Alexandria, VA: Valentino's New York Style Pizzeria

A solid four stars on Yelp, eighty-six percent like it on Urbanspoon, and many rave that it's the best New York-style pizza in the DC area. Thinking that a great pizzeria had miraculously flown below my radar for all these years, I headed straight to Valentino's in Alexandria, ready to be impressed.

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8 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, September 13, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Tagged: Alexandria, reviews, Slice reviews, Valentino's New York Style Pizzeria, Virginia, Washington DC

Flee The Pizza: Spike Mendelsohn's "We, The Pizza" in Washington D.C. Still No Good

Slice reporter Dave Konstantin pointed out the flaws—namely, dense dough and crusts that were too fat. I figured it'd be worth an update to see if any of the problems have been fixed in the half year that's passed since they first opened.

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43 Comments | Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, August 25, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Tagged: New York Style Pizza, pizza, reviews, Spike Mendelsohn, Washington DC, We The Pizza

Arlington, Virginia: Still Cooking with Gas at Faccia Luna

With wood-fired pizzerias sprouting up all over the Washington area, it's easy to forget about the New York-style, deck-oven pizza that dominated the scene until very recently. Five years ago, most people here thought Neapolitan was a type of ice cream. Faccia Luna in Arlington has been a standby for nearly two decades, and still serves a very satisfying pie.

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9 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, March 11, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Tagged: Arlington VA, NYC-style outside NYC, reviews, Slice reviews, Washington DC

Washington, D.C.: Il Canale Is Georgetown's First True Neapolitan Pizza

Real Neapolitan pizza has finally come to Georgetown. Joe Farruggio's il Canale on 31st Street boasts an impressive wood-fired oven built onsite by Italian craftsmen. Though not quite in the same league as Orso in Falls Church or Pupatella in Arlington, il Canale certainly serves Georgetown's best pizza.

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17 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, February 2, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Tagged: Georgetown, Il Canale, Joe Farruggio, Naples-style, reviews, Slice reviews, Washington DC, wood-oven

Washington, D.C.: We, the Pizza Violates Your Right to a Decent Pie

Top Cheffer Spike Mendelsohn's much-ballyhooed new pizzeria, just three blocks from the US Capitol, has a very cool vibe and is doing great business, but the pizza just doesn't stack up. Tasty toppings and a nice sauce just can't overcome a crust that's disappointingly dense and bland.

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31 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, January 5, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Tagged: Dave Konstantin, reviews, Slice reviews, Spike Mendelsohn, Washington DC, We the Pizza

Daily Slice: RedRocks, Alexandria, Virginia

Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately. [Photos: Dave Konstantin] Serious wood-fired pizza has finally come to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, just across the Potomac from the nation's capital. RedRocks Pizza Napoletana, the first expansion effort by the DC-based RedRocks is a success in many ways—the location is ideal, the space is beautiful, and the pies are solid....

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4 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, December 7, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Tagged: Alexandria VA, Dave Konstantin, RedRocks Pizza Napoletana, Slice reviews, Washington DC, wood-fired pizza

Expectations Fizzle at Arlington, Virginia's Fire Works

I had high hopes for the recently opened Arlington outpost of Fire Works American Pizzeria. Owned and operated by Tuskies Dining Group, known for the excellent Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, Virginia and other respected venues, by all rights it should be terrific. In another town, the pizzas at Fire Works might be considered decent. But in Washington today, they don't even begin to compete.

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10 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, December 3, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Tagged: Arlington VA, Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar, reviews, Slice reviews, Washington DC, wood-oven

Pupatella, Arlington VA: From Humble Food Cart to Storefront Sensation

Pupatella, Enzo Algarme and Anastasiya Laufenberg's wildly popular new restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, sets a new standard for affordable eating in the DC area. Just six miles west of the White House, this Neapolitan-style pizzeria turns out ethereal pies at earthbound prices.

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6 Comments | Posted by Dave Konstantin, November 10, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Tagged: Anastasiya Laufenberg, Arlington VA, Dave Konstantin, Enzo Algarme, Neapolitan pizza, Pupatella Neapolitan Pizzeria and Friggitoria, reviews, Slice reviews, Washington DC, wood-oven

My Pizza Oven: Dave Konstantin

"When you build a pizza oven, suddenly everyone is your friend—even people you were sure hated you! Our neighbor's kids come to the fence with hungry looks and usually go back in with a couple of pizzas." —Dave Konstantin

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12 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, October 13, 2010 at 8:30 AM
Tagged: Dave Konstantin, interviews, My Pizza Oven, Pizza Obsessives, pizza ovens, Q and As, Washington DC

Falls Church, Virginia: Pizzeria Orso

After much anticipation, Pizzeria Orso, with Edan MacQuaid as executive chef, is up and running in the close-in Washington suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. MacQuaid made his name as head pizzaiolo at 2 Amys in Northwest D.C., now one of the most popular restaurants — of any kind — in the nation's capital, and was a pioneer in bringing true Neapolitan pizza to the U.S. After 18 years in the pizza business, the still-young MacQuaid is now running his own show, creating an exquisite pizzeria that is respectful but not slavish to the ancient traditions.

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21 Comments | Posted by The Serious Eats Team, September 9, 2010 at 12:59 PM
Tagged: Dave Konstantin, Edan MacQuaid, Falls Church VA, Neapolitan-style, Pizzeria Orso, reviews, Slice reviews, Thea MacQuaid, Washington DC, wood-oven