I’ve finally gotten around to writing this post! For my birthday dinner, my parents took me out to Founding Farmers, right here in the Northwest area of D.C.
Founding Farmers is owned by a collective of American family farmers and promote the products and services of family farms, ranches, and fisheries. They also are environmentally conscious and want to lead the green movement. Family farmers work to protect the soil, air, water, and biodiversity in addition to producing high-quality, healthy foods. The creators of Founding Farmers also urge consumers to buy organic, local, and when possible, family-farm sourced food!
I was really excited to try this restaurant as I love their philosophy on food and I was ready for some real home cooking!
So, this menu has so many choices, it took us a VERY long time to decide. There were a ton of appetizers I wanted to try including fried green tomatoes, but I didn’t want to totally over-do it, so we decided to get the cornbread. The cornbread came in a cast iron skillet with HONEY butter. This cornbread is delicious- it was moist and not too sweet. The perfect starter.
I also tried the mint limeade which is made in-house fresh to order and it was delish and refreshing. Loved it.
For my entree, I decided to get the open range flat iron steak that came with sauteed swiss chard & french fries! Since I know the philosophy of this restaurant and where the meat comes from, I felt better about my choice. Now, I also typically don’t order meat cooked this rare (it looks especially rare in this picture), however I ordered the steak the way the chef preferred and it was cooked well. However, I was a little underwhelmed. I was expecting more flavor and the steak just didn’t deliver on that front. It’s reasonably priced at $17, but the fries were just OK and the swiss chard didn’t thrill me either.
I forgot to add this entree to the mix. My mom had the fried chicken and waffles and liked the chicken as well as the swiss chard and mac and cheese on the side. I tried a bite of the fried chicken which was flavorful AND the mac and cheese was delicious, but its hard to go wrong with mac and cheese!
However, the dessert was something else entirely!! The carrot cake was phenomenal! It was spiced well and the cream cheese frosting was not very sweet, which is what I prefer. It also came with candied nuts around the cake and on top of the cake. The perfect b-day cake and definitely big enough to share.
When it comes to Founding Farmers, I’m willing to give it a second shot. Although my entree underwhelmed, I did enjoy the dessert and cornbread and I’d like to pick another appetizer and entree to really see what Founding Farmers has to offer. But, based on the meal I had that night, I’d have to give it a B. The food tasted good (especially dessert) and was well cooked, but the entree was disappointing due to its lack of flavor. Hopefully next time Founding Farmers will leave me more satisfied!
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That looks fabulous. I’d say great cornbread and dessert are worth lackluster entrees. Just order more dessert!
Well, I know where I’ll be going soon…
I’ve been to Founding Farmer’s a couple times and I thought it was excellent!! I went for brunch one morning and I HIGHLY recommend the banana chocolate french toast. Heaven!
Oooh good idea! I forgot that they even offer brunch there- sounds delish!
I’ve had the fried chicken entree there but thought mine was better (and healthier)! I actually enjoyed the swiss chard and the macaroni and cheese that accompanied it.
happy belated birthday!