“I’m sorry, but it might be a few minutes—our filtering system is backed up,” my inhumanly smiley waitress at Farmers Fishers Bakers informed me when I asked for some water. An in-house water filtering system is one of the many ways the new Washington Harbor eatery, which opened last week, is endeavoring to keep up a program of sustainability in line with its mission to honor the sources of everything in the restaurant.
Whether it’s the food on customers’ plates or the recycled wood chairs they’re sitting on, Farmers Fishers Bakers puts an incredible amount of care into ensuring a sense of responsibility and superior quality go into every plate they serve.
The owners of the restaurant redesigned the original Farmers & Fishers after the April 2011 waterfront flooding forced its closure. Renovating the award-winning American bistro known for comfort food, they were successful in updating the original concept and transforming it into an upscale destination with a vastly expanded menu.
“Everything about Farmers Fishers Bakers is completely fresh—from the menu to the bar, to the interior design and the expanded outdoor patio,” said Dan Simons, the restaurant management company’s Partner and Concept Developer, according to an official press release. “We are looking forward to sharing it all with guests and the entire region, and we know that folks are really looking forward to this next concept.”
Simply walking into the K St. venue, which overlooks the brand new ice-skating rink at the Harbor, is a notable experience. An impressive sushi bar emblazoned with the American flag (because nothing says “born in the USA” like sushi) can be seen to one side, while a bar and softly lit seating area dominate the vast layout. Nautical décor hanging from the ceiling celebrates the fishers, while miniature farm scene dioramas pay homage to the food’s farming origins. Crafty details like these are fun to discover and, if nothing else, make good talking points.
The menu can be overwhelming—with more than 60 different items, it’s a nightmare for the indecisive. To start, the main menu features sharing plates like brick oven pretzels and baked clam “stuffies” for the table. Everything on the menu is regionally inspired, featuring both southern dishes like jambalaya and American classics like New York-style pizza and burgers. For the herbivores, there are also several vegan options.
The sushi bar is particularly excellent, with creative combinations like compressed watermelon and caramel sauce adding to traditional tuna fare. With reservation-only seating and a world-class chef, it’s certainly worth trying. However, portions are Lilliputian and prices are anything but—this would probably best be left for a parental visit.
Saving room for dessert is a must at Farmers Fishers Bakers, as churros and coconut cake emit a siren call for the sugar weary. Ignoring it would be regrettable—these concoctions, baked fresh every day, make the perfect ending to an incredibly satisfying meal.
A dedication to excellence and sustainability gives the restaurant a cult-like aura, as its website advertises opportunities to “join The Farm” and emphasizes the principle of seeing everything “through the eyes of the farmer.”
Potential social utopian influences aside, it’s a refreshing aim to keep customers in the loop about the path from farm to table. Evidently, Farmers Fishers Bakers is the kind of business that promotes a lifestyle instead of a product. Consider me a convert.
