Founding Farmers

It's hard to turn a corner these days without stumbling across a restaurant that touts its menu of sustainable sustenance. Especially on the West Coast. But Miguelito and I found one in Washington we liked so much that we went there twice within five months. Our first trip to Founding Farmers, a restaurant owned by a collective of family farms, was in December with my brother. Our blood thinned by the SoCal sunshine, Miguelito and I trudged down 20th Street, wrapping our thin coats around us against the winter wind, toward the glass-encased restaurant. My brother was sitting at the bar, sipping a bourbon cocktail with a bacon lollipop (that is, bacon candied with cinnamon and brown sugar glaze on a stick). Sustainability can be decadent, after all.

Founding Farmers occupies a corner of the International Monetary Fund Building, about three blocks west of the White House. We didn't identify any politicos at the eatery, but we saw plenty of jars of preserved produce as we ascended the stairs to the second floor.

We thought the bread might have been communal for all to share, but we were too timid of carb-phobic Californians to walk up to tear off a chunk for ourselves.

Though the ceramic doves and glowing clouds were cute, I thought the decor was overkill. Do you need to remind people that you are striving to receive the gold certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system and that every day is Earth Day by bringing nature indoors? I don't think so.

Maybe it's because I grew up in South Carolina, but I think more restaurants should serve deviled eggs. The Hall at Palihouse in West Hollywood, Calif., used to until the new chef removed it from the menu. I forgave him for this transgression after I finished one of his plates of braised pig trotter stuffed with roasted sweetbreads and porcini mushrooms. These deviled eggs were one sign of how Founding Farmers tried to stay true to its roots planted south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Miguelito warmed his tummy with Founding Farmers' Southern interpretation of osso bucco.

I ordered fried chicken with waffles, macaroni and cheese, Southern greens and white gravy. Laden with food, our plates were so heavy that the waitress had a bit of trouble carrying everything to our table. That's why all my food shifted toward one side of the platter.

For dessert, the three of us shared a slice of red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream. Southern goodness! The sweet matched the Viktor & Rolf for H & M sweater that I gave my brother for Christmas a couple of years ago. My family digs food so much that we like to color-coordinate our clothes with our meals.

In April, Miguelito and I made our second visit to Founding Farmers with my parents. My dad decided to wear his sunglasses during the lunch. He said it was because he forgot his regular glasses in the car. I thought he wanted to be an Asian Rick Ross for a day.

My mom had a bowl of the beef barley soup.

Miguelito got the chicken pot pie. I need to find these shovel-like spoons to add to our wedding registry.

My dad ordered the meat loaf with chunky mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower and broccoli. Stuffed with bread chunks, the meat loaf was moist and flavorful.

My mom also ordered a cheeseburger with French fries. Because the soup was so filling, she didn't even touch the burger, taking it home in a brown paper box. We all picked on the fries.

Founding Farmers serves the fish of the day with the customer's pick of sauces: sea salt, cracked pepper and fresh lemon; Meunière style; roasted hazelnut butter; or, Napa Provenc� l. Our waitress recommended that I pair the pan-fried trout with the Meunière sauce. I did, and proceeded to clean my plate.