Any restaurant that has CrayAngles is going to win my vote to return.
Open since 17 December of 2007, Fardowner’s is chugging along, prepping for their forthcoming spring menu.
The name refers to the name of the Irish immigrants who built Claudius Crozet’s four tunnels through the Blue Ridge Mountains in the decade before the Civil War, an engineering feat whose centerpiece, the Blue Ridge Tunnel through Afton, still gets accolades.Â
According to Fardowners’ owner, Charlottesville native W.C. Winkler, the name is derived from “far down south in Ireland,” though some think it’s derived from “far down under the mountain.” Either way, it makes for a nifty name! And that’s just what Winkler had in mind.
Dinner for a family of four for under eighty bucks (with drinks, including tip) = not bad in this day and age. The train theme carries through to the paper my daughter was given to occupy her time – with a train to color, naturally.
Outstanding fresh bread with three home-made sauces – raspberry, horseradish mustard and honey mustard – all of which were very tasty. Appetizer were corn fritters – five fried fritters that looked quite a bit like hush puppies – having five to split amongst the four of us provided an opportunity for negotiating.
The house salads were fresh and good, as were the dressings. The meals came out, well-timed in their arrival.
The kids’ mac and cheese was quite good (and good the next day as well) and resembled a cheese soup with noodles. Around the rest of the white-clothed table were pork chops with asparagus and mashed potatoes, grilled meatloaf with the same sides and a monstrous chicken pot pie with a crust of mashed potatoes – all of which did nothing but encourage us to return.
Staff were friendly and helpful and the owner came over to inquire if “everything was alright,” and the selection of wines, beers was impressive as were the choices of local wines and beers – that we have two breweries so close is quite nice.
As an aside, having Jerry Garcia Band as background music was an added bonus.
Not too crowded nor overwhelmingly priced with good atmosphere – we’ll be back.
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was originally thrilled with fardowners but now not so much. last few times were disappointing. most recently, we had the mahi mahi . it was served with cold canned pineapple chuncks and bagged croutons on the salad. if charging $15+ for a meal, it’s tough to accept a lack of such fundamental basics. doubt we will return and it’s sad because our sleepy little town needs good food establishments. Wish them well and hope they kick it up a notch.