When I ask friends where to eat in DC, and every, single one of them tells me Founding Farmers, I am going to Founding Farmers. As soon as we turned the corner, we were thankful for making a rez in advance.  This restaurant was the only crowded spot on an otherwise quiet street on a Sunday afternoon. 

Pickled fruits & veggies.

{Bloody Mary with In-House Organic Infused Pepper Vodka & Founding Farmer’s Bloody Mary Mix} Not the best bloody mary I’ve ever had (that title goes to  Crave Restaurant in Ft. Myers), but it was spicy, tasty, and really kicked our asses.  We barely finished one between the three of us.

{Banana Foster Signature Iron-Pressed Waffles with Whipped Farm Butter} These were SO delicious. Crunchy and buttery waffles served as the perfect canvas for warm, caramelized bananas. It was so sweet and rich that it tasted more like dessert than a hangover-curing brunch entree. Either way, I ate the whole thing. The waffle was cooked really nicely, super crisp on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside.  I could sense everyone staring at me over their seeming attempt at a healthy breakfast of eggs on whole wheat english muffins (and hollandaise),  wishing, drooling, longing for a bite.  Sorry, get your own. Actually, I’m not sorry.     {Black Pepper Maple flavored Nueske’s Apple Smoked Bacon Glazed and Caramelized (allegedly) on the Griddle}  The bacon tasted more like thin slabs of pulled pork.  Although dripping in sweet syrup, some portions had failed to achieve that crisp fattyness that all bacon strive for.  Despite the bacon-esque appearance, I could actually taste the stringy (in a good way) meat pull apart from the fat, which could have used a couple more minutes caramelizing on the griddle.  It was good, but no comparison to the world’s best bacon at Crave. But that’s another story for another day.   

{Classic Eggs Benedict}  The little poached eggs clearly just popped out of special egg cups.  They were too perfectly formed to have been poached in a vinegar-induced whirlpool of boiling water.  Nonetheless, Jon liked the eggs and the creamy, yellow hollandaise sauce that graced almost every plate in the restaurant with its presence.

 { “Red Flannel” Hash: Goat Cheese and Red Beets Pan Roasted with Shredded Leek Hash Browns and Poached Eggs}  More cookie cutter eggs, but this time atop an interesting hash.  I love goat cheese, beets, and leeks.  Aly read my mind in ordering this dish, which failed, however, in execution.  Hash’s notoriety comes from its crispy, greasy, cheesy richness that this creative version lacked.  I really wanted to like it. My heart sinks a little when I see a piece of goat cheese that died for no good reason. Also, note the sad bread. Just look at it. At least throw some pulled pork/bacon on top or a little sun-dried tomato pesto. It just sits there, so naked and vulnerable. Again, the hollandaise was the saving grace.

{Aly, Jon, & I}

Overall, Founding Farmers was so-so.  I appreciate its farm-to-table cuisine and f-ing fantastic waffles, but it seemed too busy for its own good. Half of my table was served their food and, 10 min later, the waitress finally rolled up with my waffle. They also presented me with a tiny metal bowl of milk for my coffee. I am not a cat. A cup, pitcher, funnel, or carton would have sufficed.  In a town of hard-to-please Jewish college kids, there must be a better brunch place hiding somewhere.  Next time, I will find it.

-Shari