Meet Our Honorary Chef
Westfield, New Jersey native Michael Friedman’s professional cooking career began as a prep cook with Mon Ami Gabi. Friedman spent three years with Rich Melman’s Lettuce Entertain You group, rising to sous chef in just eight months before enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
After graduating at the top of his CIA class, Friedman began working for Jose Andres at Zaytinya. After two years, he left his mentor to travel the world. Eating through Italy, Greece, Turkey and Northern Africa, Friedman picked up the interesting and exciting nuances of each country. Back in the US, Friedman spent time staging in some influential kitchens, including San Francisco's Incanto, Los Angeles’ Lucques, Philadelphia's Vetri and New York's Scarpetta. Friedman returned to D.C. as Executive Sous Chef of Proof, and under the tutelage of Executive Chef Haidar Karoum, he learned to hone his craft and simplify his style to let seasonal ingredients shine.
Friedman opened up The Red Hen in 2014. His eclectic menu offers guests a focused selection of seasonal, Italian-influenced dishes interpreted with Mid-Atlantic ingredients. Red Hen continues to be a neighborhood gem within Washington DC that excites diners with new dishes every season.
In 2016 he opened All-Purpose Shaw - serving antipasti, classic Italian American dishes and deck oven-fired pizzas in the heart of downtown D.C. As a New Jersey native, All-Purpose became a love letter to Chef Friedman’s youth. Shortly after its opening, All-Purpose was named D.C.'s top restaurant by the Washington Post. In 2017, Friedman was recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist. Following the success of the original All-Purpose, Friedman opened up All-Purpose Capitol Riverfront on the Anacostia River in 2018. The new location includes favorites from the Shaw location and new dishes inspired by the Eastern U.S. and Amalfi Coastlines. Michael Friedman holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in American history from Boston University.
Friedman and partners Colin McDonough, Gareth Croke, and Mike O’Malley in Boundary Stone Public House expanded to Bethesda, MD, with the openings of Aventino and AP Pizza Shop in January of 2024. Aventino is an airy and vibrant 130-seat bi-level restaurant that showcases traditional Roman cuisine with nods to the Jewish ghetto neighborhood and chef Mike’s Italian-Jewish background, while the adjacent AP Pizza Shop is a casual pizza counter serving up deck-oven slices, innovative seasonal pizzas, and Italian-American antipasti. Aventino was included in the Washington Post’s Spring Dining Guide of the best new restaurants in the city.
