Founding Farmers

I knew I'd like Founding Farmers long before I stepped into the restaurant at 19th and Pennsylvania in Washington D.C.

I knew I'd like it because My Sister raved about it, and My Sister knows food. I also knew I'd like it once I heard it was all about creative, farm-inspired American food and a dedication to environmentally friendly practices.

And I wasn't disappointed.

The building itself was reason to ooh and aah, from its lovely jars of fresh-from-the-farm veggies on display to the light fixtures above our funky wooden table to the silo-shaped booths upstairs.


(And did I mention it's the first LEED Gold certified restaurant in D.C.? When it comes to environmentally friendly building, that's a big deal.)

But I know most of you don't care as much about that as you do the report on the food and drink. And let me just tell you: It was just as good as My Sister swore it would be.

There are a number of reasons why it was so great. For one, it's down-home American food—but with a twist. I'll thank the creative chefs for that. And for the wonderful flavors, I'll also credit the fact that much of the food served at Founding Farmers comes from family farms, many which emphasize sustainable agriculture.

We started with cocktails, a requirement in a place that employs some serious mixologists.

I had Nice Coat!—a little fresh basil, a little fresh lime juice, a little Blue Coat American Dry Gin, and a little love. It was divine.


My Mom opted for the Fraise Fling, with fresh strawberries. A bit sweet, but still tasty.

I can't recall which cocktail My Dad ended up with, except that it was serious. No frou-frou ingredients involved.

And My Sister's cocktail, the name of which escapes me, was all about whiskey. And a bacon lolly. Yes, that's a bacon lollipop ... bacon candied with a cinnamon and brown sugar glaze. Peculiar, isn't it?


For an appetizer, we opted for the popcorn of the day—a curious blend of salty and sweet.


And the bacon-wrapped dates. They're basil and bleu cheese stuffed dates wrapped with bacon in a balsamic glaze. I can't say anymore about them at the moment because just thinking about eating one has my mouth-a-watering.


Next up: the entrees. Brace yourself because, despite the bad lighting in the photos, you're going to want to try them. Trust me.

My Sister ordered the seasonal fish (yep, forgot which) with sea salt, pepper, and lemon, served with whipped potatoes and the most divine al dente green beans.


For My Mom, the scallops with butternut squash risotto.


My Dad opted for the Low Country Shrimp and Grits.


I had the house-made blue crab ravioli tossed in a tomato basil butter with goat cheese. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.


And, because we hadn't eaten enough, My Sister also ordered a side of the macaroni and cheese because she said we had to try it.


It was so good I would fly back to D.C. right now for a plate of it. Seriously.

Because we were going all out, we also had to have dessert. My Mom decided we should have the doughnut holes.

I was shocked and appalled.

The doughnut holes? When the menu featured house-made vanilla bean ice cream and an assortment of chocolately confections? I couldn't believe it.

But I should have known better, for these weren't just any doughnut holes. They were heaven.


Hot and light and melt-in-your mouth good, served with rum-vanilla, caramel, and chocolate sauces.

If you'll excuse me, I have to go cry now. I'm remembering just how good they were.

Now stop reading and book your flight to D.C. so you, too, can enjoy the culinary goodness that is Founding Farmers. Bring friends, as it's a meal that's best savored and shared with a table full of people you love.

And bring me back some mac and cheese, please?

Eating, Drinking, and Exploring in D.C.

After we completed our Christmas celebrations, My Family and I took to the streets of Washington D.C. for our usual combo of eating, drinking, and exploring.

This meant eating everything from shepherd's pie at an Irish pub


to the most delicious chocolate ganache cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.


It involved the occasional margarita


plenty of glasses of good wine


and some rather curious cocktails, which I'll share with you soon.

And, of course, it meant a stop at our favorite hangout—one of the lovely dark wood bars at Old Ebbitt Grill.

We also moseyed past a few monuments


and a rather large, white house


and came face-to-face with a few interesting creatures, including giraffes


zebras


orangutans and monkeys


bison and bunnies (Butter would not have been impressed)


plus a few mummies—all at the Natural History Museum.


Not a bad way to celebrate the end of December, eh?

A Wintertime Farmers Market

Sigh.


I miss the farmer's market.


It's winter, of course, and in winter the park downtown is quiet as can be on Saturday mornings.


The same can be said for downtown Des Moines and most other places that bustle with vendors and shoppers on warm-weather weekends.


That's why I was so excited at Christmastime to find out that the Dupont Circle farmer's market in DC runs year-round.


And it was bustling when I was there in December and again last weekend.


It satisfied my farmer's market craving at least for a couple of weeks.


And I took some photos too, in case you're having the same problem I am.


(Did you notice the random photos scattered throughout this post? OK. Good. Just checking.)

Enjoy!

P.S. That last photo is soap. And it smells delicious. I kind of want to make soap now. Who's with me?

Lululemon

Last post on DC. Promise. But I really must share photos from my very first trip to the Lululemon store My Sister manages in Bethesda, Maryland.

Lululemon is a great company to work for and a terrific place to shop too, as anyone who has worn their clothes can attest.

Even the exterior of the stores are cool (and each one is totally unique).


My Sister has been with the Bethesda store since it opened this summer. She got things going here. It's her baby.

She even modeled for some of the photos in the window. This is her.


There's also a picture of her crotch in the window. Really. It's important, to show off how flattering Lulu clothing is. But you'll have to stop by the store yourself if you want to see the crotch photo. Sorry.

Oh, and did I mention that one of the best things about Lulu is how personalized their service is? You even get your name on the dressing room door. Like this.


I am Sista Lulu. My Mom is Moma Lulu. How cool is that?

The National Museum of the American Indian

Finally, more than a week after I promised it, I'm here to tell you about the National Museum of the American Indian, which I visited while I was in Washington DC.

I was incredibly excited to visit the American Indian museum. I mean, come on folks, it's about time the first people to inhabit this country got their own museum in our nation's capitol. I only wish it would have happened sooner.

The exterior of the building is pretty darn cool. It's quite distinctive from the rest of the stuffy buildings on The Mall, which is exactly the way it should be.


Inside is striking too. But, admittedly, it's a bit confusing figuring out where you're going and what you're looking at. Which is one of the biggest problems I had with the museum. The building is loaded with beautiful artifacts and history, but the permanent exhibitions, Our Universes, Our Peoples, and Our Lives, leave something to be desired.

They're designed to represent important ideas and experiences in Native life and history. And at that they certainly succeed. But by dividing the exhibits up into these overarching categories, visitors (at least this visitor) end up coming away with a fuzzy notion of what American Indian culture in general is and was like, without gleaning very many specifics about the many Native communities represented in the museum.

I realize that a full representation of even one American Indian culture could fill the entire museum, so of course things had to be edited in order to represent as many cultures as possible. And those people who didn't grow up immersed in an area rich in American Indian history of one sort or another (like I did) undoubtedly learn quite a bit.

Still, I came away wanting more, wanting a clearer representation of the myriad cultures briefly showcased within the curving walls of the museum. Each Native community has its own art, culture, and history, that I can't help but wonder if they all get the short shrift when grouped together.

Yet I know, too, that no museum can be all things to all people. And despite my criticisms, the museum is certainly worth a visit. Spend some time there, learning about the Native communities included in the exhibits, perusing the pottery and beadwork and weaving they're known for, learning about what challenges American Indian communities today face. It's well worth it.

Oh, and whatever you do, do not leave without a stop in the cafeteria. If you do nothing else, you must sample the food. Particularly the Plains offerings, which include one of my most favorite meals: Indian tacos.

(What you're seeing: tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, chili with buffalo meat, atop a piece of golden fry bread. Mmmm.)

If you've never had an Indian taco, you're missing out. Try one at the museum. Or if you're in Illinois, give me a little warning, and I'll scrounge up what's left of my Wooden Knife fry bread mix and make one for you.

Oh, and a piece of fry bread with honey? Now that's the ideal dessert.

Getting Ready for the Inauguration

Bring on the crowds. I've already reserved my seat for the big inauguration that's just about a month away.

What? Too early? Naw.

If the bleachers are up, the people will come.

A Visit to The Mall (No, Not That Mall)

The day after Christmas, most people head to the mall to take advantage of post-holiday sales galore. Not my family. We stay as far away from stores as we can get. And when we're in Washington D.C., guaranteed you'll find us hitting up some of our favorite spots in the city.

Conservative Boy says it's touristy. Naw. Well, maybe part of it. But taking advantage of all the museums at The Smithsonian (that is, along The Mall) is not touristy. It's terrific.

Here's a look at our day-after-Christmas exploits.

First stop: The National Gallery. Always. Every time anyone in my family is in D.C., a quick walk through the National Gallery is a must. That always means a stop at our favorite Impressionist paintings (you know, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas) and the post-impressionists (Seurat, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh).

We also wandered around the newest exhibit: Jan Lievens, A Dutch Master Rediscovered.

After our quick trip through the National Gallery, we stopped at the newest museum on The Mall: The National Museum of the American Indian.

Just the facade of the building was pretty impressive—its curvy exterior is clad in Kasota limestone to emulate rock formations shaped by wind and water over thousands of years. The interior was pretty interesting (and, admittedly, delicious) too—but I'm saving that for another post. Just because I can. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, those three people moseying toward the building are My Dad, My Mom, and My Sister. They can't ever seem to escape the paparazzi.)

After the American Indian museum, we of course engaged in a few obligatory tourist activities. Like taking photos of the Capitol.


And checking out the Christmas tree outside of the White House.

We also felt it necessary to find the small tree representing Wyoming (once a Wyomingite, always a Wyomingite) ... In case you're wondering, those are tiny jackalopes in the ornaments on the Wyoming tree. Oh, the jackalope. Go ahead, ask me if they're real.


Our last stop of the day? It's another given. We had to have oysters and cocktails at Old Ebbitt Grill.

But again, more about that later.