The Farnsworth Cafe was formerly known as Aegean Pizza while I was growing up in Rhode Island and was there for a long time. I was running errands in Rhode Island the morning of my Nana''s memorial service when I got a craving for Aegean Pizza''s food. So, I turned my car towards Riverside and headed that way.
To my sadness when I arrived at the restaurant, Aegean Pizza was no longer there, but it had been replaced by the Farnsworth Cafe. The sign said that there was pizza, seafood, and Greek food and thought that a family member just took over. So, I decided to give the Farnsworth Cafe a try for old times sake.
Upon arriving, the waitress had me sit down at a small table near the counter and gave me a menu. The menu had barely changed since the Aegean Pizza days, and in fact, some of the recipes such as the tuna salad (Helen''s recipe) were still being used by the Farnsworths. Helen was the former owner of Aegean and a very nice Greek woman who always knew what you wanted when you came in for lunch or dinner. The menu is huge and the cafe serves pizzas, sandwiches or subs, seafood, and American fare.
I wanted fish and chips since Aegean had great fish and chips ($7.95), and I ordered that and a small Greek salad ($2.95). When the waitress arrived with my salad, I asked her how long they had been there and if it was the same ownership. The girl said that they had been there almost two years and that they were the new owners. I told her that I grew up in Riverside and used to go to Aegean all the time and that we used to rotate every Friday between Aegean, Riverside Kitchen, and the River Street Pub (no longer in business) for great fish and chips.
The salad was great with lots of feta cheese and a lite olive oil and vinegar dressing. My fish and chips were served by one of the cooks with a smile as I was just finishing my salad. The fish and chips came with tartar sauce (wish I had more of it), cole slaw, and fries. The fish and chips were hot and freshly cooked and delicious. I knew what I had been missing all these years living in Idaho.
Farnsworth Cafe is family run and there are a lot of regulars from the neighborhood who eat there giving the cafe an intimate and cozy feeling. I really enjoyed eating there, and the service is courteous and very quick. Prices are reasonable, and they do a bang-up business, especially on Friday nights and weekend nights. So if you decide to go to eat at the Farnsworth Cafe, go early or order from their take-out menu. They also have free delivery. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
From journal Take Me Out to the Ballgame, McCoy Stadium