Redd Wood
The word “pizzeria” is on the window facing the street—and yes, the pizza is outstanding—but Redd Wood is so much more. Richard Reddington’s “more casual” counterpart to his Michelin-starred Redd is sleek and stylish, with black leather and wood furnishings, an open kitchen, a full bar that’s separated from the main dining area by a glass wall, and a patio dining area that opens to the courtyard between the restaurant and the adjacent North Block Hotel.
We started with a couple cocktails, including the RW Mule (Charbay vodka, lime, mint and Bundaberg ginger beer)—so refreshing we want to repeat the recipe for the next time we’re headed for a pool party.
An amuse bouche of bruschetta with creamy and shaved ricotta, crushed fava beans, olive oil, mint and lemon juice was a delicious way to start. Next up was a special of fresh mussels in white wine sauce with andouille sausage, sweet corn and whole striped shrimp with a garlic aioli drizzle and garlic bread. Along with that, we enjoyed the frito misto with calamari, artichokes and spiced ceci beans, lightly battered and fried and served with a mild lemon aioli (the portion was large—plenty for several people to share).
A glass of floral, light and rounded 2011 Livio Fegguga Colli Orientali (Friuli) Pinot Grigio and an elegant, smooth 2010 B. Kosuge Sonoma Coast Chardonnay accompanied our salad of warm artichokes, arugula, frisee and shaved grana padano, topped with a light pistachio pesto and plenty of house made croutons
It was hard to choose a pizza (they all sounded so good) but we finally went for one topped with goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, smoked bacon, paper thin-sliced potato, leeks and scallions. The perfectly cooked thin crust and bacon both added a smoky flavor, while the greens added a bit of sass
Our entrées of short ribs and halibut were paired with 2010 Migration RRV Chardonnay (fruit-forward) and 2009 Germano, La Soleggiata d’Alba (Piedmont) Barbera (plums, blueberries). The glazed short ribs were so tender we didn’t need a knife. They were served boneless with a decadent plate of plump peas, bone marrow, rich saffron risotto and salsa verde. The rich, tender halibut was the fish special of the day, a thick filet served with cast iron skillet-grilled gnocchi (what a treat—made fresh daily and cooked to order, they were some of the best we’ve ever tried!), white and green beans, sweet corn and a light broth, topped with fava pesto
The restaurant makes all its pastas, charcuterie and ice cream, so for dessert, we chose Italian strawberry sorbet (tart and full-flavored) and chocolate peanut crunch (milk chocolate with peanut butter—the “crunch” reminded us of Butterfinger candy bars!)
Top all that with excellent, friendly and smart service: Redd Wood is an absolute delight.
