Late Milford restaurateur known for his thirst for polite debate, teaching others

Tom Benoit, The Milford Daily News
·4 min read

MILFORD — Tucked away in an end unit of a strip mall at the busy intersection of East Main Street (Route 16) and Medway Road (Route 109), Marty's Kitchen is known for serving up hearty breakfasts in a family-like atmosphere.

The diner's walls are covered with pictures of local families, sports teams and other local flavor. Like may places, it has its "regulars," who are greeted warmly and graciously thanked for stopping in yet again. Newcomers are quickly made welcome.

But the eatery went dark for several weeks after Memorial Day weekend, after the passing of co-owner and chef John Eldridge at age 79. He was known to introduce himself whenever new patrons arrived, and for engaging the regulars in conversation ranging from politics to sports to local affairs.

Images of co-owner John Eldridge and his family can be found throughout Marty's Kitchen in Milford, where Eldridge was co-owner and chef. Eldridge, who held several public positions in his hometown of Blackstone, died on Memorial Day at age 79.
Images of co-owner John Eldridge and his family can be found throughout Marty's Kitchen in Milford, where Eldridge was co-owner and chef. Eldridge, who held several public positions in his hometown of Blackstone, died on Memorial Day at age 79.

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"He always believed in family," said Eldridge's business partner, Nancy Nichols, during a recent interview at the diner. "Always family first, no matter what. So we kind of tried to make this a family-friendly place."

Served on many boards, had cable show in Blackstone

While he perfected his culinary skills in Milford, Eldridge was something of a legend in his hometown of Blackstone, a Worcester County community of just under 10,000 residents that sits on the Rhode Island border, just south of Mendon. He served on various boards there, including the School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Democratic Town Committee and the Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee.

He also hosted a local cable show, "The John Eldridge Show," for 15 years; the Select Board's room is named for him.

Given his interest in politics, Eldridge always had an opinion. But according to one of his closest friends, Michael Fitzpatrick, superintendent-director of Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District in Upton since 1994, Eldridge had a way of encouraging others to present their viewpoints as well.

"He had a knack for this," Fitzpatrick told the Daily News. "You might get warmed up, but he would flush out an opportunity for someone to share their view. Then he might attempt to influence that view with the information and experiences that he had."

This plaque was given to John Eldridge from the town of Blackstone for his service to the town.
This plaque was given to John Eldridge from the town of Blackstone for his service to the town.

Fitzpatrick's letter: Blackstone's John Eldridge known for integrity, moral compass

Fitzpatrick said Eldridge promoted transparency during his time as selectman.

"Rather than having a hidden agenda, he wanted to flush out both sides of an issue — he wanted to hear the plus and minus," Fitzpatrick said. "He valued the input of others, he elicited it — not like a prosecuting attorney, but someone who was very interested in hearing your view and why you had that view."

Nichols, at Marty's Kitchen, also remembers Eldridge's many sides.

"He had a political side, he had the family side, and then he had a funny side, that jokes and everything," she said.

Eldridge known for his love of teaching others

Fitzpatrick said more than half of Blackstone Valley Tech's seniors are in cooperative education placements, meaning they report to jobs every other week, earning at least minimum wage while working at positions linked to their field of study.

Eldridge would offer the kitchen at Marty's Kitchen for job training.

"It's kind of strange," Fitzpatrick said. "You could look at him as an adjunct instructor, but technically, he was not a teacher at the school — he was the owner of the restaurant."

Nichols echoed Fitzpatrick's comments, saying Eldridge, a Johnson and Wales graduate, loved teaching people.

"I used to tease him and say he must have graduated in the first class at Johnson and Wales, because he was so old," she said. Nichols still has Eldridge's 1961 Johnson and Wales cookbook. "When he could teach somebody — whether it was politics or sports and mostly food — he shined. He loved to share whatever he knew."

She added that when they would cater parties, Eldridge would make an ocean out of Jello and other shapes out of food.

"He was just so talented and creative," Nichols said. "If he could teach somebody something, that made him happy. He taught people how to cook eggs and omelets, but if he could teach somebody how to do fancier stuff, he loved it."

A lifelong appreciation for newspapers

To inspire conversations, Eldridge would stock Marty's Kitchen with newspapers. So after he became ill and moved into a nursing home, Fitzpatrick would deliver newspapers to him.

"As a youngster, (I) used to deliver the Milford Daily News, (then) I ended up being John's paperboy at age 75," Fitzpatrick quipped. "He was so gleeful and so appreciative, I couldn't wait to come back the next day."

Nichols worked with Eldridge for 42 years, running Marty's Kitchen for 23 of them. She said her favorite memory is of Eldridge bringing Nichols and her parents to Red Sox or PawSox games.

"He was a very good support system for a long time," she said.

As for the future of Marty's, Nichols plans to keep it going in a way that will honor her late business partner.

"We're like a little Marty's Kitchen family," she said. "We're not just coworkers, I call us the Marty's Kitchen family."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Milford restaurateur Blackstone town official John Eldridge dies at 79