I have wanted to go to Founding Farmers since it opened almost two years ago but as it always happens, other things came up. Needless to say I finally made the trek and am glad I did. For those of you who aren’t familiar, FF bills itself as a restaurant dedicated to using local and sustainable food sources. They also have a rather extensive and rather complicated cocktail menu.
As first impressions go, I really liked the décor and design of dark wood, smoked glass and great lighting pieces. In keeping with their overall philosophy, they are also LEED (gold) certified. I was a bit wary about the service after having read quite a few reviews complaining about the slow pace. After an initial lull prior to ordering, the rest of the service went off without a hitch and at the perfect pace.
I was there for dinner with my husband so we decided to share a salad and two entrées. I also meant to order the fried green tomato appetizer and totally forgot. Next time. Next time.
For the salad, we shared the small portion Late Harvest. It was delicious with spinach, blue cheese, egg, hunks of bacon and fried onions tossed in vinaigrette. I have to take a moment to talk about the bacon. This isn’t your standard crumbled bacon. Bacon lovers delight, these are actual thick chunks of chopped bacon. They made the salad. Can’t wait to have it again!
For our entrées we shared the short ribs with mashed potatoes and steamed kale. This was also very good although the actual meat portion was on the smaller side. Perhaps I’m just imagining that considering I think we would have easily put away several pounds of it given the chance! The meat was incredibly tender and the bbq sauce was sweet and smoky. The perfect combination. The mashed potatoes were decent but the kale was off the charts. I really love kale so maybe I am once again exaggerating but it was light, lemony and very fresh.
For our past dish we had the Straw and Hay. They make all of their own noodles in house and I think that was the stand out of the dish. My husband didn’t love it (he claims it never had a chance following up the short rib dish) but I thought it was really nice. Perhaps the cream sauce was just a little too heavy for me. Otherwise, the thick ribbon pasta tossed with asparagus, baby peas, mushrooms and hunks of bacon worked for me.
I did also end up ordering a cocktail from the “Recession Proof” section of the cocktail menu called the Rio 16. It was only ok. Perhaps if I would have splurged for one of the pricier options, it would have been more interesting. It was tiny and a lot like drinking limeade. As for dessert we were way too stuffed to try anything.
Overall it was a great dinner and I’m looking forward to going again. There were so many things I wanted to try on the menu I’m sure I’ll need a few more visits. In the end, our bill came to only $60.00 which is a pretty good deal these days. So if you’re looking for a nice atmosphere and a wide range of options at a decent price, head over to Founding Farmers.
Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20006
www.wearefoundingfarmers.com
I am a big Founding Farmers fan- it is a staple in my list of restaurants and I have eaten there more times than I can count. But I will say that some of the winning dishes in my book include the short ribs (totally agree), the lobster mac and cheese (this is an out of body experience), the ricotta pistachio and dates flatbread, the rotisserie chicken and the diver scallops with pumpkin risotto. The skillet cornbread and fried green tomatoes are musts for appetizers and finally the brunch is all about the new orleans style french toast and the drag through the garden egg dish. Overall, its really a place that has everything and as you mention- its totally reasonably priced. My only complaint is the service which is never good- but I hope someday the service will match the food.