Where is Fearrington House Restaurant located?
The Fearrington House Restaurant is located in Pittsboro, N.C., just eight miles south of Chapel Hill. Tucked away on gently rolling grounds that were once part of a dairy farm, this Four-Star restaurant is the epitome of romance. The old silo, dairy barn — which is now used for special events — Belted Galloway cows and Tennessee fainting goats grazing in the lush meadows, and the restaurant’s 1927 Colonial revival farmhouse attest to Fearrington House’s rich history as a working farm for more than two centuries. Removed from the city and sitting adjacent to grassy meadows, the restaurant and luxury inn exude peace and quiet. Walking to the restaurant’s doorway at dusk, you’ll hear nothing but trickling fountains and crickets.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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With a chocolatier and cake designer on the premises — in addition to executive chef Colin Bedford — desserts at Fearrington House Restaurant tend to be an artistic expression of the season’s best offerings. Summer brings about a collection of house-made fruity ice creams and sorbets, a refreshingly light treat during the hot months. When cooler temperatures arrive, expect more oven-inspired goodies, such as the warm brioche pudding and brown bread ice cream. You might even find drizzles of honey that come from hives located on the grounds. Not to be missed is the Four-Star restaurant’s signature dessert, a hot chocolate soufflé, with its gooey, lava-like chocolate filling and whipped cream topping.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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Dining at the Fearrington House Restaurant doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a night of healthy eating, since the seasonal menu offers low-calorie options. The artful menu doesn’t exactly put an asterisk beside the low-cal offerings, but if you want to eat something that’s not as heavy, ask the waiter for guidance. Most salads and seafood on the menu are routinely prepared with healthy sensibilities in mind. And heavy oils don’t hold a prominent part in chef Colin Bedford’s repertoire. Sometimes the fix is as simple as leaving the crèmefra�che sauce off of an otherwise low-calorie seared halibut dish.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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The Fearrington House Restaurant offers plenty of gluten-free and allergy-sensitive options, though you won’t find these designated on the nightly menu. Chef Colin Bedford can shape his entrées to fit any dietary restrictions; of course, you need to let him know ahead of time. Though the kitchen can accommodate gluten-free diets as well as allergy-sensitive diners, try to give advanced notice when you make the reservation. Even on an average night, though, the menu is likely to offering some reprieve for those with restrictions. On a recent dinner menu, for example, a quick scan revealed at least a few gluten-free dishes. If you aim for ethical eating, you can dine worry-free; the chef only serves non-endangered seafood from sustainable sources.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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To get the full culinary experience at the Fearrington House Restaurant, opt for the wine pairings. For an additional $35 to $45 (depending on the number of courses) per person, sommelier and wine director Max Kast will expertly pair each of the three or four courses of your meal. Kast uses wine preference as a way to get to know each and every guest just a little better and thus tailor each dining experience to your taste. Pulling from a wine cellar that is 800-plus labels deep, Kast plucks out everything from a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from Galilee, Israel, to a full-bodied dry Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, South Africa. The trick is to sate you while picking a wine that flaunts the fabulous flavors of the dish. Whether it is a DeTrefford Chenin Blanc paired with the poached pear salad with blue cheese or a Pepper Bridge Merlot with the pecan-crusted beef tenderloin, your palate will certainly be pleased.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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As the pastry chef, cake designer and chocolatier at the Fearrington House Restaurant, Jill Leckey has a sweet job. (Cheesy, we know, but true.) If you’re dining at the Four-Star restaurant or staying at the Fearrington House Inn, you’re bound to encounter her handiwork. A French Culinary Institute grad who trained at the Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop in New York City, Leckey also teaches a pastry-making class at the restaurant. At the end of a recent meal, we were treated to Leckey’s petit fours, including a delicious almond macaroon with chocolate cream and a chocolate, apricot and coconut cluster. If you happen to be marking a special occasion, the kitchen is also likely to send out house-made truffles crafted by Leckey to make your celebration that much sweeter.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
Because the menu at Fearrington House Restaurant changes weekly and seasonally, it’s impossible to predict which vegetarian and vegan dishes will be on offer during your visit. But chef Colin Bedford can accommodate either types of eaters, regardless of what’s on the menu. It’s safe to assume that salads and seafood will be prominently featured, since the latter is one of the chef’s strong suits. During a summer meal, for example, seafood or vegetables anchored four out of six of the main courses. Tip: For best results, explain your dietary restrictions when you call the Four-Star restaurant to make a reservation. Bedford can prepare a “chef’s creation” just for you.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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The Fearrington House Restaurant's chef Colin Bedford adopts a food philosophy rooted in local and seasonal ingredients. Bedford uses the fresh finds in artistic and innovative combinations. Bedford uses the fresh finds in artistic and innovative combinations. The menu — and every menu at the Fearrington House Inn, since Bedford oversees them all — reflects the restaurant's rural setting. You're on the edge of North Carolina's farm country, so expect plenty of farm-to-table cuisine. Each forkful proves that his surprising flavor combinations work, like the smoked vanilla pheasant with confit leg doused in toasted brioche sauce with maple and medjool date puree. The kitchen thoroughly tests each menu before its debut, not such a bad gig if you ask us. Each element, however small, is thoughtfully sourced and prepared; anything that can be made in-house, absolutely is.
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-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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There’s no better way to describe the noise level at the Fearrington House Restaurant than hushed. Courtesy of the restaurant’s layout, you won’t find any echoes or natural microphones to carry your voice. Within the several small dining rooms, there’s no cavernous space that might capture and amplify voices. Instead, heavy window drapes and rugs absorb any raised voices � though most dinner guests keep their tones low, anyway. Waiters pad through the rooms, while low-volume jazz plays in the background. Those hushed tones come in handy: You won’t miss a word your waiter and sommelier have to say about the Four-Star meal to come.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
Service at the Fearrington House Restaurant is gracious, attentive and unpretentious, given by a tight-knit staff that’s been working together for years, and some even for decades. Maître d’ JorisHaarhuis, for example, has logged more than 15 years at the Four-Star restaurant. Servers are friendly, delivering that famous Southern hospitality, but they won’t hover. If you happen to duck away to the restroom or to the viewing window to get a peek into the kitchen, you’ll return to find a brand-new napkin, folded and waiting for you. To put you at ease, the servers and sommelier readily talk about the food and wine in terms anyone can understand. So if you don’t fully get how fois gras is made, the wait staff will certainly let you in on the culinary secret.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
As you might expect at the Fearrington House Restaurant, the background music is as proper as the setting. While dining there recently, our three-course meal was accompanied by a jazz soundtrack — smooth, not hot jazz. On other nights, you might hear classical music filtering through the dining room. If you’re there for the annual Christmas feast, you’ll likely hear holiday music. Though the Four-Star restaurant plays the instrumental kind, not the annoying tunes you hear in malls. Regardless, you’re not going to hear any sort of music playing loudly. “Hushed” is the best word to describe the auditory experience at this fine-dining spot.
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-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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Tucked away on a gorgeous North Carolina farm, the Fearrington House Restaurant showcases some of the most idyllic vistas. We love the view of the garden; it just makes you appreciate the fact that much of the food you’ll eat at this Four-Star restaurant is consistent with its farm-to-table philosophy. From some tables, you’ll be positioned to look out at the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes, stone fountain and pristinely landscaped garden beds. But some of the most special views on the grounds take place before you even step foot in the restaurant. As you approach the Fearrington House Restaurant, you’ll pass a meadow where black-and-white Belted Galloway cows graze and tall handcrafted whirligigs spin madly. At some point early in the evening, you may catch a glimpse of the cows taking their evening stroll across the emerald-green pasture.
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-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
If you want to do some group dining at the Fearrington House Restaurant, you can bring a party of up to 35 people. Upstairs, the Four-Star restaurant provides a large private dining room, affectionately known as R.B.’s Office, that seats 20 diners. For a unique experience with your closest pals, reserve the Wine Room, which boasts a long table for wine dinners or private gatherings of up to 12 guests. Whether it is just dinner with a couple of friends or a full blowout celebration, the staff at the Fearrington House Restaurant can make it happen. You can, for example, ask it to customize a wine-tasting dinner for a small private party, book a large table for a dinner in the dining room or use the entire restaurant as the site for an intimate wedding-reception dinner. Not only does the restaurant have the space, but it also has the manpower: The Fearrington Inn has staff onsite who can help arrange an event for your group to match its size and formality.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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If you have to wait for a table at the Fearrington House Restaurant, take a seat in the bar or even in the lounge. In cooler temps, we recommend that you perch yourself on a sofa by the fireplace in the lounge. While relaxing in the bar, you may be prone to ordering a pre- or post-dinner martini or cognac. Wood parquet floors, dim lighting, book-filled shelves and cozy seating give the place an erudite glow. If you crave a fresh cocktail, this is your place, considering that the Four-Star restaurant’s signature drinks change with the leaves. Sommelier Max Kast is likely to introduce a martini to match the season � cucumber martinis during hot summer, for example, and crabapple martinis in the fall, made with fruit from trees growing on the grounds. You can’t get more fresh than that.
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Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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If you were hoping to loosen up that tie and ditch the formal dress code for a country escape at the Fearrington House Restaurant, don’t throw on your jeans just yet. A jacket isn’t required for men, but the Four-Star restaurant certainly recommends that gentlemen don a coat and tie for this special dining experience. In other words, you’ll want to get spruced up before you walk into this renovated 1927 farmhouse. On this rural North Carolina farm, Southern hospitality rules; so you’ll be made to feel comfortable regardless of whether you are dressed to impress or simply dressed down. That being said, don’t come too dressed down�denim is pushing it. Looking around, though, you’ll likely spot women in heels and men in those recommended coats and ties. Because the restaurant is a prime spot for marriage proposals and anniversary celebrations, you’re bound to see couples dressed to the nines.
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-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
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In keeping with the overall motif of the property, the Fearrington House Restaurant has an English-country-style interior design. The moment you step foot inside the restored farmhouse, which was originally built in 1927, you’ll find walls bathed in yellow that reflect the morning light during breakfast and glow like candlelight during dinner at dusk. Wood parquet floors peek out from rugs, oil paintings grace the walls, and floral valences and drapes frame the windows, creating a rustic yet regal atmosphere within this Four-Star restaurant. The off-white tablecloths are dotted with small vases and candles, which allow you to keep your eyes on the prize: the food. From some tables, you can look out a bank of windows that offer a view of the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes, stone fountain and pristinely green lawns.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
The Fearrington House Restaurant is located in Pittsboro, N.C., just eight miles south of Chapel Hill. Tucked away on gently rolling grounds that were once part of a dairy farm, this Four-Star restaurant is the epitome of romance. The old silo, dairy barn — which is now used for special events — Belted Galloway cows and Tennessee fainting goats grazing in the lush meadows, and the restaurant’s 1927 Colonial revival farmhouse attest to Fearrington House’s rich history as a working farm for more than two centuries. Removed from the city and sitting adjacent to grassy meadows, the restaurant and luxury inn exude peace and quiet. Walking to the restaurant’s doorway at dusk, you’ll hear nothing but trickling fountains and crickets.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
In keeping with the overall motif of the property, the Fearrington House Restaurant has an English-country-style interior design. The moment you step foot inside the restored farmhouse, which was originally built in 1927, you’ll find walls bathed in yellow that reflect the morning light during breakfast and glow like candlelight during dinner at dusk. Wood parquet floors peek out from rugs, oil paintings grace the walls, and floral valences and drapes frame the windows, creating a rustic yet regal atmosphere within this Four-Star restaurant. The off-white tablecloths are dotted with small vases and candles, which allow you to keep your eyes on the prize: the food. From some tables, you can look out a bank of windows that offer a view of the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes, stone fountain and pristinely green lawns.
-
-
Forbes Inspector answered a question:
-
With a chocolatier and cake designer on the premises — in addition to executive chef Colin Bedford — desserts at Fearrington House Restaurant tend to be an artistic expression of the season’s best offerings. Summer brings about a collection of house-made fruity ice creams and sorbets, a refreshingly light treat during the hot months. When cooler temperatures arrive, expect more oven-inspired goodies, such as the warm brioche pudding and brown bread ice cream. You might even find drizzles of honey that come from hives located on the grounds. Not to be missed is the Four-Star restaurant’s signature dessert, a hot chocolate soufflé, with its gooey, lava-like chocolate filling and whipped cream topping.
-
-
If you were hoping to loosen up that tie and ditch the formal dress code for a country escape at the Fearrington House Restaurant, don’t throw on your jeans just yet. A jacket isn’t required for men, but the Four-Star restaurant certainly recommends that gentlemen don a coat and tie for this special dining experience. In other words, you’ll want to get spruced up before you walk into this renovated 1927 farmhouse. On this rural North Carolina farm, Southern hospitality rules; so you’ll be made to feel comfortable regardless of whether you are dressed to impress or simply dressed down. That being said, don’t come too dressed down�denim is pushing it. Looking around, though, you’ll likely spot women in heels and men in those recommended coats and ties. Because the restaurant is a prime spot for marriage proposals and anniversary celebrations, you’re bound to see couples dressed to the nines.
-
If you want to do some group dining at the Fearrington House Restaurant, you can bring a party of up to 35 people. Upstairs, the Four-Star restaurant provides a large private dining room, affectionately known as R.B.’s Office, that seats 20 diners. For a unique experience with your closest pals, reserve the Wine Room, which boasts a long table for wine dinners or private gatherings of up to 12 guests. Whether it is just dinner with a couple of friends or a full blowout celebration, the staff at the Fearrington House Restaurant can make it happen. You can, for example, ask it to customize a wine-tasting dinner for a small private party, book a large table for a dinner in the dining room or use the entire restaurant as the site for an intimate wedding-reception dinner. Not only does the restaurant have the space, but it also has the manpower: The Fearrington Inn has staff onsite who can help arrange an event for your group to match its size and formality.
-
Tucked away on a gorgeous North Carolina farm, the Fearrington House Restaurant showcases some of the most idyllic vistas. We love the view of the garden; it just makes you appreciate the fact that much of the food you’ll eat at this Four-Star restaurant is consistent with its farm-to-table philosophy. From some tables, you’ll be positioned to look out at the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes, stone fountain and pristinely landscaped garden beds. But some of the most special views on the grounds take place before you even step foot in the restaurant. As you approach the Fearrington House Restaurant, you’ll pass a meadow where black-and-white Belted Galloway cows graze and tall handcrafted whirligigs spin madly. At some point early in the evening, you may catch a glimpse of the cows taking their evening stroll across the emerald-green pasture.
-
In keeping with the overall motif of the property, the Fearrington House Restaurant has an English-country-style interior design. The moment you step foot inside the restored farmhouse, which was originally built in 1927, you’ll find walls bathed in yellow that reflect the morning light during breakfast and glow like candlelight during dinner at dusk. Wood parquet floors peek out from rugs, oil paintings grace the walls, and floral valences and drapes frame the windows, creating a rustic yet regal atmosphere within this Four-Star restaurant. The off-white tablecloths are dotted with small vases and candles, which allow you to keep your eyes on the prize: the food. From some tables, you can look out a bank of windows that offer a view of the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes, stone fountain and pristinely green lawns.
-
If you have to wait for a table at the Fearrington House Restaurant, take a seat in the bar or even in the lounge. In cooler temps, we recommend that you perch yourself on a sofa by the fireplace in the lounge. While relaxing in the bar, you may be prone to ordering a pre- or post-dinner martini or cognac. Wood parquet floors, dim lighting, book-filled shelves and cozy seating give the place an erudite glow. If you crave a fresh cocktail, this is your place, considering that the Four-Star restaurant’s signature drinks change with the leaves. Sommelier Max Kast is likely to introduce a martini to match the season � cucumber martinis during hot summer, for example, and crabapple martinis in the fall, made with fruit from trees growing on the grounds. You can’t get more fresh than that.
-
As you might expect at the Fearrington House Restaurant, the background music is as proper as the setting. While dining there recently, our three-course meal was accompanied by a jazz soundtrack — smooth, not hot jazz. On other nights, you might hear classical music filtering through the dining room. If you’re there for the annual Christmas feast, you’ll likely hear holiday music. Though the Four-Star restaurant plays the instrumental kind, not the annoying tunes you hear in malls. Regardless, you’re not going to hear any sort of music playing loudly. “Hushed” is the best word to describe the auditory experience at this fine-dining spot.
-
There’s no better way to describe the noise level at the Fearrington House Restaurant than hushed. Courtesy of the restaurant’s layout, you won’t find any echoes or natural microphones to carry your voice. Within the several small dining rooms, there’s no cavernous space that might capture and amplify voices. Instead, heavy window drapes and rugs absorb any raised voices � though most dinner guests keep their tones low, anyway. Waiters pad through the rooms, while low-volume jazz plays in the background. Those hushed tones come in handy: You won’t miss a word your waiter and sommelier have to say about the Four-Star meal to come.
-
Service at the Fearrington House Restaurant is gracious, attentive and unpretentious, given by a tight-knit staff that’s been working together for years, and some even for decades. Maître d’ JorisHaarhuis, for example, has logged more than 15 years at the Four-Star restaurant. Servers are friendly, delivering that famous Southern hospitality, but they won’t hover. If you happen to duck away to the restroom or to the viewing window to get a peek into the kitchen, you’ll return to find a brand-new napkin, folded and waiting for you. To put you at ease, the servers and sommelier readily talk about the food and wine in terms anyone can understand. So if you don’t fully get how fois gras is made, the wait staff will certainly let you in on the culinary secret.
-
The Fearrington House Restaurant's chef Colin Bedford adopts a food philosophy rooted in local and seasonal ingredients. Bedford uses the fresh finds in artistic and innovative combinations. Bedford uses the fresh finds in artistic and innovative combinations. The menu — and every menu at the Fearrington House Inn, since Bedford oversees them all — reflects the restaurant's rural setting. You're on the edge of North Carolina's farm country, so expect plenty of farm-to-table cuisine. Each forkful proves that his surprising flavor combinations work, like the smoked vanilla pheasant with confit leg doused in toasted brioche sauce with maple and medjool date puree. The kitchen thoroughly tests each menu before its debut, not such a bad gig if you ask us. Each element, however small, is thoughtfully sourced and prepared; anything that can be made in-house, absolutely is.
-
As the pastry chef, cake designer and chocolatier at the Fearrington House Restaurant, Jill Leckey has a sweet job. (Cheesy, we know, but true.) If you’re dining at the Four-Star restaurant or staying at the Fearrington House Inn, you’re bound to encounter her handiwork. A French Culinary Institute grad who trained at the Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop in New York City, Leckey also teaches a pastry-making class at the restaurant. At the end of a recent meal, we were treated to Leckey’s petit fours, including a delicious almond macaroon with chocolate cream and a chocolate, apricot and coconut cluster. If you happen to be marking a special occasion, the kitchen is also likely to send out house-made truffles crafted by Leckey to make your celebration that much sweeter.
-
The Fearrington House Restaurant offers plenty of gluten-free and allergy-sensitive options, though you won’t find these designated on the nightly menu. Chef Colin Bedford can shape his entrées to fit any dietary restrictions; of course, you need to let him know ahead of time. Though the kitchen can accommodate gluten-free diets as well as allergy-sensitive diners, try to give advanced notice when you make the reservation. Even on an average night, though, the menu is likely to offering some reprieve for those with restrictions. On a recent dinner menu, for example, a quick scan revealed at least a few gluten-free dishes. If you aim for ethical eating, you can dine worry-free; the chef only serves non-endangered seafood from sustainable sources.
-
Because the menu at Fearrington House Restaurant changes weekly and seasonally, it’s impossible to predict which vegetarian and vegan dishes will be on offer during your visit. But chef Colin Bedford can accommodate either types of eaters, regardless of what’s on the menu. It’s safe to assume that salads and seafood will be prominently featured, since the latter is one of the chef’s strong suits. During a summer meal, for example, seafood or vegetables anchored four out of six of the main courses. Tip: For best results, explain your dietary restrictions when you call the Four-Star restaurant to make a reservation. Bedford can prepare a “chef’s creation” just for you.
-
With a chocolatier and cake designer on the premises — in addition to executive chef Colin Bedford — desserts at Fearrington House Restaurant tend to be an artistic expression of the season’s best offerings. Summer brings about a collection of house-made fruity ice creams and sorbets, a refreshingly light treat during the hot months. When cooler temperatures arrive, expect more oven-inspired goodies, such as the warm brioche pudding and brown bread ice cream. You might even find drizzles of honey that come from hives located on the grounds. Not to be missed is the Four-Star restaurant’s signature dessert, a hot chocolate soufflé, with its gooey, lava-like chocolate filling and whipped cream topping.
-
Dining at the Fearrington House Restaurant doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a night of healthy eating, since the seasonal menu offers low-calorie options. The artful menu doesn’t exactly put an asterisk beside the low-cal offerings, but if you want to eat something that’s not as heavy, ask the waiter for guidance. Most salads and seafood on the menu are routinely prepared with healthy sensibilities in mind. And heavy oils don’t hold a prominent part in chef Colin Bedford’s repertoire. Sometimes the fix is as simple as leaving the crèmefra�che sauce off of an otherwise low-calorie seared halibut dish.
-
To get the full culinary experience at the Fearrington House Restaurant, opt for the wine pairings. For an additional $35 to $45 (depending on the number of courses) per person, sommelier and wine director Max Kast will expertly pair each of the three or four courses of your meal. Kast uses wine preference as a way to get to know each and every guest just a little better and thus tailor each dining experience to your taste. Pulling from a wine cellar that is 800-plus labels deep, Kast plucks out everything from a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from Galilee, Israel, to a full-bodied dry Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, South Africa. The trick is to sate you while picking a wine that flaunts the fabulous flavors of the dish. Whether it is a DeTrefford Chenin Blanc paired with the poached pear salad with blue cheese or a Pepper Bridge Merlot with the pecan-crusted beef tenderloin, your palate will certainly be pleased.