100 Very Best Restaurants: – Red Hen

Buttermilk panna cotta with blueberries at The Red Hen. Photograph by Scott Suchman

About Red Hen

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

The crackling wood-fired grill and bustling bar (our favorite place to sit) exude warm vibes the moment you enter this Bloomingdale Italian restaurant. No visit is complete without two things: toast and pasta. The whipped-ricotta crostini with black truffle and wildflower honey and the rigatoni with fennel-sausage ragu are classics. But a recent pork-chop milanese—breaded, perfectly fried, and sided with bacon-braised red cabbage—was the ultimate comfort. Moderate.