Washingtonian is collecting the ballots for the annual “Best Of” issue, and we want your vote!
Go to the survey and please fill in ‘Founding Farmers’ in these categories:

• Power Breakfast
  Nothing says business like fried chicken and waffles and organic coffee.  Oh, and grits!
• Power Lunch
  Whether you’re in the sustainability business, a lawyer, a student, a diplomat, a world banker or just hungry, Founding Farmers is the perfect place for the midday meal!
• Best Mixologist: Jon Arroyo
• As a true champion of all things cocktail, Jon Arroyo is a great Mixologist, member of the DC Craft Bartenders’ Guild, brand ambassador for Cabana Cachaça and Siembra Azul Tequila and has garnered great recognition and respect among his peers. He mixes up the freshest and most unique cocktails and shares his knowledge with others. He’s the Best Mixologist in DC.

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Just put “Founding Farmers” in the ballot’s category space and vote on your other favorite things around town. When you do, you’ll be entered to win tickets to the Washingtonian’s Best of Party at the National Building Museum on July 7.

Since both Farmers locations serve tap water that’s been superfiltered and mineralized through Natura water stations, (and NO bottled water), this was a natural for us. A story in Food Safety News looks into the work UNICEF is doing—please come help us support them this week with your donation.  We’re asking guests to donate $1 per jug of water that is brought to the table and additional donations may be made at the restaurant.

Donations will be accepted at both restaurants through Saturday, March 27, 2010.   Thank you in advance for your support!

From the Food Safety News article “Restaurants Join in Clean Water Project” by Helena Bottemiller:

Next week, waitstaff at restaurants across the country will invite patrons to donate a dollar for their tap water to help UNICEF provide clean water to children across the globe.

Waterborne illness remains the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five–4,100 children die every day from water-related illnesses. Almost 900 million people lack access to clean water and UNICEF’s Tap Project aims to help cut that number in half by 2015.

During World Water Week 2010 (March 21-27), participating restaurants across the country–including top restaurants in Washington, DC and New York–will ask their customers to donate a dollar or more for their tap water to raise funds and awareness for the project.

Cypress tree communal table at FF

Communal dining – like farm families do – is a somewhat new trend as profiled by the Express Night Out guide today, but at Founding Farmers, it’s how we came up with the idea for the restaurant – sitting around a big, long table, with farmers, of course!

In farmhouses all over, there is usually a long wooden table that lots of folks can gather around, communal-style.  In the modern farmhouse setting at Founding Farmers – replete with barnwoods – communal tables are perfect to share a meal with friends, acquaintances and maybe even strangers that can become more than friends…

Book a communal table now – and look forward to some farmhouse dining!

This means the recycled milk jug water carafes on your table have just been filled by your server and won’t ever see a landfill or a recycling center, because they’re washed and sanitized each night so we can use them again.   No waste, no recycling needed, no carbon offsets for water delivery trucks.  Recently, Tack Back the Tap contacted us to join them in their effort to reduce the use of bottled water. Since we’ve been doing it from day one, we immediately signed up!   Check out their information on the reasons behind their movement and join their efforts!

The award ceremony will be on December 11 in Baltimore; the awards will be features in the Winter 2009/2010 issue of Mid-Atlantic Construction.

Yellow + Blue great white!

Shout out to Yellow + Blue, the eco-friendly, very tasty, tetra-pak (AMAZING wine in a box!) purveyor and friend of Founding Farmers for their feature in Fast Company this week.   Their interesting white Torrontes, Cafayate, Argentina 2008 and the 2005 Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina are two of our top sellers by the glass, and no surprise – they’re delicious, great pairings for many items on our menus, and from harvest to packaging to the glass, all certified organic wines that are stored in environmentally friendly packaging.  Here’s to drinking green!

a clip from Tommy's guide

Huh very cool….and guess which original LEED Gold, hip and casual farm-fed restaurant was included on his very exclusive list of top places to eat in DC?  That’s right…Founding Farmers!

We’re so proud to be in this very distinctive group of dining establishments – some tried and true, some more classically DC than others, and still others like us, the new kids on the block that are turning heads!   Thanks Tommy!