As a senior with roots in New York City, I’m a huge pizza fan—I could eat the stuff all day. Unsurprisingly, I was pretty excited to try Black Iron Pizza, one of DC’s newest pizza spots, and see if it captured the heart of someone whose early culinary education was in the Mecca of cheap, greasy Italian eats. Despite Black Iron’s elegant website and seemingly gourmet menu, nothing appeared to be especially striking as I entered the shop’s location several blocks from the White House. The cashier was friendly, the concrete and steel decor was modern, the place was fairly clean and tidy—everything seemed pretty average.
We walked up to the counter and placed our orders: a traditional margherita pizza, a pizza al taglio, with pesto, mushroom, eggplant, artichoke, roasted tomato, and ricotta; and a prosciutto e fungi pizza, with vodka sauce, mushrooms, prosciutto, and mozzarella. The restaurant also featured a “make your own pizza” bar—a pizza Chipotle, if you will—that included toppings diverse enough for any picky eater.
For a fairly simple dish, the margherita pizza was a disappointing, unevenly cooked take on an old classic. As much as I typically love mozzarella, the sheer quantity of oily cheese made me feel like I was choking down Elmer’s glue.
The prosciutto e fungi pizza was better, but left a little to be desired. The crust was pleasantly doughy and just chewy enough but the vodka sauce was over-sugared and over-salted. Furthermore, the mushrooms were strangely tough, and the small amount of prosciutto, though tasty, did not nearly justify the cost.
The pizza al taglio was, without a doubt, the best item we ordered. While it could have benefitted from more seasoning, the juicy roasted tomatoes complemented the thick, rich ricotta cheese surprisingly well, and the oily pesto sauce provided just the right garlicky kick.
With some room left in our stomachs and our wallets, we sauntered up to the counter once again to give their “make your own” dessert pizza a shot. Unfortunately, it too was an underwhelming excuse for a pizza. The crust was rock hard; as soon as we tried to cut it, the chocolate, raspberry, and lemon toppings slid off the pizza. The now pizza-less toppings coated pretty much every conceivable item in reach with a sticky residue not unlike a saccharine Flubber. Needless to say, a softer, sweeter dough would have considerably helped this dessert. All in all, Black Iron Pizza appears to be more of a businessman’s lunch spot than a must-try dinner location. It’s not a terrible eatery and may work out its kinks after a few more months of operation. For now, the search for a slice that can soothe a cold, pizza-loving, New York heart continues.
Black Iron Pizza
1299 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
blackironpizza.com
Photo: Black Iron Pizza
