This past fall, Washingtonians rejoiced at the opening of Red, White and Basil, an affordable, semi-fast casual Italian eatery. We say semi-fast casual because the food is quick and selected from a prix fixe menu, but also because the atmosphere isn’t too fast. The space is warm and homey, thanks to walls lined with greenery, shelves of mason jars and a small fireplace, all of which invite guests to wine and dine to their heart’s content.
Initially RW&B was only open for dinner, but now the owners (who also own neighboring L’Enfant Café) have extended the offerings to lunch, weekend brunch and a new pasta happy hour. Whether you’ve only been for dinner or you’re hitting up RW&B for the first time, we’ve got you covered.
Lunch (Monday through Friday 11:30 AM – 2 PM) – $11
For only $11 you have a choice of either a pasta bowl or panini and salad. If you go with the bowl, there are more than seven pasta options, thirteen sauce options (all of which fall into the categories of red, white or basil) and six protein options. If you’re pressing for a panini, check out the carbonara, with pancetta, gorgonzola and a fried egg. We opted for the pasta bowl with tortellini and mushroom sauce.
Brunch (Saturday and Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM) – $11
Still a bargain on the weekends, RW&B gives diners the option of either an omelet with salad and toast, or a panini with salad.
Dinner (Every day 5 PM – 10 PM) – $16
RW&B’s prix fixe dinner menu is one of the best bargains in the city, with a fresh first salad, saucy second pasta and sweet cannoli for only $16 bucks. If you’re feeling fancy, make sure you spring for the focaccia as a table starter.
For no extra cost, you can swap out a traditional cannoli for the chef’s special. THL was lucky enough to taste during the holidays, so the chef’s peppermint cannoli was the perfect sweet, syrupy finish.
Pasta Happy Hour (Sunday through Thursday beginning at 9:30 PM) – $10
Late night diners have even more of a reason to rejoice, as RW&B’s already low price of $16 drops down to $10 at 9:30 PM. At the happiest of hours, Chef Travis Hearne will have one red, one white and one basil pasta option to accompany a house salad and cannoli. That’s $3.33 per tasty course, people!
All of Red, White and Basil’s pastas are made in-house each day, only adding to the unbelievable value diners get for their money. After polishing off your cannoli, you can move over to RW&B’s beautiful bar (like we did!) and enjoy a selection of wine from Francis Ford Coppola Winery or an assortment of Italian Moretti beer. Whether you order to-go, stop in for a glass of wine or enjoy a full three courses at RW&B, you’ll walk in to a friendly face and walk out with your stomach (and wallet!) feeling nice and full.
Red, White and Basil is located at 1781 Florida Ave NW. For more information, follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.