Our Story

From husband-and-wife duo G. Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt, La Merna brings Midwest hospitality to Washington, DC’s Dupont Circle. The restaurant reimagines the neighborhood bar for a new generation, with Chicago tavern-style pizza and scratch-made pasta anchoring a seasonal menu, alongside a cocktail program rooted in the classics, a curated selection of Italian wines and local beer.

Meg, the founder of a nationally distributed cheese company, trained in cheesemaking in Italy and brings that expertise to La Merna through house-made ricotta, mozzarella and stracciatella, each used throughout the menu to complement familiar Italian-American dishes. Bradley’s Chicago portfolio includes his flagship Kim’s Uncle Pizza and former establishment Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream, both recognized by national publications including The New York Times and Esquire.

Together, Meg and Bradley have created a restaurant that reflects the food they love, the hospitality they grew up with and the kind of neighborhood place where guests can settle in, share a meal and call home.