Founding Farmers (DC)

Last month, I made a highly-anticipated trip to both our nation's capital and to what some people claim should be our nation's capital. Dubbed as my "2013 Food Tour," I traipsed around DC and NYC with great hopes to experience some of the cities' best culinary items. 10 days later, I returned home plumper and with many lessons learned. For one, it doesn't matter if you go to a Michelin-starred restaurant or a hole-in-the-wall, there is great food everywhere -- you just have to seek it out!  Most of the time, your efforts are greatly rewarded by tasty meals and subsequent food comas (I know).

Without further ado, let's start with my "Welcome to the DC!" brunch at Founding Farmers...

Founding Farmers boasts to be one of DC's premier restaurants to offer farm-to-table American dishes that are "'scratch-made' traditional American classics inspired by the heartland." As a supporter of all that, J & I went straight to Foggy Bottom after my red-eye flight to get some "True Food & Drink" in my belly.

Note: We went on a Saturday sans reservation, but we arrived right when the doors opened (9:00 AM), so we had no trouble with being seated promptly.  Unless you too, plan on lining up outside the door before they open, I suggest making reservations.

Cup of French-pressed Intelligentsia coffee.

How cute is this mini milk carton?!

Founding Farmers Breakfast with Bacon -- 2 eggs sunny side-up, applewood smoked bacon, English muffin, and fruit -- $9

BACON! But sadly, not Black Pepper Maple Bacon (see below).

Founding Farmers Breakfast with Sausage -- 2 eggs over easy, chicken apple sausage, grilled buttered ciabatta with leek hash browns -- $9

Chicken Apple Sausage

Both of us went the traditional route with a simple Continental breakfast.  As expected, the meal was solid (good eggs, good protein!), but nothing was terribly memorable. Now, had I known about their Black Pepper Maple Bacon at the time, my breakfast experience would have gone to a whole new level!  Alas, I'm left only to drool to photos such as this:

Black Pepper Maple Bacon - $3 upgrade or $6 side
Photo courtesy of Hungry Trojan

Beignets with raspberry coulis, semi-sweet chocolate, and caramel sauces -- $8

We rightfully ended our meal with Founding Farmer's "Made-to-Order Beignets." Served hot from being deep-fried in piping hot oil, the beignets have a slight crisp on the outer shell and a fluffiness in the inside. Although I haven't had Louisiana's official state donut in Louisiana yet, I think Founding Farmer's version does a good job, especially when eaten fresh.

Overall, Founding Farmers accomplishes what it proclaims it provides -- fresh and hearty comfort foods that come with a reasonable price tag and a casual presentation.  Although I can't say it's my all-time favorite DC establishment, they serve a satisfying breakfast so it's worth checking out!



View Larger Map



cuisine: American
location: Foggy Bottom, DC
nearest metro stop(s): Foggy Bottom and Farragut West
hours: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
websites: { FF | opentable | yelp | twitter | Facebook }
attire: Casual
overall rating: 3.5/5
get: Bacon, a la carte and Beignets

***

If you have any questions or comments, contact me at doahshungry@gmail.com