100 Very Best Restaurants: #70 – The Red Hen

Cost:

Arancini

About The Red Hen

Cost:

cuisines
Italian
Location(s)
1822 1st St NW
Washington, DC 20001

Returning to this wood-smoke-scented Italian spot in Bloomingdale feels as comforting as greeting an old friend. Chef Michael Friedman isn’t shy about playing the hits: toasts heaped with smoked-trout rillettes or truffle-honeyed ricotta, the fennel-sausage rigatoni everyone talks about, and crunchy hazelnut-maple custard. Branching out isn’t a bad idea, especially in the carb categories. (If you’re feeling virtuous, try the wood-grilled chicken.) That said, you’ll be happy following the regulars who hang at the bar with a hearty pour of Sangiovese and an off-menu bowl of cacio e pepe. Moderate.


Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Jessica Sidman
Food Editor

Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.