Ciao! The Red Hen Restaurant Adventrue

Ciao Bella! For our adventure earlier this month, we decided to try The Red Hen restaurant, located in the cozy Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, DC. The restaurant is situated on the corner of the street (at 1st St and Seaton Pl NW) and almost impossible to miss. One of the fascinating things about The Red Hen is that they only save a few of their tables for reservations for parties of up to 8 people, so keep that in mind if you plan to check this place out. On this beautiful and cold Friday night we sprinted from work and arrived there at 5:25pm, which was perfect because the restaurant opened at 5:30pm. There was a small group of hungry folks waiting outside for the restaurant to open, which was entertaining until we felt that brisk wind in our faces. As soon as the restaurant opened their doors, we were immediately welcomed by a friendly hostess and sat down at table with really heavy chairs (both of us found it incredibly funny that the chairs were so heavy). After sitting down and absorbing the joyous moment of realizing it was the weekend, we decided that we were going to eat, drink, laugh, and enjoy the night at this beautiful and quaint restaurant.

Fridays are for drinking, so Simone ordered the & Everything Nice cocktail and Damien had the Black Butte Porter by Deschutes. The & Everything Nice cocktail was very strong and the taste was somewhat overwhelming. As such, Simone was unable to finish it due to a fear of face planting at the end of the night. Damien lucked out and really enjoyed his beer---it is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of porters. The Red Hen has a well constructed beer, wine, and cocktail list, so there is something on it for everyone to enjoy.

We ordered two appetizers---the Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Balsamic Brown Butter and Truffle Honey and the Fried Brussels Sprouts with Crumbled Feta, Dill, and Anchovy-Caper Aioli. We really enjoyed both appetizers a lot; however, the brussels sprouts stole the show! They were a perfect combination of crunchy and salty, and we devoured them without a second thought. Damien is actually not a huge fan of brussels sprouts at all, but these made him a believer! You know that must make them good! The spread on the crostini bread was deliciously sweet and rich, and the flavor combination of the dish was really spot on. We would highly recommend both of these appetizers.

Since The Red Hen is known for their pasta, Simone ordered the Mezze Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage Ragu and Pecorino Romano and Damien ordered the Ricotta Cavatelli with Spicy Lamb Sausage, Spring Onion, Chickpeas, Broccolini and Breadcrumbs for our main courses. For Simone, the rigatoni was delizioso! The pasta was fresh and cooked to perfection. The ragu was not overwhelming, and the sausage and pecorino romano worked perfectly together. It was one of the most balanced dishes Simone has had since she was in Italy. And for Damien, the cavatelli was some of the best pasta he has ever had. The pasta was homemade, the lamb was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and every component of the dish made it an incredibly flavorful course. The portion sizes of these pasta dishes were well thought out and just the perfect amount of food. We could not have asked for better meals.

The picture that lead us to The Red Hen (posted by @edible_dc) was a perfect photo of the Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Chocolate Sauce and Fresh Mint Gelato. We opted to share this dessert because it lessens the guilt of dessert when you share it, right? The brownie was soft, moist, warm, and just heavenly. The gelato had a modest amount of mint in it, which worked in great balance to all of the chocolate in the dessert. Gelato in Italy is very soft and spreadable---almost like peanut butter, but lighter. This gelato felt more like ice cream, but it was still surprisingly delicious, especially for Simone who hates mint ice cream (and pumpkin, sunshine, and joy). We would order this amazing dessert again without hesitation.

The Red Hen is definitely a favorite spot for us now and we hope to return in the future. We give this restaurant a 5 out of 5. The service was prompt and courteous, and the restaurant was charming and beautiful. And the food was simply superb. If you are in the mood for fresh and delicious pasta, this is your place. And luckily, parking was not a hellish experience in this area of DC, which is always a pleasant surprise. We would highly recommend that you try this Italian fusion restaurant! Until next time, we hope you are enjoying the holiday season and the food that comes with it! See you in 2017! Mangiare! Manga!