination. On a typical Saturday or Sunday, he serves around 800 guests. The long weekend wait’s been made easier with the addition of a standalone Bloody Mary bar on the patio. “It was never known as a great place for dinner,” says Falzon. “Now, with a new chef, a new menu and a new everything, we want to change that.”
Even though business has been spectacular since the arrival of the new chef, the new menu and everything else, Dion Falzon isn’t done. Not by a long shot.
He’s added monthly yoga classes, live bands and a DJ. The back patio is now 100 percent dog-friendly. Food is now available until 1 a.m. In the works is a brand new, even bigger deck and a tiki bar. Someday, he hopes, the building will gain a second level, providing patrons stunning sunset views.
“I want it to be known for excellence,” he says. “I want this to be the place where people come, not just because it’s here, but because it’s worth it.”
This article appears in Mar 15-22, 2018.