Country Pantry - Diner at a Crossroads

Living away from Burlington can make go out to eat a struggle. As a matter of fact there is only 1 restaurant within 10 miles of my house. The Country Pantry in Fairfax, VT is the latest incarnation for the restaurant space which has seen new owners and new names about 3 times in the last 2 years. When I first moved into the area, this little diner at the intersection of 104 and 128 was the Country Kitchen. It had been there a while from what I heard, but then one day it was gone. I remember it had new ownership for a while, and from the rumors, quite an interesting side business which closed in down in short order. Then came the Vermont Breakfast Company owned by the same people who have 158 Main in Jeffersonville. Some locals said the prices were too steep for this small country community so it too closed the doors. I will say I thought the food was not bad. But now... it is the Country Pantry - a diner and that's it. Now, diners are not bad things. I enjoy them especially for a stack of pancakes, but this one is nothing to write home about let alone leave home for. The food was mediocre at best. I ordered a burger which had a patty that reminded me of McDonald's burgers – thin poor quality meat. My companion ordered a BLT wrap which looked like it had come from a gas station deli case. A couple locals I heard said they appreciated having a place that was cheap. Well, my neighbors.... you get what you pay for.

Next time, I will keep going down 104 to the 15... and put some miles on my car, because there are some great places just a few miles more.... we will talk about that later.