I tried Joe Biden’s meal that sparked internet fury – and was left with a burning question

One of the oddest things about US presidents, in my humble British opinion, is the culture of celebrity that surrounds them in a way it doesn’t with UK prime ministers.

I’ve been following Westminster politics for years, but I couldn’t tell you what restaurants would frequent when he left No 10, nor ’s favourite pasta dish.

In America, this stuff is widely documented – to the point people on social media have strong opinions about Joe and Jill Biden’s date night venue.

In February 2023, the president and First Lady drove up the road from the White House to an Italian restaurant called the Red Hen.

Despite quietly popping in for a nice sit-down meal, the chef and co-owner’s revelation of their dinner choices sparked a wave of backlash on social media platform X.

Mike Friedman revealed they ordered the Barbera wine, grilled bread and the chicory salad.

However, it was their choice of mains that raised eyebrows, as both chose the exact same thing: rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu.

Matthew Yglesias wrote on X: “The rigatoni is the best, but my wife and I could never both order it.”

Beergeekjoey agreed, posting: “Who would order the same? If you order different you get to try both!”

A third blasted: “Going double on the rigatoni is f****** amateur hour.”

So, given I’m in Washington DC and Mr Biden is merely days away from departing the White House, I naturally had to pay Red Hen a visit.

The Italian restaurant’s interior was the first surprise, looking far more high-status than the bland street corner exterior would have you believe.

In one large, wide, open-plan room with a square bar in the middle, I sat at a window table and caught glimpses of snow falling on the already icy residential streets of DC.

Despite Joe and Jill’s main course causing the biggest debate, it was the starter I took umbrage with.

The bread and cultured butter were unimpressive, and the $9 price tag made my inner Yorkshire man wince.

I also cursed the Bidens for making me try the chicory salad, which had apple in it – something that is just wrong.

It was also enormous and cost a similarly inordinate $19 for a portion size large enough to feed a whole family.

The rigatoni was certainly the star of the show and, at $26, was reasonably priced for a main course in the capital of America at a restaurant good enough for a serving president.

The pasta was very well cooked to a perfect al dente, while the fennel sausage ragu was incredibly flavourful with big bites of the meat.

My only question was not why Joe and Jill ordered the same dish, but why they needed to order two portions in the first place.

They do warn you that American portion sizes are larger, but I struggled to eat half the bowl.

While the US president may have a salary of $400,000 a year, I would have advised the Bidens to just order the one bowl and share it between them.

I must give them credit for the wine selection, however. The 2021 Barbera D’Alba was, thankfully, one of the cheaper bottles on the menu and paired very well with the Italian meal.

At some point in the coming days, I’m planning on eating like for a day which, as far as I can make out, is a diet that will have me begging to return for a decent bowl of pasta.