Archibald’s Restaurant at Gardner Village

She said:

Being at Archibald’s was like being ushered into Grandma’s house. It’s cozy with its country-themed, homey décor. Wreaths, metal lanterns, and dried flower arrangements abound. Add the Christmas decorations and the ambiance was downright festive.

Arriving at the early end of the dinner hour, we were immediately taken to a roomy booth. This detail is important because the three previous restaurants we visited did not boast the appropriate distance between the back of the booth bench and the table. Yep, they were a tight squeeze.

Anyway, we started with the Fried Green Tomatoes, which compelled us to talk about the movie of the same name, where I first learned that there was even such a thing as fried green tomatoes.

My entrée was the Pot Roast N’ Pan Drippin’ Gravy. I asked the waitress to be sure the kitchen went easy on the gravy. I was impressed that they actually placed my gravy in a small cup on the side. The meat was super tender, and melted in my mouth, but the garlic seasoning was a tad over-powering. The mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots were the ordinary fare one gets with comfort food.

Country restaurants usually aren’t my thing, but sometimes homestyle cooking hits the right spot.

He said:

Scottish immigrant Archibald Gardner first arrived in the Utah area on October 1, 1847, with the Bishop Hunter’s Company of pioneers. He built the area’s first lumber mill in Millcreek. He would eventually build 23 mills in Utah, including the Gardner Mill, the first gristmill in West Jordan. This mill attracted various “small industries, including blacksmith shops, logging and hauling operations, woolen and carding mills, a tannery, several stores, a shoe shop, and later a broom factory.” These, in turn, attracted more settlers, all centered around the Gardner Mill as the “hub of the west side’s first industrial center.” (See Gardner Mill and the Birth of Salt Lake Valley’s West Side). Today, the mill—listed on the National Historic Register—anchors Gardner Village, a collection of boutique shops, restaurants, and other retail attractions.

The flour mill and silo now house Archibald’s Restaurant and the related CF Home Furniture and Design store. While you wait for a table, you might browse the store’s rustic, farmhouse-style wares. I found a curious mix of country décor and furniture, all for sale. The pervasive aroma of cinnamon and Christmas reached the restaurant, though thankfully only faintly.

As we sipped on our diet colas, waiting for our Fried Green Tomatoes, Kathy suddenly remembered that she had wanted to order a Raspberry Italian Soda. Alas, some habits are so engrained that we blurt out, “Diet Cola, please” before our minds can catch up. We also enjoyed freshly baked rolls with cranberry butter.

The juicy, freshly fried tomatoes came piping hot inside a crispy breading, accompanied by a dipping sauce. Sorry, Dad, but these were much better than the only other Fried Green Tomatoes I have ever had, which my father had made once long ago by encasing sliced tomatoes in mashed Saltine crackers and then cooking in a pan.

After a pleasantly short wait, our meals arrived. I heeded the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu. It was served sliced with a creamy Mornay sauce on top. The plate also included a scoop of mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, and vegetables. The lumpy potatoes—as I like them—added to the meal’s homeyness. The vegetables consisted of crisp green beans with crinkle-cut carrots and a single baby carrot in the mix. Kathy said her vegetables also contained a single baby carrot, leaving us to wonder if it was a coincidence or if they had been carefully placed. The breaded chicken’s crispy exterior complemented the juicy interior with its salty ham and Swiss cheese. The entire meal delighted.

Conclusion:

Couched in a charming, historical setting, Archibald’s Restaurant provides the type of homestyle comfort food that comes only from homes with the best cooks! While the Archibald’s Carrot Cake and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding temptingly called to us, our meals had already sated our appetites.