1924 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Tel: 202-822-8783

Giving new meaning to buzzwords like locavore and farm-to-table, Founding Farmers is owned and run by the North Dakota Farmers Union. The light-filled 256-seat space has oversized windows looking onto bustling Pennsylvania Avenue and eschews country kitsch for floating cloud lights, silo-inspired booths, exposed steel columns, and reclaimed wood accents. The exhaustive menu emphasizes familiar comfort dishes such as a rustic chicken pot pie in a flaky crust; homemade flatbreads topped with ricotta, salami, and pesto; and the seasonally driven 17-vegetable salad. There are plenty of shareable small bites, from the Southern staple fried green tomatoes to bacon-wrapped dates and deviled eggs. Expertly mixed cocktails include the Farmer Jon, with Knob Creek bourbon, orange curaçao, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and there is a nice selection of organic wines and microbrews.
Tip: For dessert, simplicity rules: An apple turnover is topped with homemade vanilla bean ice cream (entrées, $14–$42).