Another review of 2amys, one of D.C.’s tastiest gourmet pizza purveyors, may seem like a waste of valuable newsprint. After all, the District’s young and beautiful made it a tried and true favorite, and it was voted “Best Pizza” by the Washington Post in 2006. Let’s remember, though, that it’s 2008, and the restaurant hasn’t won that illustrious title in two years. In fact, 2amys has recently fallen slightly out of favor with critics, and its hipster clientele has largely been replaced with young parents toting unruly tots who probably couldn’t appreciate a good sfogliatelle if it fell into their diapered laps.
Having never been to the restaurant before last week, I didn’t harbor any nostalgia for the golden days of two years ago. I went in only hoping to eat some delicious pizza, a rarity in D.C. On two recent visits on a Friday and a Tuesday night, the restaurant was consistently crowded, with at least a half hour wait (2amys doesn’t take reservations).
The restaurant’s aesthetic is simple and laid back, with some nice touches—exposed brick, cured meats hanging next to the bar—that give it an air of rustic authenticity. Part of the busy kitchen is visible from the seating area, and if you don’t want to wait for your table on the stoop, you can watch the experts crank out the pizzas. You can also wait at the bar area, where small, first-come first-serve tables are set up for those who are quick enough to snag them.
At the bar, you can either wait to get your appetizers when you sit down, or you can pick from a selection of what the restaurant calls “little things.” Among these are the popular supli a telefono—fried risotto balls with a gooey mozzarella center—bruschetta (or what they teasingly call bruschetta—it’s really just toasted bread with a little olive oil) and deviled eggs with an oddly delicious pesto-anchovy sauce. The salads are standard fare, but the room-temperature rapini—a leafy green vegetable with garlic, syrupy balsamic and hot pepper—is a deceptively simple dish worth going back for.
The restaurant’s claim to fame is its selection of “pizza d.o.c.” or Denominazione di Origine Controllata—traditional pizza whose ingredients are regulated by the Italian government. I ordered the Margherita Extra expecting great things, and was disappointed. Although the cherry tomatoes were succulent, and the mozzarella di buffala was melty and delicious, the dough was a letdown. It was spread too thin underneath the weighty toppings, and concentrated in a colossal crust that was charred outside and undercooked inside. The cooking mishap might have just been the result of a particularly busy Friday night, though, because all of the other crusts I enjoyed were perfect.
The non-d.o.c. pizzas were immensely satisfying. Best was an offering from the specials list that combined spring onion, artichoke, pancetta and grana (a crumbly, parmesan-like cheese) in a festival of salty, earthy flavors. Another standout was the Norcia, which had an appropriately toothsome crust, with salami and perfectly grilled peppers accompanying the classic tomato and mozzarella.
The menu doesn’t offer much in the way of non-pizza entrees, but the stuffed pizzas offer a slightly different experience. The Ripieno extra was a colossal folded job, whose ricotta, grana, salami, proscuitto, pancetta and tomato filling sounds like a meat lover’s dream. While it was reasonably tasty, the oozing ricotta was overwhelming, and hid the disappointingly meager meat portion.
While the restaurant was loud and crowded, and the servers were a little awkward, I’m not sure I’d have it any other way. As far as I can tell, the spark that made the unpretentious food at 2amys famous is still there.
2amys is located at 3715 Macomb St. NW. Visit www.2amyspizza.com for more information.
