Gathering to Ensure Nourishment 10.30.10

So DC was a little bit crowded last weekend and in between all that rallying and partying, we had to make sure we had food. Maria and I had friends and relatives in town for the weekend and, as we have learned from Halloweens past, downtown restaurants were going to get slammed. As much as we enjoy seeing our fair city hopping with activity, we knew we had to have a respite from the weekend hordes.

Enter Bertucci'is. The Dupont Circle location of the storied Massachusetts chain is a few blocks from our Gathering. We had already planned to make it a pizza party, and were going to order from Pete's New Haven, one of the few places in town that passes Maria's muster. But a few days prior we were invited to try Bertucci's new offerings, and while I most confess I pass it often, I am usually hurrying up Connecticut Avenue since its enticing smell is the siren call for my efforts at the gym down the street. Bertucci's was one of the first places in DC-proper to offer brick oven pizzas and their lovely char; the recently introduced menu items really let it shine. They roast their own vegetables, too, which sets it apart from pizzas you can make at home. My favorite at the preview was de Scallop di Mare, a scallop pizza with mozarella, roasted garlic, a lemon pepper cream sauce and roasted peppers. The chocolate crostata, the Bertucci's crust with an artisanal hazelnut spread, is a wonderful play of crunchy and silky.

As much as I loved the Scallop di Mare, not everyone is as pro seafood on pizza as I am. Given that the theme of the weekend was sanity, we picked items that would please everyone: The Sofia, a white pizza with mozarella, roasted artichoke spread, sausage and fresh thyme. The Stella, the star of our night with an amazing smokey sauce, roasted portobello mushrooms, roasted eggplants and peppers (both are new menu items); The Puccillo, Maria's favorite, with pepperoni, Italian Sausage and mushrooms, rouding it off with the Ultimate Bertucci for those who insist on lean protein in their pizza along with everything else.

The best part? Our order (placed the night before) was delivered promptly, to the delight of our hungry and about to start drinking for hours on end friends. The pizzas also came with disposable plates and plastic ware and rolls at no extra charge. At least one thing in DC was working last weekend.


Bertucci's Pizzeria
Dupont Circle
1218 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
www.bertuccis.com

Take-Out Tonight...

If you noticed some commotion on 14th Street today--balloons, a tent, a line down the block, and some friendly folks manning a grill in January--you've hopefully already been introduced to HomeMade Pizza Co.'s new Logan Circle location. Open "for real" beginning Thursday, HomeMade is offering free pizzas, salads and samples from 4-7 tomorrow, and free samples from 3-9 on Thursday.

We dropped by today around six, and despite the crowds, not only got to have a nice chat with founder Eric Fosse--he's the guy grilling the pizzas--but also got to sample several tasty topping combos. Made with all natural ingredients and as much local sourcing as the seasons allow, HomeMade prepares your pizza fresh when you order it, and turns it over to you ready-to-bake.

So, how is it? Really quite good. We sampled cheese and pepperoni on a whole wheat crust that is thin while still maintaining its crispy-chewy consistency. The traditional crust provided a delicious, thin and crispy base for an earthy wild mushroom pizza with fontanella cheese, and our new favorite, the winter special Casbah, featuring a mildly spicy harissa sauce, Moroccan spices, broccoli, yellow peppers, red onions, black olives, shitake mushrooms, and fresh garlic.

In addition to the basics and a number of (mostly vegetarian friendly) signature pies, you can create your own pizzas with anything from poblano peppers to nitrate-free pepperoni to proscuitto to pine nuts. The bubbling cheeses--mozzarella can be gussied up with any of seven other traditional (asiago, ricotta) or not so (blue, chevre) choices--and savory sauces are balanced and flavorful. Basically, we were standing in the street stuffing ourselves with fantastic little slices of pizza.

Then we tried it ourselves at home in the oven with a pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and the Georgian--poblano peppers, chicken sausage and ricotta cheese. Both were big hits and came out crispy and yummy from my little home oven in about ten minutes, and go down a treat with wine on a Tuesday night.

Bottom line, we ate way too much and will certainly be adding HomeMade to our pizza/quick dinner rotation--they also have salads, desserts and individual pizzas for kids/not stuffing yourself.

It's good stuff.

HomeMade Pizza Co
1522 14th St NW
Washington DC
202.588.0808
www.homemadepizza.com
(and four other metro area locations)

"I feel like a pig, but a happy pig"

In a city with so many dining choices, I am often weary of places with a long line and an overflowing (or simply non-existent) waiting area. Perplexed as I am by the hordes outside of Lauriol Plaza or Café Bonaparte on any given weekend (hardly worth the aggravation or the wait), I've come to accept the line outside of Georgetown Cupcake as part of its charm/business model.

With my penchant for reservations (and the honoring thereof)it is no wonder I hardly ever make it up to 2 Amys. But M. is back in town for a few weeks, and she had a hankering. More importantly, we had a car, and it was almost 9 PM. As is true of most things in life, the secret to 2 Amys is timing. The five us got there 30 minutes before the pizza oven was shut for the evening and were promptly seated in a smaller room, accessible through the back of the main dining room. Since the restaurant is great for families, this gave us some extra insulation from the hustle and bustle, if slightly slower service.

M. and I went for white wine, while the rest of the group had dark beer on tap and tea. My glass of Botromagno was chilled and fruity, extremely aromatic with hints of lemon and lime - a hint of the Amalfi coast in my glass, to further bolster 2 Amy's Neapolitan credentials (certificates on the wall and all).

M. announced her intentions of having half for dinner and half for lunch the next day. It is safe to say we all intended to follow suit, but the warm, thin crust, alone or dipped with the excellent olive oil provided, was too much to resist. B. and I had the Vongole, a white pizza with garlic, capers, parsley, hot pepper, cockels and grana, a hard, mature cheese. The cockels were left on the shell, infusing the entire pizza with a distinct saltiness. J., M. and O. went for the classic Margherita (tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil), though M. had hers topped with house-made sausage and J. followed suit with prosciutto,fresh slices laid horizontally across the entire plate. These are dishes made with care, and ingredients are there to complement each other. I kept sprinkling my portions with their dry crushed pepper mix. The pizzas are slightly smaller than a dinner plate, and though 2 Amys has an extensive list of appetizers and some very good desserts, we were as full as one should be at 10.30 PM.

Just another reminder of how some things are worth the wait - and enhanced by luck.

2 Amys view menu
3715 Macomb St NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 885-5700
www.2amyspizza.com

You are what you bake

I come from a family of fantastic cooks (some self-taught and others classically trained) and while I have them to thank for my well-tempered palette, I am lucky that there are no pre-requisites (in talent or craft) to enjoy food. I enjoy cooking, but I have to eat out a lot (for work and fun) and mostly cook simple meals, a flan here and there, and the occasional elaborate omelet from my Farmer's Market finds. The HomeMade Pizza Company, a Chicago-based company that makes and delivers fresh, unbaked pizzas and cookies with all-natural ingredients recently opened their first DC outpost. I couldn't resist the opportunity to entertain in the middle of the week, have my pie and eat it too.

I invited some friends over. Three medium pies and two salads had been delivered a few hours before (smack in the middle of their two-hour delivery window, as agreed). Though everything had to be refrigerated, the packaging was minimal and did not overwhelm my refrigerator. Each pie was individually wrapped, and came with clear instructions, pre-cut parchment paper, and a cardboard base that doubled as a tray for transport (this is by far the best feature of the packaging, spades above your standard supermarket brand).

Each pie was baked for 15 minutes on the parchement provided. It needed to be placed on the middle rack of my small stove, so I baked them one at a time.

In the meantime, we worked on the salads: Pear and Blue Cheese with a Balsamic dressing and a Cobb with Creamy Gorgonzola. The pear was crisp, with a distinct acidic note that went very well with the creaminess of the crumble blue cheese and the spiced walnuts, on top of mixed greens. The Cobb was standard issue (avocado, bacon, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, blue cheese on top of romaine), with the kick of chives and the lushness that you cannot find in a salad bar or bagged greens, even premium ones.

We sampled three pizzas, which was more than enough for the 5 of us. All the pizzas had the same thin crust (a good balance between thick enough to hold the ingredients and thin enough not to overwhelm with starch) and sauce, all fresh tomato and none of the chemical aftertaste of chain-delivery places. They were also remarkably easy to cut, considering I did not have a pizza cutter handy - my standard chef's knife did the trick, and I cut them on top of the cardboard disc. The Miesian, pictured, was my favorite: Roma Tomato, roasted garlic and fresh basil. You could actually see the garlic, and it provided the pizza with a great kick. The BLT will make you reconsider bacon on pizzas - getting premium bacon fresh out of the oven gives you the sizzle without the copious amounts of grease. We all enjoyed the Georgia (chicken sausage, poblano peppers and ricotta cheese), but I've always been weary of ricotta on pizza, even if it is as good cheese as this. The overall taste was milder than something with poblanos ought to be, but it would be perfect for people who enjoy softer seasonings.

Fresh made for you by others: just like home.

HomeMade Pizza Company
4857 Massachusetts Ave. NW
202.966.1600
www.homemadepizza.com

Famous Luigi's in Dupont

I dined at Luigi's in Dupont earlier this week as part of a work-related retreat. It was a pleasant evening out so the patios of nearby Mezza Luna and Science Club, both of which offer outdoor seating, were quite crowded. We were upstairs at Luigi's which was thus not too packed and quite nice actually. The red and white checkered tablecloths, wood-paneled walls and old-time prints and other artwork create a relaxed and pleasant ambiance. I enjoyed Pinot Grigio while I waited for the rest of the group, and decided to order the Mussels, which were large and well-cooked and served in a delicious garlicky and herbaceous tomato sauce. I also had a small bite of the Eggplant Parmesan, which was quite cheesy and featured the same tomato sauce that was served with the mussels. For my main I chose the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken. Luckily I ordered the dressing on the size as it came in what appeared to be a not-so-shallow soup bowl and was completely full. There was plenty of Parmesan cheese, the lettuce was crisp and the chicken was thinly sliced and tender. Others enjoyed the various varieties of pasta as well as pizza and soup. The White Bean Soup looked especially delicious, and pizza is always a standby at Luigi's. The crust is thin and the sauce is pungent with ripe tomato flavor, garlic and oregano. Luigi's is also an especially good place for large groups, in particular the upstairs area. A pleasant and certainly also filling evening seemed to be had by all.

Famous Luigi's

1132 19th Street in NW DC

Piola

I have a favorite new happy hour spot - Piola in Rosslyn. Good thing it isn't a little closer to home or I probably would be there every other day. From 4 to 7pm they offer half-price house wine by the glass, and fabulous complimentary snacks. The house red is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc - may sound like a bit of an odd mix but it really works. The wine is well-balanced and fruity and perfect for a house wine. The white is a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio and is refreshing and slightly crisp. The space is open with very high ceilings and somewhat industrial decor. It manages to feel really comfortable though. The front of the space is all glass, so you are able to enjoy a bit of people watching as well. During happy hour there is a three-tier display featuring chunks of Brie, balls of Gorgonzola and sliced Parmesan. Yum. The staff brings out trays of others snacks periodically, including grilled bread with tomato sauce, ham, Gorgonzola and Mozzerella, and various varieties of pasta salad and bruschetta. Again, snacks are all free. It's pretty nice really as you can have little bites along with your libations all for little money in a relaxed setting. Not a bad way to wind down after work eh? This past Wednesday my wine club enjoyed happy hour and then decided to stay afterwards for dinner. Most folks got one of the many varieties of pizza. I shared a mixed green salad and Carbonara pizza. The pizza crust is great thanks to the wood-fired oven, and the Carbonara was nice and actually not overly rich given that the toppings include bacon, eggs and a couple of cheeses. Most folks seemed to be really happy with the food and the evening in general.

Piola

1550 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, VA (near Rosslyn metro)

http://www.piola.it/index_en.php

Matchbox, Again

I realize I recently went to and wrote about Matchbox, but I have been asking the organizers of the dinner group I am in to do an event there for months now, so I was very excited to learn we were finally going to dine there. We actually had to do three reservations, as the group last night was about 30 in size, and any night at Matchbox, certainly a Friday night, is certain to be super busy. My group was the last to be seated, which was fine by me as I yet again somehow managed to score my favorite seats at the bar - those at the far end which are somewhat cozy and provide a perfect view of the pizza making. I opted for my favorite wine on Matchbox's list - the Stump Jump (how can you not love the name alone?) - for pre-dinner libations. The bar was quite crowded, and it actually worked out nicely that our tables were seated in a somewhat staggered manner. I got to catch up with folks even if I would not be dining with them. Once seated, my tablemates and I immediately decided to get nine mini burgers, which are a fabulous appetizer for the table. I think the restaurant must get the meat mixed specifically for them, because it is really especially juicy, delicious and rich in flavor. They also always manage to get that nice char-grilled quality without over-drying the meat out. I don't really do carbs, and so I had about half a burger with a sliced pickle and several fried onion straws - fabulous. Mer and Trish and I decided we should do a bottle of Stump Jump to pair with our mains, so we enjoyed that as well. I also ordered my usual Simple Salad, which was good, but I thought the Parmesan crisps tasted overly salty and were baked a few minutes too long. Mer and Matt enjoyed the Spinach Salad, which comes with fresh basil, roasted pear tomatoes, candied walnuts and warm apple smoked bacon vinaigrette. The salad looked beautiful with all of the varied and bright colors, and apparently the nut mixture had perhaps some Jalapenos? Mer and Matt both said the nuts had quite a kick. We were six at our table, which provides a nice opportunity to try several pizzas and other dishes. The Spicy Meatball pizza is my favorite, so I convinced Chris to share one with me. Mer does not eat red meat but loves chicken, so she ordered the Q Special, which comes with grilled herb marinated chicken, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, zesty tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella. It was delicious. Trish likes spicy food, and she ordered the Fire & Smoke, which is described as very spicy, and comes with fire roasted red peppers, sweet onions, chipotle pepper tomato sauce, smoked gouda and fresh basil. It was very tasty and certainly quite spicy, but not one of my favorites. I only eat the cheese and other toppings (the no bread thing - just think it's sort of a waste of calories), so was able to sample a slice of each variety, so it was a pizza smorgasbord of sorts. So fabulous. We collectively finished our wine and decided to join friends at IndeBleu for after dinner drinks, to continue the lovely evening and hopefully work off a bit of our delicious dinner as well.

Matchbox

713 H Street in NW DC

http://www.matchboxdc.com/

Meatball Madness at Matchbox

Matchbox is one of those cozy, cute yet certainly almost always busy restaurants where you can count on a good vibe, fun ambiance and tasty food. The restaurant opened up an expanded area several months ago, but the space is tall (three stories) but quite narrow, so it still can feel a little tight at least initially when you enter the venue in the bar area. Lighting is dim and the space is modern yet rustic - think exposed brick walls, visible metal beams. But, the ambiance still feels warm and comfortable. The bar area seats about 15 and has two flat-screen tv's to help occupy you during any wait time for a table. We actually got my favorite two seats at the bar - the two to the far end which are adjacent to the restaurant's wood-fired oven - so we decided to stay and eat there and watch pizzas being made while we enjoyed our own. Lee started with a glass of Steele Pinot Noir from Carneros. The texture was velvety smooth, and the taste earthy and slightly oaky. He thought it was very tasty. I opted for a recent and inexpensive favorite, D’arenberg “Stump Jump,” which is an Australian blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, and which exudes a hearty flavor of berries and earth tones. Lee really liked it so we ended up sharing a bottle of this with our dinner as well. We started with the Simple Salad, which is mixed greens with pear tomatoes, red onion, dried cherries, a generous handful of pecorino romano, and parmesan crisps all lightly dressed in a nice balsamic vinaigrette. It's a great combination of flavors as the crisp lettuce and onion is cut by the creamy cheese, and the cherries add a nice sweet note to every bite. We didn't order them this time, but another Matchbox favorite of mine is the mini burgers, of which you can order a plate of 3, 6 or 9, and which are rich, delicious angus beef on toasted brioche with pickles and tasty, crispy onion straws. It's a simple dish but it really works well, as is usually evidenced by the numerous plates of burgers you are likely to see folks enjoying. We decided to share a pizza for our main, and the Spicy Meatball Pizza is amazing so we ordered that. The wood-fired oven yields a crispy and delicious crust, which is topped with house-made spicy meatballs, crispy bacon, crushed red pepper, fresh garlic, zesty tomato sauce, and mozzarella. The meatballs are rich, succulent and just a bit spicy with notes of red pepper and oregano. The sauce is zesty and delicious and goes well with the strongly flavored meatballs and the gooey, delicious mozzerella. One of my favorite pizzas in the area for sure. If you haven't sampled the fare at Matchbox yet, I would highly recommend doing so.

Matchbox

713 H Street in NW DC

http://www.matchboxdc.com/

Pizza and Vino

Bread and butter, pita bread and hummus, beer and watching the game, chips and salsa - some things just go together right? Pizza and wine is one of my favorite combinations, and a nice red usually works fabulously. On a recent visit to Sette Osteria in Dupont, my friend Lisa and I enjoyed the Al Funghi pizza which features Sette's fabulous crust (born of the restaurant's wood-fired ovens) as well as tangy yet sweet tomato sauce with a nice balance of Italian herbs, mozzerella, and oven roasted seasonal wild mushrooms. The gooey cheese matches the woodiness of the mushrooms perfectly, and the sauce provides notes of oregano as well as a bit of acid to cut the luscious richness of the cheese. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of Sangiovese, which for me always works especially well with pizza. Having already been to happy hour and had a few drinks, my friend Lisa opted to just do a few sips of a Valpolicella, which I tried as well (and finished) and which also was a nice match with the pie.
Of note, I found out Sette Osteria does happy hour weekdays from 4 to 6pm. On offer are several options of house wine, including Sangiovese, Piedirossa, Negro Amaro, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, all for $4.50 a glass, as well as pizza for $7 and calamari for $6, can I say delicious deal? Yum!

Sette Osteria
1666 Connecticut Avenue at R Street in NW DC
http://www.setteosteria.com/