The Red Hen

Cozy doesn’t begin to describe this rustic corner bistro in Bloomingdale. It’s essentially one huge hearth, thanks to the wide-open kitchen’s Argentine-style grill, which runs on 100 percent Virginia oak. Most of the Italian-leaning dishes make a pit stop in the fire before hitting your plate, including the chicken with kale, fingerling potatoes and currants. Best of all is chef Michael Friedman’s handmade rigatoni with sausage ragu, which will have you throwing all your carb cares to the wind.