I finally made it to Founding Farmers, the new restaurant built around sustainable concepts. The restaurant is gorgeous, with long wooden tables and lots of windows.
I ordered the arctic char with cracked pepper and lemon; it was tasty, but not spectacular. It came with a side of whipped, creamy potatoes and parsnips. Everyone knows how I feel about parsnips, so I won't get into that one. The potatoes were good, but what's not to love about cream and butter? My friend Bridget ordered the roasted chicken with corn on the cob bathed in deliciousness, and my friend Anne ordered the thanksgiving turkey sandwich with french fries. The corn left Bridget with a big, buttery smile, and she seemed quite happy with the chicken as well. According to Anne, the turkey sandwich needed more seasoning, "write that one in your blog, Mary." Overall our meals were consistently good. I would count this as a go-to place if you are in the area after work, but not a planned destination.
Overall I thought the frequent mentions of sustainability concepts seemed a little gimmicky. I'm not sure why, but it felt over the top. I didn't feel this way when I visited the Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I think it was largely because our waiter started off the table with water and a four minute speech about how he's so proud to work at the restaurant because of the food sources and blah, blah, blah...a four minute lecture seems like four hours when you are waiting to place your order. Of course, I like the idea of a restaurant that is owned and sourced by farmers, but I don't want to visit the Disneyland of sustainability for dinner.
