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Happy 4th of July everyone-- raise a slice to the U.S. of A!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Pupatella-- Arlington, Va.
Liza here...There seems to be a pizza trend hitting the DC area these days-- Neopolitan pizza. 2 Amys set the standard, but recently a whole slew of new Neopolitan pizzerias have popped up. One of these started as a humble pizza cart and is now a full-fledged restaurant in Arlington, Virginia -- Pupatella Neopolitan Pizzeria and Friggitoria.
Now, your first question probably is, "What the frig is a friggitoria?" From Pupatella's website:
Your next question might be, "What makes a pizza a Neopolitan pizza?"
According to the good folks in Naples, Italy, a Neopolitan pizza has very specific ingredients. The dough is made from flour, water, yeast, and salt. The sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes, and the cheese is buffalo mozzerella. Bake in a brick oven at high heat, add some basil and a little olive oil, and you have yourself a Neopolitan margherita pizza.
So, on the weekend of our two-year wedding anniversary, Gary, Molly and I ventured out to try out this newest incarnation of Neopolitan pizza. To Arlington we go...
Tag! Gary takes over the review from here...
Pupatella's is situated at the end of a strip mall on busy George Mason Drive in Arlington. We walked in and grabbed a table near the back so that lil' Molly would have plenty of room to soak in her surroundings and fuss if necesary. There were other families with babies, so kudos to Pupatella's for being baby friendly.
Looks like Pupatella's would be a good place for takeout, but on this day they did a good restaurant business as well. The place filled up right as the dinner hour arrived.
Liza wanted a margherita pizza. Again. This is all she ever wants to order. Sigh...
Gary dutifully walked up to the counter and put the order in. The hostess was friendly enough and she was cute wearing a blue fedora hat. We decided on a 12-inch margherita, but the hostess suggested that a 12-incher would not be enough for two people. Suspecting an upsell, I stood my ground.
After about 15 minutes, I picked up our pizza, fresh out of the oven, at the counter and brought it to the table. Molly was falling asleep--she's cute!
The pie proved plenty for two people to share, although it was cut into just four slices. Faithful readers of the blog know that this is another of my pet peeves. No pie should be cut into four slices--six minimum!
The pie was sprinkled with a good amount of sauce and mozzarella cheese, but just two small basil leaves. Liza was nonplussed. Why so skimpy with the basil? Is there a worldwide basil shortage? Hey Liza, better get your vegetable and spice garden growing in the back yard again! (Side note: what's going on with that garden anyway? It's over-run with weeds! We better get to work.)
The pizza sauce had a good tomato flavor and the crust was well-cooked and tasty. There was a little droop, but it wasn't an annoyance.
Overall, there was no wow factor with Pupatella's pizza. It was good, but it was also a bit ordinary. And the skimpiness of the basil suggested not much heart went into making it, either.
Best part of the dinner was the ice cream! Pupatella's has a nice selection of gelato, and Liza and I ordered coconut. (Yes, I wanted mint chocolate chip, but I didn't say anything.) On a hot summer evening, this ice cream hit the spot.
Pupatella's seems like it would be a nice neighborhood pizza joint, and perhaps we would go there more often if we lived closer. Unfortunately we were a little disappointed with their effort on our visit.
Gary's Rating: 2.5 stars
Liza's Rating 2.5 stars
Now, your first question probably is, "What the frig is a friggitoria?" From Pupatella's website:
Friggitoria translates as “Fry Shop”. In Naples, it is a restaurant that specializes in stuffed fried pizzas (calzone or ripieno), stuffed risotto balls, zeppole (mini-doughnuts), panzarotti (stuffed potato croquettes).Sounds delicious, but we are a pizza blog, so we will stick to the pies and pass on the fried stuff for this review.
Your next question might be, "What makes a pizza a Neopolitan pizza?"
According to the good folks in Naples, Italy, a Neopolitan pizza has very specific ingredients. The dough is made from flour, water, yeast, and salt. The sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes, and the cheese is buffalo mozzerella. Bake in a brick oven at high heat, add some basil and a little olive oil, and you have yourself a Neopolitan margherita pizza.
So, on the weekend of our two-year wedding anniversary, Gary, Molly and I ventured out to try out this newest incarnation of Neopolitan pizza. To Arlington we go...
Tag! Gary takes over the review from here...
Pupatella's is situated at the end of a strip mall on busy George Mason Drive in Arlington. We walked in and grabbed a table near the back so that lil' Molly would have plenty of room to soak in her surroundings and fuss if necesary. There were other families with babies, so kudos to Pupatella's for being baby friendly.
Looks like Pupatella's would be a good place for takeout, but on this day they did a good restaurant business as well. The place filled up right as the dinner hour arrived.
Liza wanted a margherita pizza. Again. This is all she ever wants to order. Sigh...
Gary dutifully walked up to the counter and put the order in. The hostess was friendly enough and she was cute wearing a blue fedora hat. We decided on a 12-inch margherita, but the hostess suggested that a 12-incher would not be enough for two people. Suspecting an upsell, I stood my ground.
After about 15 minutes, I picked up our pizza, fresh out of the oven, at the counter and brought it to the table. Molly was falling asleep--she's cute!
The pie proved plenty for two people to share, although it was cut into just four slices. Faithful readers of the blog know that this is another of my pet peeves. No pie should be cut into four slices--six minimum!
The pie was sprinkled with a good amount of sauce and mozzarella cheese, but just two small basil leaves. Liza was nonplussed. Why so skimpy with the basil? Is there a worldwide basil shortage? Hey Liza, better get your vegetable and spice garden growing in the back yard again! (Side note: what's going on with that garden anyway? It's over-run with weeds! We better get to work.)
The pizza sauce had a good tomato flavor and the crust was well-cooked and tasty. There was a little droop, but it wasn't an annoyance.
Overall, there was no wow factor with Pupatella's pizza. It was good, but it was also a bit ordinary. And the skimpiness of the basil suggested not much heart went into making it, either.
Best part of the dinner was the ice cream! Pupatella's has a nice selection of gelato, and Liza and I ordered coconut. (Yes, I wanted mint chocolate chip, but I didn't say anything.) On a hot summer evening, this ice cream hit the spot.
Pupatella's seems like it would be a nice neighborhood pizza joint, and perhaps we would go there more often if we lived closer. Unfortunately we were a little disappointed with their effort on our visit.
Gary's Rating: 2.5 stars
Liza's Rating 2.5 stars
Friday, June 25, 2010
D.C. Gets Serious About The Slice-- on NPR
Great segment on WAMU 88.5 FM, the local NPR station, today about all the new pizza places opening in the DC area. Check it out here:
D.C. Gets Serious About The Slice
D.C. Gets Serious About The Slice
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
DC Slices-- Food Truck-- All Over DC
Sometimes, summer in DC can be truly awful.
Hundred-degree heat. Sweltering humidity. Irritable lobbyists sweating in suits pushing past you on the sidewalk. Crime. Grumpiness. People biding time until they can get the heck out of here and go to the beach. Summer in the city can be no fun at all, sometimes.
But then...
Sometimes summer in the city can be truly glorious.
Maybe it's only 85 degrees, with just a whisper of dampness in the air. Maybe the sun is shining and moods are bright. Maybe the K Street suits have shed their blazers and are pouring out of their office buildings to spend their lunch hour in the park. Maybe Strasburg is pitching at home that night, and the buzz is already in the air.
Last Friday was a day like that.
Molly and I were downtown for a baby class-- I was learning about how and when to introduce solid foods. Molly was quite excited about this, because she thought that maybe she would be getting some pizza soon-- alas, little girl, you'll still have to wait a while. But on that beautiful summer day, after the class I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather, put Molly in the baby sling, and take a walk down to Farragut Square. Why, you ask? Well, it was "Farragut Friday" for the DC Slices pizza truck.
Food trucks are a phenomenon, folks, so it was only a matter of time until someone decided to add a pizza truck to the mix. As your resident DC pizza blogger, of course I had to try it out. I'm still on maternity leave, so I was able to head out on a weekday to find the truck. Unfortunately, Gary's still a working stiff, so he wasn't able to make it out for this one.
The pizza truck was parked near 17th and K Street NW, right on Farragut Square. We got there around 2 PM, so there was no line to speak of. For $5.00 you can get a generous-sized slice and a can of soda. Not bad.
Molly and I opted for a cheese slice (ask for fresh basil on top!) and a grape soda. As our friendly pizza man noted, "It's just like being a kid again." Indeed.
Also-- kudos to DC Slices for providing a recycle bin for your cans when you're done.
We found a shady spot under a tree to enjoy our slice and pop. The best part about the slice was the sauce-- a hint of sweetness, but still kept its tangy tomato flavor. Gary would have liked the "droopless" crust. The crust was good, but could have used a bit more done-ness. It wasn't quite as crispy as I like, but of course, when you're cooking in the back of a truck that might be too much to ask.
So for all you lucky folks who have food trucks swarm outside your workplaces on a wonderful summer day-- go look for DC Slices. It doesn't disappoint.
Liza's rating: 3.0 stars
Molly's rating: My mom doesn't let me eat pizza, but the pizza guy said I was adorable so I give him 4 stars.
Hundred-degree heat. Sweltering humidity. Irritable lobbyists sweating in suits pushing past you on the sidewalk. Crime. Grumpiness. People biding time until they can get the heck out of here and go to the beach. Summer in the city can be no fun at all, sometimes.
But then...
Sometimes summer in the city can be truly glorious.
Maybe it's only 85 degrees, with just a whisper of dampness in the air. Maybe the sun is shining and moods are bright. Maybe the K Street suits have shed their blazers and are pouring out of their office buildings to spend their lunch hour in the park. Maybe Strasburg is pitching at home that night, and the buzz is already in the air.
Last Friday was a day like that.
Molly and I were downtown for a baby class-- I was learning about how and when to introduce solid foods. Molly was quite excited about this, because she thought that maybe she would be getting some pizza soon-- alas, little girl, you'll still have to wait a while. But on that beautiful summer day, after the class I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather, put Molly in the baby sling, and take a walk down to Farragut Square. Why, you ask? Well, it was "Farragut Friday" for the DC Slices pizza truck.
Food trucks are a phenomenon, folks, so it was only a matter of time until someone decided to add a pizza truck to the mix. As your resident DC pizza blogger, of course I had to try it out. I'm still on maternity leave, so I was able to head out on a weekday to find the truck. Unfortunately, Gary's still a working stiff, so he wasn't able to make it out for this one.
The pizza truck was parked near 17th and K Street NW, right on Farragut Square. We got there around 2 PM, so there was no line to speak of. For $5.00 you can get a generous-sized slice and a can of soda. Not bad.
Molly and I opted for a cheese slice (ask for fresh basil on top!) and a grape soda. As our friendly pizza man noted, "It's just like being a kid again." Indeed.
Also-- kudos to DC Slices for providing a recycle bin for your cans when you're done.
We found a shady spot under a tree to enjoy our slice and pop. The best part about the slice was the sauce-- a hint of sweetness, but still kept its tangy tomato flavor. Gary would have liked the "droopless" crust. The crust was good, but could have used a bit more done-ness. It wasn't quite as crispy as I like, but of course, when you're cooking in the back of a truck that might be too much to ask.
So for all you lucky folks who have food trucks swarm outside your workplaces on a wonderful summer day-- go look for DC Slices. It doesn't disappoint.
Liza's rating: 3.0 stars
Molly's rating: My mom doesn't let me eat pizza, but the pizza guy said I was adorable so I give him 4 stars.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Radius-- Mount Pleasant
I had heard lots of good things about Radius-- mostly because there was a rumor a while back that it was opening a second restaurant in my neighborhood up on H Street (although that rumor seems to be false). Anyway, I have been wanting to try it for a while, but sometimes it's hard to convince Gary to venture up to Northwest for a pizza adventure, especially on the night of the Amazing Race finale. But, being Mother's Day, I was fully prepared to use the "it's my first Mother's Day as a mom" card, and use it I did. So last Sunday, Gary, Molly, and I got in the car and headed out to Mount Pleasant for a bite.
The evening started off well when we were able to find street parking right in front of the restaurant. Score! It's always good when the parking gods are on your side.
The restaurant itself is rather small, but there weren't a lot of people there this evening (perhaps they were all at home watching the Amazing Race with their moms), so we were seated right away. I ordered a pinot noir, while Gary, being the responsible dad he is, stuck to water.
We started off with the panzanella salad. For those who haven't ever tried this tasty treat, a panzanella salad is an Italian dish made with day-old bread, tomatoes, cheese, and any other salad fixings you like. The bread in Radius's salad was grilled and had a nice, smoky flavor. The vinegrette was perfect. In other words, the best salad I've had in a long time.
On to the important part-- the pie. Since it was "my day", we ordered my favorite-- a margherita pizza. The crust passed Gary's test-- crispy with no droop. It had just enough olive oil to give it flavor, but was not too greasy. The cheese and sauce were fresh and flavorful.
You can see where we're going with this, right? This place is a gem.
Liza and Gary's rating: 4 stars
The evening started off well when we were able to find street parking right in front of the restaurant. Score! It's always good when the parking gods are on your side.
The restaurant itself is rather small, but there weren't a lot of people there this evening (perhaps they were all at home watching the Amazing Race with their moms), so we were seated right away. I ordered a pinot noir, while Gary, being the responsible dad he is, stuck to water.
We started off with the panzanella salad. For those who haven't ever tried this tasty treat, a panzanella salad is an Italian dish made with day-old bread, tomatoes, cheese, and any other salad fixings you like. The bread in Radius's salad was grilled and had a nice, smoky flavor. The vinegrette was perfect. In other words, the best salad I've had in a long time.
On to the important part-- the pie. Since it was "my day", we ordered my favorite-- a margherita pizza. The crust passed Gary's test-- crispy with no droop. It had just enough olive oil to give it flavor, but was not too greasy. The cheese and sauce were fresh and flavorful.
You can see where we're going with this, right? This place is a gem.
Liza and Gary's rating: 4 stars
Monday, April 26, 2010
Z Pizza-- Alexandria, VA
So we didn't get on Pizza Wars. Well, we did get on for a brief second (you could see me and my giant pregnant belly), but no interview...which was just as well, because they mostly interviewed drunk 20-somethings, and in my delicate condition it might have seemed sorta inappropriate to be on...but anyway...
Z Pizza is a national chain restaurant, which we typically don't review, although we've made exceptions over the years. Neither of us had ever tried Z Pizza, and I like their philosophy of using fresh and organic ingredients.
So, one Sunday evening Gary, Molly and I drove out to the Z Pizza on Richmond Highway in Alexandria to see what it was all about.
There was a small table area up front, so we found a spot and went to the counter to order. We quickly realized that this was mostly a take-out place. Plenty of people came to pick up pizzas while we were there, but we were the only people to dine in.
As usual, Gary and I split a salad and a pizza. As usual, Molly stuck to milk.
We got an arugula salad, which was okay except that it was drowning in dressing and carmelized onions. Once our breath was nice and smelly, we moved on to the pizza.
We did a "build your own" pie with more carmelized onions, mushrooms, and spinach.
The pizza was decent enough. The sauce and ingredients tasted fresh. The crust was pretty droopy and a bit undercooked, though.
It seems Z Pizza is trying to put the gourmet into takeout pizza. We applaud them for their effort, this is a good thing. But they shouldn't shortchange quality just because it's takeout.
Now, if we lived in the neighborhood, would we order Z Pizza for a quick dinner? Definitely. It's better than your average takeout pie. Would we drive across town again to get it? Probably not.
Liza and Gary's rating: 2.0 stars
Z Pizza is a national chain restaurant, which we typically don't review, although we've made exceptions over the years. Neither of us had ever tried Z Pizza, and I like their philosophy of using fresh and organic ingredients.
So, one Sunday evening Gary, Molly and I drove out to the Z Pizza on Richmond Highway in Alexandria to see what it was all about.
There was a small table area up front, so we found a spot and went to the counter to order. We quickly realized that this was mostly a take-out place. Plenty of people came to pick up pizzas while we were there, but we were the only people to dine in.
As usual, Gary and I split a salad and a pizza. As usual, Molly stuck to milk.
We got an arugula salad, which was okay except that it was drowning in dressing and carmelized onions. Once our breath was nice and smelly, we moved on to the pizza.
We did a "build your own" pie with more carmelized onions, mushrooms, and spinach.
The pizza was decent enough. The sauce and ingredients tasted fresh. The crust was pretty droopy and a bit undercooked, though.
It seems Z Pizza is trying to put the gourmet into takeout pizza. We applaud them for their effort, this is a good thing. But they shouldn't shortchange quality just because it's takeout.
Now, if we lived in the neighborhood, would we order Z Pizza for a quick dinner? Definitely. It's better than your average takeout pie. Would we drive across town again to get it? Probably not.
Liza and Gary's rating: 2.0 stars
Monday, April 12, 2010
DC Food Wars premieres tomorrow
Well, we didn't make it into the promo, but maybe we got into the episode...
The DC "Food Wars" episode of Jumbo Slice vs. Pizza Mart premieres tomorrow night at 10 PM EST on the Travel Channel. All airtimes for this episode can be found here. (Look for the giant pregnant lady and her goofy husband.)
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