Washington DC, in my estimation, receives a worse wrap than it deserves. Great dining, good hockey, historical landmarks, and horrendous traffic are always the earmarks (or indicators of) for an up and coming (city).
In my search for a good breakfast place, I created an aggregate list based off of rankings from the web and Zagat. One location that kept on popping up, which happened to be less than one mile from the White House, was Founding Farmers.
In what appears to be very DC fashion, Founding Farmers, situated at 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue, is located in a seemingly new high rise, with modern construction. The interior seems more suited for yuppies, preppies or wannabe politicians. Either way, the very chic and trendy styling was not a bother. That being said, this is certainly a place where the gastronome appears.
My wife ordered a cup of coffee ($3) and I jumped on the opportunity to guzzle a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ($5 each). My wife raved about the coffee, commenting that the brew was strong but not bitter. I guess the English teacher in me wasn't working that morning, but for some reason I assumed that they would be using a juicer to make my OJ. Much like Bob Wiley was curious if the corn was hand-schucked in What About Bob?, I am sure the juice wasn't actually hand squeezed, but it probably used a citrus juicer and not an extractor because you can only achieve the little bits of pulp when you do it by hand. Regardless, the fresh juice was consumed quickly. In retrospect, I have difficulty justifying the price for each glass.
The menu was smaller than initially expected, but it had all of the standard fare with options; French toasts, pancakes, eggs, benedicts, etc. For our breakfast we ordered stuffed French toast and I ordered pastrami hash.
French Toast Bananas Foster
My wife ordered stuffed French toast with vanilla crème bananas foster ($10). Three rectangular cubes arrived with the crème spilling out one end. The foster sauce was in a ramekin but was not an afterthought. This rich sauce added sweetness where the toast was dense. Each bite was sweet and sublime. However, the density of the dish yielded two unfortunate side effects; 1) we filled up very quickly and 2) we realized it was too much like a donut than an authentic French toast. This could easily be shared by two people who decided to eat one entree and a few side dishes.
Pastrami Hash
The pastrami hash ($12) hit the spot. I was looking for a sizable meal but not one where I could get stuffed. Served with two poached eggs atop the hash, I was ready to dig in. Accompanied with two slices of ciabatta bread, I was admirable of the creativity and flavors. The eggs were drizzled with a hollandaise sauce which contributed a rich buttery node. The hash itself was clean and not oily which is unfortunately common in diners. The onions and peppers harmonized with the potatoes for a fantastic essence.
Homemade Sausage
We were split on our opinion of the homemade sausage ($5 each) and side of bacon ($5). I liked the hint of maple in the sausage, where my wife found the combination of flavors mismatched. I wasn't as crazy about the bacon, but I certainly ate it. One criticism I have about the sausage is that it arrived on a plate that was much to big. It really drew attention to the fact that one single sausage was costing me $5. Had it been on a smaller plate, I think you wouldn't be crying foul.
The total price for the meal was $49.50 (sales tax in DC is a hefty 10%) before tip, a bit steep for breakfast, but not in the interest of journalism. I would say that it is certainly overpriced, but the meal was above average.
Rating: Strongly Recommended
Website: www.wearefoundingfarmers.com
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