RenHen – 2 ½ stars out of four stars
Orange
wine? Anything co-owner Sebastian Zutant wants us to drink more of, count me
in. Intriguing wines at user-friendly prices make this bustling newcomer in
Bloomingdale worth crossing town for, but so, too, does the relaxed Italian
cooking from Michael Friedman. Like Zutant, the chef is an alumnus of the
wine-inclined Proof in Penn Quarter; their partner, Mike O’Malley, makes sure
the dining room, accessorized with chicken art, runs smoothly.
Seasonal
salads and crostini make good first impressions; smoked ricotta drizzled with
truffle honey goes down as easily on toasted bread as chicken liver with fresh
thyme and Parmesan. Forge on with pasta, maybe something hearty such as creste
di gallo combined with braised duck, mushrooms and black olives. (Italian
speakers should pick up on the wit; the pasta is shaped like a rooster’s
crest.)
Scallops
enriched with seemingly a stick of butter reveal a chef who can get carried
away at times; Friedman is also liberal with salt. And as much as I love all
the wood — the oak-stoked kitchen hearth is mesmerizing, the furniture crafted
from canella handsome — Red Hen’s hard surfaces create a boombox.
Worth
crowing about: roast leg of lamb sandwiched with broccoli rabe and saffron
mayonnaise on crisp bread, and servers who act like neighbors in part because
most live close by.
Going
Out Guide:
1822 First St. NW//
202-525-3021//
Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. //
Italian
//
$14 to $23.//
Sound check: 89 decibels (Extremely
loud)
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