Founding Farmers. From the food to the ambiance, few restaurants compare to Founding Farmers. While I typically dine at their sister location – Farmers, Fishers and Bakers – Founding Farmers is the mother ship of sorts. This is a place where one could eat themselves happy without significant effort. If healthy food had a face, it would look like Founding Farmers. It is self-care for foodies. I look forward to returning to this business time and time again.
Ted’s Bulletin. One of my favorite breakfast spots in the DMV is Ted’s Bulletin. When I lived in the area, I routinely visited the eatery’s U Street and Merrifield locations. I love that this restaurant serves breakfast all day. Regardless of what I’m ordering, I typically added a side of sausage patties. In addition to a savory breakfast, Ted’s also has a dessert bar that is out of this world. With larger-than-life pies, cakes and shakes; and delectable made in-house pop tarts, Ted’s is a haven for those with an insatiable sweet tooth. I will never get tired of visiting Ted’s Bulletin.
Open City Coffeehouse & Diner. The best way to describe Open City is charming and cute. It was one of the few places in the DMV where I could get grits; not shrimp and grits. Just grits. Like Ted’s they serve breakfast all day. In addition to breakfast, they offer a wonderful brunch. What I love most about this place is that its in a great location and boasts fast service – at least it was when I would regularly visit. While it didn’t typically take long to get my meal, they also served animal crackers for little ones before the meal was delivered. This kept my kiddo satisfied until her food met our table. Open City also offers a small assortment of desserts. I can’t wait to visit during my next trip to D.C.
Souk. Unlike the other businesses on this list, I’ve never been to Souk. A friend who knows I love visiting bakeries when I travel recommended Souk. I look forward to visiting this bakery and apothecary in 2025. For the uninitiated, Souk is a globally-inspired market and bakery. It is an infusion of some of the things the owner has seen on her international travels. Its owners are also the proprietors of Capitol Hill’s Award-Winning Boutique Bakery, The Sweet Lobby. Be sure to check back for my thoughts on this cool bakery and apothecary.
5-12 Dessert. I also look forward to patronizing 5-12 Dessert in 2025. The mother-daughter proprietors are known to whip up exquisite and edible baked art. After visiting the company website, it is apparent that their craft is pure artistry in motion. This Black-owned company specializes custom cakes, cookies and desserts and is located in the Washington DC area. I look forward to exploring all that this bakeshop has to offer.
Jennifer R. Farmer is a public relations executive by day and a bakery lover by evening and weekend. Learn more and enjoy our blog.
