Here to Stay
By Kate Hofstetter

         At Smith Mountain Lake, restaurants tend to come and go. Not Fallon’s. Now in its third summer of business, the family-owned and operated restaurant has found its niche with locals and tourists and is here to stay.
         Gil and Karen Smith purchased the establishment (formerly known as the Pilot House and Stephen’s Galley before that), overhauled just about everything inside and out, and reopened in June 2004. First-timers in the restaurant business, the Smiths enlisted the help of their two daughters and one son-in-law and have turned Fallon’s and its accompanying Hangar Pub into an SML hotspot.
         “The learning curve was actually pretty short,” Gil Smith said. “We were thrown into the fire. We really started with a single premise and that was to make this a place we’d want to eat at, a place where you feel like you get your money’s worth.”
         The portions are definitely generous, and Gil estimates that 50-60 percent of patrons take leftovers home in a to-go box. That “bigger is better” philosophy also carries over to drinks, many of which are served in whopping 33-ounce mugs.
         “We figured people were often coming off the Lake and wanting an iced tea. Having it served in a small glass that they would suck down in a minute just wasn’t going to cut it,” Gil said.
         He explained that the restaurant serves a good mix of tourists as well as regular customers, including many who have standing reservations that are honored week after week.
         “I like everything,” said Phil Maro, who regularly dines at Fallon’s with his mom Helen. “The food and the service are great. The atmosphere is really nice,  and everyone’s very professional. It’s just a good all-around restaurant – a good value for the price.”
         With the restaurant’s growing popularity, the Smiths now recommend reservations, particularly on weekends.
         “We’re really good at fitting people in,” Karen said. “But people get upset if they have to wait and watch people with reservations get seated ahead of them.”
         The restaurant, which has consistently won multiple “Best of” awards by readers of the Laker, serves dinner starting at 5 p.m. every night except Tuesday. Sundays at Fallon’s is a buffet bonanza. From 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the restaurant serves a traditional brunch, including Belgian waffles and made-to-order omelets. The Grand Seafood Buffet, which debuted in June, begins at 5 p.m. and features such favorites as crab legs, shrimp, and a large array of other fresh seafood. Both buffets consistently offer made-to-order pasta, a carving station, and an array of desserts.
         “People are excited about the seafood buffet,” said Kelly Huisking, the Smiths’ daughter. “The response has been very good. If the traffic stays consistent, it’s something we’ll do year-round.”
         Kelly and her husband Frank run the daily operations of the restaurant, including payroll, accounting, employee management and training, and prepping food.
         The top seller on Fallon’s regular menu is prime rib, Kelly said. Other favorites include steaks, seafood platters, crab cakes and pasta. The Smiths have experimented with different menu items, trying to determine what would go over best with tourists and regulars.
         “We’ve added a lot of seafood,” said Karen Smith. “Water and fish seem to go hand in hand. The biggest surprise has been the number of people who order their meat medium-well to well-done.”
         The Smiths have also done a lot of work to the infrastructure of the restaurant, which is decorated in warm tones with a nautical theme and seats 120 people. Improvements include new flooring and air conditioning as well as upgrades to the water system and kitchen equipment. The restaurant now offers prime rib prepared in an oven specially designed to cook meat to the perfect temperature.
         Gil and Karen predict Fallon’s will evolve into more of a steak and seafood house in the future. The family is opening four additional restaurants in the next year in Downtown Moneta: a pizzeria, an ice cream shop, an Italian restaurant and a country deli.
         “We’re not high-end, but we’re not low-end either,” Gil said. “We’re really trying to capture the market that wants a casual, family atmosphere.” 
        In the bustling kitchen of Fallon’s Restaurant, Chef Rawlince “Pokey” Wright certainly doesn’t live up to his nickname. Supervising a fry station, grill station, sauté station and two “expediters” to coordinate food as it comes to completion, the veteran chef is a flurry of activity.
       Wright, who said he knew he wanted to be a chef from the time he was 15 years old, grew up watching his grandmother cook traditional Southern dishes. He graduated from the Culinary Arts program and Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I., in 1996 and has spent the past 10 years working exclusively in the restaurant industry.
       Wright landed at the former Pilot House in 1998 where he worked for two years before leaving to join a restaurant in Roanoke. He returned two years later to help Gil and Karen Smith launch Fallon’s in the summer of 2004.
       “It’s much better now,” Wright said. “They’re willing to try new things rather than stick with the same old, simple things.”
       Wright said he specializes in traditional continental cuisine but enjoys branching out to other ethnic varieties, particularly for his nightly specials.
       The restaurant generally serves specials that include a drink, appetizer, 3-4 entrees and a dessert. Wright said he especially enjoys preparing unique fish dishes using such distinctive varieties as Escolar and Mahi-Mahi. A favorite with Fallon’s customers is the Chilean Sea Bass that Wright pan sears, broils and serves with a lemon caper sauce.
       In addition to preparing  interesting sauces from scratch, Wright also enjoys making homemade soups.
       “He’s amazing with soups,” said Karen Smith. “Chicken noodle, Cajun seafood bisque … they’re all made from scratch.”
       The accompanying homemade rolls, which feature a firm, French-bread texture, are a big hit with customers and the staff. “Once you smell them baking, it’s all over,” said restaurant manager Kelly Huisking. Other favorites include Penne a’la Vodka with Chicken, Crab-Stuffed Chicken, and crab cakes.
       “He probably tried 15 to 20 different recipes before settling on this one,” said Gil.
       Karen added: “We’ve really given him the freedom to make up his own specials and run the kitchen more than he had in the past. That makes everyone happy.”

Fallon’s is located on Rt. 122, one mile north of Halesford Bridge. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 5 p.m. A brunch buffet is served on Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. followed by a Grand Seafood Buffet starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended. 540.297.4562.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:­­
1 cup Chopped Onions
5 cups Sliced Mushrooms
1 TBSP Granulated Garlic
3 cups Chicken Broth or Chicken Bouillon Cubes
6 cups Heavy Cream
6 cups Half and Half
Salt and Pepper to taste

Over low to medium heat, pour heavy cream and half and half into a stock pot. Add bouillon cubes or chicken broth. Add garlic, onions, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch or roux.