SOS: Any decent pizza/subs in Northern VA??

Yes, BOP, short for Brick Oven Pizza, is located in Fells Point. But it's more of a trendy kind of product, rather than the great charred crust pizzas turned out by Lombardi's or John's brick ovens in New York.

I'm wichyou skinsfan.
I'll be sure to try Valentino's within' the month, you try Marcella's and/or Vace's and tell me what you think. They're both closer to you than Annandale. Vace's remind me of home.
~Scorereader.



Man am I glad I found this forum. I just joined 2 days ago and have already learned so much. In any event, yeah Scorereader, I am going to check both of them out. Thanks for the heads-up. I don't get over to Cleveland Park that much, but will definitely go over there to check out the Pizza spots.

BTW, when you go to Valentino's.....let me know what you think. I think that you will be impressed. These guys are true New Yorkers. Once they start talking....they remove all doubt.

Hey Signman....I heard about that Pizza joint over in Essex, but never ended up going there. I used to date this girl who lived off of Marlyn Ave. and spent a lot of time over in that neck of the woods....but never went to the Pizza spot over there.

Try ZPizza in Falls Church or Ledo's Pizza...not sure if there is one out here in Centreville. I do like the Calzone's from Pizza Boli...but then I grew up in Fairfax City, not far from the "culinary wasteland" that I now currently live in...woe is me...I do hope I discover that there is REAL food out there!!! Maybe on my drive from the "wasteland" to Mt. Rushmore this summer!

It always miffs me when people say that DC is a culinary wasteland. Sure, it may not have the world's best pizza and hamburgers per capita, but DC is tops on international food, like Ethiopian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Russian, and more. With the many embassies here, it's not hard to find a couple great restaurants for each nation.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

It always miffs me when people say that DC is a culinary wasteland. Sure, it may not have the world's best pizza and hamburgers per capita, but DC is tops on international food, like Ethiopian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Russian, and more. With the many embassies here, it's not hard to find a couple great restaurants for each nation.

Yeah, that kills me also. I think that D.C. has excellent food choices. What we have here is a fairly nice sized city, sandwitched between TWO states (Maryland & Virginia), and not to far from the eastern seaboard, the Chesapeake bay, and home to well over 100 nationalities. Cultural experience galore reign here. What's not to like?

Hail to the Redskins,
Hail Victory,
Braves on the Warpath,
Fight! for Old D.C.!!!

quote:

Originally posted by laststandchili

Hail to the Redskins,
Hail Victory,
Braves on the Warpath,
Fight! for Old D.C.!!!

only, except they play in Landover now. I wish they'd come back in the city. Getting out to a game is a p.i.t.a. So, I don't go.
Although I was offered the chance to play in the Redskins Band.
I'm considering it, but it's a big time committment.
Free games though. So, it's a tough call.

quote:

Originally posted by laststandchili

Hail to the Redskins,
Hail Victory,
Braves on the Warpath,
Fight! for Old D.C.!!!

I LOVE U MAN! You are about to make me cry. Is it football season yet?

Here's a tempting article about Al's Steak House in Alexandria from Wednesday's Washington Post. Anyone been here?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/07/AR2006110700348.html

quote:

Originally posted by signman

Here's a tempting article about Al's Steak House in Alexandria from Wednesday's Washington Post. Anyone been here?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/07/AR2006110700348.html

Yep. It's a good steak and cheese place. It compares for me to Mario's in Arlington or Broiler on Columbia Pike. It is superior to Mario's on one ground - it has indoor seating. It is, like the other two (and maybe all good places if that type), a bit of a "dive". Good place to get your grease and onions fix.

For subs try Little Italy Deli: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=326483

For pizza try Tony's as listed above.

As a native MD/DC/NoVa resident/diner, I feel the need to throw my two cents in to a couple of thoughts made already in this thread.

First off, I live in Gaithersburg... and really don't like Giuseppis (sp) pizza; it's just too greasy for me. That said, I can see how it might get praise considering the admitted lack of good pizzerias in the DC area. Potomac Pizza (another place in the same neighborhood as Giuseppis) also makes a pie I'm not a fan of, but their subs usually don't let me down. I'd rather go to the Italian Market off Quince Orchard rd. anyday, as it's about as close as you can get to "real" Italian food/pizza. One last Gaithersburg note: I've never been to Joe's Pizza and Pasta, but I have actually heard good things from more than a few sources. Don't know why I haven't tasted it out yet, but I'd still recommend giving it a shot.

Moving from that, I recently tried Vapiano's, a pizza/pasta place in Ballston, VA on Wilson Blvd. It was interesting, to say the absolute least: different stations are set up, each serving one category of food (pizza station, pasta station(s), dessert station, bar station). Without ranting too much about the place itself, the pizza wasn't the worst I've ever had (and this coming from a Maryland boy). I got the Pizza Crudo, which is basically a pie with mozzerella and procuitto di parma. Everything is made in front of you, so the freshness of the ingredients was never in doubt, and the wait is not long at all. I usually prefer a deep-dish, Chicago-style crust, but the thin crust they use isn't overloaded with grease, and it certainly doesn't have any "tip sag" to it. It might not be everyone's cup of tea/beer, but I'd say Vapiano is worth a sample.

One other DC-based place I *might* recommend is Matchbox, located in Chinatown. Again, I haven't had the pizza there, but it definitely looked considerable. Off topic: the mini-burgers there are FREAKIN AMAZING.... but I'll refrain from going on about those. Two Amys is also supposed to be written up as great, but I've never been there and I have no intention of trying them anytime soon - I've heard my fair share of bad experiences.

Hope some of that helped. Remember, MD/DC/NoVa isn't a *complete* culinary wasteland... worst comes to worst, we can still do crab pretty damn good.

Joe's Pizza and Pasta is more of a buffet type of place. If I remember correctly during lunch they serve sodas in giant mugs. He does a good amount business though, I'll tell you that much.

I'm not sure what the complaints about Two Amy's are but I think it's great. Where else can I get a meat or cheese plate like that in this area? I think he does another dish with dried, salted roe which is then crumbled onto some dishes. A glass of gragnano goes great with the pizza.

Vace and the Italian Store are two other favorites of mine.

Joe's is merely OK. I took some college students there when they played a free gig for me. It's nothing to write home to NY about. But, it satisfied the student's and didn't put a hole in my pocket.

In Northern VA, I like Luciano's at Tyson's Corner. so far, it's my NoVA favorite. And I've had Ledo's and some others.

Two Amy's is good pizza. But I like Kavanaugh's better. But that's me personally. Two Amy's continues to be on the DC areas Top 10 list.

Also some other notables I have enjoyed:
Cappuchino Pizza on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown. By the slice is best. The slice gets that extra heat up in the oven, making the bottom, NY crisp, with a soft topside.

Listrani's on MacArthur Blvd in the Palisades neighborhood. Family owned restauant. Best pizza in the Palisades.

Alberto's on P St. on the West End (near Dupont). They have some great late night slices available.

and finally:
Sorriso's on Connecticut Ave. An imported wood burning brick oven from Italy is the centerpiece to this restaurant. This gem often gets over looked by those searching for Vace's: They are but a block and a half from each other. But, unlike Vace's, this is a full service restaurant.

Just had Ledo's for lunch today (office party)
I'm still sticking with Luciano's and Italian Market (and the one's in DC I mentioned above)
It was good, but not Top 10 in America good (as on Oprah).
I'll say this though, I have been pushing my office workers not to get Domino's, Papa John's and the like. It took some hard convincing to get them to do Pizza Boli's when we were on Capital Hill. Now that were still in temporary exile in Crystal City, VA it has been Papa John's all along.
Doueto Pap John's screwing up our last office party, the office finally decided to try Ledo's.
It was a good switch. I'm happy about that.
but I still wouldn't put it on my top 10 in DC pizza places -yet alone the country (Oprah got this one wrong. But she does do a lot of good things - so I can't fault her)

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

Just had Ledo's for lunch today (office party)
I'm still sticking with Luciano's and Italian Market (and the one's in DC I mentioned above)
It was good, but not Top 10 in America good (as on Oprah).
I'll say this though, I have been pushing my office workers not to get Domino's, Papa John's and the like. It took some hard convincing to get them to do Pizza Boli's when we were on Capital Hill. Now that were still in temporary exile in Crystal City, VA it has been Papa John's all along.
Doueto Pap John's screwing up our last office party, the office finally decided to try Ledo's.
It was a good switch. I'm happy about that.
but I still wouldn't put it on my top 10 in DC pizza places -yet alone the country (Oprah got this one wrong. But she does do a lot of good things - so I can't fault her)

Since your office is in Crystal City, Va. I'm sure that the Ledo's you tried is not the original one on University Blvd. in Hyattsville, Md., near the University of Maryland. That's the one that Oprah and her U of M grad friend Gail visited. Although Ledo's is a chain, I was told by an employee at one of their restaurants that the only thing all of the places have in common is the tomato sauce on the pizza. I recently visited the original, and found the pizza (particularly the crust) there to be better than at any of the other locations I've tried. Even so, I would not say that the pizza at the original Ledo's is the best pizza in this area, let alone the country. But it is pretty doggone good!

quote:

Originally posted by UrbanSpaceman

...I'd rather go to the Italian Market off Quince Orchard rd. anyday, as it's about as close as you can get to "real" Italian food/pizza....

Urban Spaceman,

Where in G'burg is the Italian Market?

Thanks,

Ivyhouse

quote:

Originally posted by rbpalmer

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

Just had Ledo's for lunch today (office party)
I'm still sticking with Luciano's and Italian Market (and the one's in DC I mentioned above)
It was good, but not Top 10 in America good (as on Oprah).
I'll say this though, I have been pushing my office workers not to get Domino's, Papa John's and the like. It took some hard convincing to get them to do Pizza Boli's when we were on Capital Hill. Now that were still in temporary exile in Crystal City, VA it has been Papa John's all along.
Doueto Pap John's screwing up our last office party, the office finally decided to try Ledo's.
It was a good switch. I'm happy about that.
but I still wouldn't put it on my top 10 in DC pizza places -yet alone the country (Oprah got this one wrong. But she does do a lot of good things - so I can't fault her)

Since your office is in Crystal City, Va. I'm sure that the Ledo's you tried is not the original one on University Blvd. in Hyattsville, Md., near the University of Maryland. That's the one that Oprah and her U of M grad friend Gail visited. Although Ledo's is a chain, I was told by an employee at one of their restaurants that the only thing all of the places have in common is the tomato sauce on the pizza. I recently visited the original, and found the pizza (particularly the crust) there to be better than at any of the other locations I've tried. Even so, I would not say that the pizza at the original Ledo's is the best pizza in this area, let alone the country. But it is pretty doggone good!

I'll be sure to get up to MD for a try of the original Ledo's.
UM is not far from me.

quote:

Originally posted by Ivyhouse

quote:

Originally posted by UrbanSpaceman
...I'd rather go to the Italian Market off Quince Orchard rd. anyday, as it's about as close as you can get to "real" Italian food/pizza....

Urban Spaceman,

Where in G'burg is the Italian Market?

Thanks,

Ivyhouse

I'm pretty sure this is the same place. It's a few miles east of I-270 on Rt 28, just before Quince Orchard.

Thanks,

Kevin

Gourmet Market
(301) 926-9236
12169 Darnestown Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

quote:

Originally posted by Ivyhouse

quote:

Originally posted by UrbanSpaceman

...I'd rather go to the Italian Market off Quince Orchard rd. anyday, as it's about as close as you can get to "real" Italian food/pizza....

Urban Spaceman,

Where in G'burg is the Italian Market?

Thanks,

Ivyhouse

Gourmet Market, 12169 Darnestown Rd. - in the Shops at Potomac Valley.