Fardella’s Classic Bakery and Internet Café

It was a Friday night; my partner and I were out for dinner in the West End before a board games engagement at a friend’s. As usual, I had forgotten the obligatory “thanks for having us!” bag of chips at my apartment, so we stood outside of The Rose and Crown, wondering where we could pick up a quick treat. Steve pointed to a sign that said “Fardella’s Classic Bakery and Internet Café.” Internet café? Blacked out windows, and a sign that read “24 hours”? This place was the very definition of unassuming.
The moment I walked into Fardella’s, I realized just how much I had underestimated it. Barely able to keep the words “Holy Guacamole!” from exploding out of my mouth, I was greeted by a table piled high and deep with deep-fried, filled, iced, and glazed baked goods. It was better than being like a kid in a candy store: unlike those kids, I could buy as many goodies as my heart desired! And I did. The bakery’s policy? Pick a box, whatever size you’d like, and fill it up!

The problem, I soon found, was that my pastry of choice could only fit two in the largest box. What is this manna I speak of? Two words: GIANT FRITTERS. For the next three days (which included a second visit to this miraculously inexpensive bakery), I would describe these fritters to every friend I saw, reaching my hands out and miming hugeness as I declared, “Fritters AS BIG AS YOUR FACE!” Classic apple, or filled with ooey-gooey blueberry sauce, these fritters (and their just-as-awesome cousins, the Danish) are super flakey, which brings out the deep-friend goodness. They’re so huge that we tend to cut them up before eating them, but their most fun incarnation are the middle-finger fritters that are sold on weekdays only! They’re a huge hit amongst the office-working crowd, which is proven by the fact that if you don’t snatch ‘em up early, they’re gone!
After several visits to grab supper, pick up treats for friends, or even spend the whole evening playing board games at Fardella’s, I’ve come to learn that this place is so much more than an internet café. In my mind, Fardella’s is a West End refuge where I could see my fellow grad students working late into the night, balancing yellowing book, black coffee, and sweet, sweet fritter, three delicious things in two hands. This bakery-café is forever occupied by happy people, those who share a smug smile because they know that they have found the West End’s best kept secret.
Wish they had a place like this in Richmond Hill. Great post Erin. Next time I'm in K-town I'll have to try some of these fritters.
Thanks, Dave!! xoxoxo
Lucky us! Dinner guests, and Kingstonist readers, Tim & Shari brought Fardella's Apple Fritters for dessert! Not only are they as big as one's head, they are absolutely delicious!
I'm pretty sure that these folks are related to Len Fardella who had a GREAT bakery for many years in Kingston, his last location downtown being on Clergy St. across from Ben's Pub. They used to also have a bakery in downtown Napanee, but I'm not sure if that location is still going.
GREAT to see the family tradition carrying on!
Having a VERY difficult time typing this with all the drool on my keyboard :+)
Len Fardella's original bakery was on Clergy Street and then Len moved it to this location. The owners of Fardella's Classic Bakery are Len's nephews and the bakery in Napanee is also owned by another nephew.
I didn't know about this place, but I read your review and popped in there on the weekend. (Bob's Butcher Shop has relocated to the same location, so this works for me!) I picked up a couple of the apple fritters and i agree – they are amazing! Fardella's will now be included on my regular run to Bob's. I can't wait to try a few more goodies.