The Corcoran Gallery of Art’s annual Artini celebration is all about the art of the cocktail, and we’re pleased to say that award-winning Chief Mixologist Jon Arroyo is participating this year! A dozen of D.C.’s best are competing to craft the most artistic libation based on a work in the Corcoran’s collection. Jon has selected Nina Chanel Abney’s Behind Every Good Man as the inspiration for his drink, The Walking Dead.
March 13 is the night that Artini officials will come to Founding Farmers to taste Jon’s cocktail, but you can enjoy it at both of our locations through March 30. Once you have tried it, be sure to vote for Jon at the official Artini voting page.
Here’s how Jon describes both Abney’s painting and how it inspired his drink. Bonus: He’s even provided the recipe for you to make one at home.
In this work we saw the contrast of light and dark, of struggle and success, and of life over death. Much as artist Nina Chanel Abney describes, her “Behind Every Good Man” work from the Go Berserker series “explores introspection and the idea of fighting against and/or accepting the things one might find when looking inside oneself,” we seek to explore the perfect balance for a cocktail.
“Behind Every Good Man” explores the collision of instinct and intuition, and we can relate. Much of making a great drink comes from intuition of combinations, and chemical manipulation of spirit and elixirs, as well as the instinct of knowing when a cocktail is ready to be served. “The Walking Dead” is a combination of light and dark spirits, intense flavors and citrus infusion to balance it all, ultimately creating a revival cocktail for the soul that struggles or for the life that triumphs.
The Walking Dead
1 oz Mount Gay Silver
1 oz Mount Gay Black
.5 oz hibiscus-infused absinthe
1 oz lime juice
.5 oz grapefruit juice
.5 oz falernum
2–3 dashes Tiki Bitters
Place ingredients in a mixing glass, cover with a tin and dry shake. Pour into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and one piece of absinthe/rum candy. (Candy made by Founding Farmers Executive Pastry Chef Courtney Goldian.)
Founding Farmers’ award-winning head of mixology, Jon Arroyo, has been serving up cocktail lessons at LivingSocial’s headquarters in D.C. as part of a new series of special food and drink lifestyle packages. If you missed this go round with him, keep your eyes peeled for future events featuring the Founding Farmers team.
Photo courtesy TBD.com.
It’s time to call on you, our loyal fans, for a little assistance. The Washington City Paper has opened its annual Best of D.C. 2012 poll. We believe Founding Farmers is the tops in several categories, and we think you’ll agree. Click on each link below to vote for us in that particular category. Deadline: March 1, 2012, 11:59 p.m.
Remember: Vote early, vote often! As always, many thanks for your support!
Founding Farmers: Best Green Business
Founding Farmers: Best Mixologist: Jon Arroyo
Founding Farmers: Best American Restaurant
Potomac’s Founding Farmers: Best Brunch
Founding Farmers: Best Cocktail Selection
Founding Farmers: Best Restaurant When You Pay
Founding Farmers: Best Vegetarian Restaurant
A huge congratulations to Dan Simons, principal of VSAG and managing partner of the Farmers Restaurant Group, for being awarded the inaugural “Business Gives Back” Distinguished Alumni Award by the George Washington University School of Business. A 1992 graduate of the GWSB, Dan was recognized at a ceremony this past weekend celebrating the school’s commitment to teaching responsible business practices and empowering students to create positive social change.
Dan’s commitment to successfully incorporating sustainable practices into the Founding Farmers business model is forward-thinking and inspiring to his peers, Founding Farmers’ employees, and guests alike. His dedication to GW runs just as deep: last year he launched a five-year, $5,000 annual scholarship to a student in GW’s sustainability program, in order to encourage a new generation of responsible business leaders.
We’re proud of you, Dan!
Wow! The year is only two weeks old and already it’s gotten off to an amazing start for Founding Farmers. This week, we’re proud to say, we’ve made two top 10 lists in the foodie blogosphere — and for different reasons. First, Food Republic put us on its “Power Ranking” list of 10 sustainable restaurants, noting just a few of our many eco-friendly design features. Then, Gourmet magazine and BlogHer named us among the 10 healthiest restaurants in the nation, with blogger Jessica of JessRuns mentioning our commitment to local and family farm ingredients.
We’re looking forward to the time when we can get on the road ourselves and trying out the other dining spots named in these two lists — they all sound amazing. Congratulations to everyone for their successful focus on sustainable food service, from ingredient sourcing to restaurant design.
Gourmet/BlogHer — Road Trip: Top 10 Healthy Restaurants
Food Republic — Power Ranking: 10 Sustainable Restaurants
UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Jo Kim! Several people answered questions #1 and #2 correctly, but among that group only Jo’s guess for #3 — the number of times Laurence Fishburne dined at Founding Farmers — came closest to the truth. We would not have believed it ourselves if we hadn’t been here, but Fishburne enjoyed our fare two dozen times while he was in D.C.!
Thanks to everyone for participating!
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OK, Founding Farmers fans, it’s quiz time. This one is based on the many notables who enjoyed our Pennsylvania Avenue location in 2011, plus a question about our appearances in the reality TV camera spotlight. What’s at stake? The first person to answer all three questions correctly gets a $25 Be Our Guest Card good for either Founding Farmers location. Leave your responses in the comments below, as well as a Twitter handle or link to your Facebook page, so that we can let you know if you’ve won! Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31.
Ready? Here we go. Good luck!
(1) Which person on this list of celebrities and notable people did not dine at Founding Farmers in 2011?
• Mrs. Jill Biden
• Laurence Fishburne
• D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray
• Food Network Host/Chef Robert Irvine
• White House Chef Sam Kass
• George Washington University President Steven Knapp
• Lady Gaga
• Ryan & Tatum O’Neal
• Queen Latifa
• Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
• Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL)
• Jason Segel
• Martha Stewart
• Tennessee Titans Linebacker Will Witherspoon
(2) Which of the following reality TV shows did Founding Farmers or one of its staff not appear in?
• Food Network: Best Thing I Ever Ate
• OWN: Ryan and Tatum: The O’Neals
• Food Network: Meat & Potatoes
• Cooking Channel: Everyday Exotic
(3) How many times did Laurence Fishburne dine at Founding Farmers during Thurgood‘s three-week run at the Kennedy Center? Give us your best guess.
Did you happen to catch Potomac’s Founding Farmers at the Bethesda Farmers Market on Sunday, December 18? We were showcasing our Kentucky Beef Burgoo recipe. In case you missed it, you can find a downloadable PDF of the recipe right here.
Happy cooking!
Who doesn’t love brunch — especially at a place recently voted to have D.C.’s best? Now you have a chance to win $30 to enjoy our stuffed French toast, chicken and waffles, or any of our other delicious selections. The website Delectabelle is holding a “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway, and $30 toward brunch is one of the offerings. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!
December 5th, 2011
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