Online foodies, let alone self-ascribed relationship experts, are going nuts over President Biden and first lady Jill’s decision to order the exact same thing on a recent date night in Washington.
The Bidens’ choice to each order the red sauce rigatoni, grilled bread, chicory salad and glasses of Barbera wine at the Red Hen last month sparked fierce debate, not for the dish itself — but for choosing the same dish.
Dozens of critics and food lovers lost their noodles over the wildly unadventurous choice, bashing the first couple for missing the chance to try multiple menu items.
“There are 2 types of couples in this world: those who order the same dish at a restaurant and those who would never ever dare… I would definitely glare at my husband if he ordered the same thing as me because obviously we need to try as much of the menu as possible!” Tweeted Washingtonian editor Jessica Sidman.
Considering the wood-fired eatery’s diverse menu — which includes everything from braised short rib ragu to roasted wild mushroom mafalde — observers called the couple’s twin order hard to swallow.
“Getting the same thing as the person you’re eating dinner with is silly,” said Hannah Madden, a 24-year-old political non-profit worker in Washington, DC. “The whole point of going out to eat is getting to try as many things as possible.”
At first, I thought, it’s funny that everyone is in such a twist about this,” Madden added “And then I realized, ‘Oh wait, I’m in a twist about this!’”
Others said the couple had committed a classic culinary world faux pas.
“I have honestly never heard of a couple – married or otherwise – who order the EXACT same at a restaurant,” another observer tweeted.
“If everyone is eating the same thing…you could have just made one meal at home!,” another DC-based critic chided.
But the owner of the Red Hen, Michael Friedman, said the carb-centric uproar was nothing to get steamed about.
“It’s a fascinating thread people have chosen to follow, and I’m just really enjoying the banter,” he told The Washington Post. “It’s such an honor to have a presidential visit, but it’s funny that this is what came out of it.”
Friedman said the rigatoni ordered by The Bidens is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, with customers ordering up to 70 plates of it per night.