District of Pi: pizza and politics at their best

By now, most of us have picked out our favorite spot for a dose of  cheesy pizza goodness.  Some of the less adventurous, such as my gastronomically uninclined roommate, frequently turn to boring chains like Pizza Hut or Domino’s. For pizza snobs, this type of behavior is unacceptable, so it comes as a relief to learn that our president’s taste is a little more sophisticated.

St. Louis-based District of Pi first grabbed the nation’s attention in 2008 when president-elect Barack Obama claimed it was the best pizza he had ever eaten.  Later, the president even brought the pizzeria’s owner over to D.C. to recreate his favorite dishes for his family and staff.  Fortunately for Obama, long distance orders will no longer be necessary, as District of Pi recently opened a new location in D.C.’s Penn Quarter, just seven blocks away from the White House.

Upon stepping through the doors, it becomes clear that District of Pi is not your average pizza joint.  Pi boasts a spacious 5,000 square foot interior, complete with a 40-foot bar and an upstairs mezzanine level. Exposed brick walls accented by mismatched chandeliers give the restaurant the feel of a trendy Brooklyn apartment.  It’s no wonder that this place has become a weekend hotspot for friends to grab a slice and a beer (especially since Pi brews its own).

Pi’s menu offers a wide variety of both thin crust and deep-dish options, as well as many “pre-pi” appetizer foods.  Though not overly impressed by the bruschetta or “bada bing” salad, I still had high hopes for the main attraction.  Our thin crust pizza was the “Central West End,” which was coated in a mixture of mozzarella and goat cheese, topped with cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, red onions, and arugula.  As I took my first bite of the paper-thin (yet somehow not at all floppy) dough, I was delighted.  The flavors complemented each other perfectly—it was one of the best thin crust pizzas I have ever eaten.

Our deep-dish pizza was the “South Side Classico,” which featured a base of mozzarella topped with sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and onions, all covered by Pi’s signature chunky tomato sauce.  One bite of this and I was in heaven.  Unlike most other deep-dish pizzas, Pi’s cornmeal-based dough is sturdy and shaped, keeping its contents contained.  This makes for a fairly easy, no-mess meal (that is, if you don’t trip and drop the leftovers while running to catch the GUTS bus home, as my companion did). Our last taste of the night was the deep-dish “apple pi,” which was a perfect combination of warm, crumbly crust mixed with sweet, tender apples and vanilla ice cream.

Don’t have time for a sit down lunch?  District of Pi’s food truck, Pi On Wheels, offers quicker and cheaper access to its signature pizza dishes.  The truck can usually be found in some of D.C.’s bustling hotspots, including Farragut Square, Union Station, and Franklin Square.

The final verdict? As long as you’re coming for the pizza and not the appetizers, you’ll be left satisfied. And who knows? Maybe if you hang around long enough, you’ll even have a run-in with the Commander-in-Chief.