The Joys of Breakfast

I have been meaning to try Founding Farmers since it opened last year. Expecting an Agraria-like experience and not particularly inspired by its institutional location (at the IMF building)I kept putting it off. The sandblasted lettering on the glass panes, the over-sized glass jars for conserved and the in-door clouds were a bit too industrial meets farm whimsy for me, and there are several places in DC touting sustainable and local ingredients.

But then I saw the sign: Open for breakfast at 8 AM. Sold. I normally meet E. for breakfast at Breadline, one block up, but this gave me the chance to try a new place and take advantage of the fact that they have, and prepare, farm fresh eggs. I got there a few minutes before she did and took in the space - the décor is still over done, but the panoramic windows, the comfortable booths and the lovely silverware make up for it. I also noticed that I was the only woman sitting at a table - Founding Farmers seems to be one of the new places to have a power breakfast. I was very happy when E. arrived - I was both starving and bored with the conversation of North American carbon offsets next to me.

We both went with eggs - though the menu also includes hashes, pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal- an exceptional value at $9. Farm fresh eggs have a firmer yolk (I'll have to try the Eggs Benedict for the full effect, as this would show up in a poached egg) and have a vibrant orange to red color. I had the Pan Scrambled eggs (topped with herbs) and E. had the Founding Farmers breakfast, which includes 2 eggs in any style (she went with scrambled). The eggs were firm and, while not greasy, had the distinctive taste of butter. Both came with house-made English muffins, which looked like they had just come from the oven and had a hint of sour dough acidity to them. Split into two, we each used one for the eggs and the other to try the strawberry preserves. I would have preferred honey, but the preserves weren't ladden with sugar the way many are. For sides E. had sausage and I had bacon, which tasted and looked as if if had been dry-cured: long, crispy strips. As a second side E. had the country potatoes (again, butter, and also garlic) and I had fresh fruit. We ordered an extra side of tomato, two slices finished with a bit of vinegar and fresh herbs. The tomato slices were perfect for winter, meaty but bright. The blackberries and grapes made me glad I had opted out of the starch. I don't know where near DC you could get fresh strawberries or an errant slice of pineapple, but they both tasted fantastic.

The staff was friendly and attentive, and they kept my coffee cup filled to the brim - key to making me happy any day.

Founding Farmers
924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC
202.822.TRUE
www.wearefoundingfarmers.com