Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

2 Amys in DC has put out many great pizzas over the years for me. Not just very good, great. Now, I don't live around the corner so I only get there once every few months. My guess is that either it has gone downhill (there are always such reports) or that the vagaries of human endeavor make for inconsistent results.

I pay little attention to certification, so I can't say what places for sure have it. But I can probably figure out what places definitely don't have it. If I was in a city and I had absolutely no idea as to what pizzeria to go to, I would happily use VPN certification as a clue for quality. If 2 Amys is on your 'worst offenders' list, that is one heck of a list.

You have completely lost me when you are talking about steamed-in-the-box delivery pizza, because I'd rather just go hungry.

The crust at Ledo's is part of a long-time regional style that has mostly died out. I think of it as a Pillsbury-biscuit crust. Gentleman Jim's in Rockville (long gone) and Pizza Pantry in Arlington, VA (still there, but don't know if it's the same) are two others. It's an interesting curio, but I don't think I'll ever need to try it again.

PS, although there are many locations, it is not a franchise. The others only use the name, nothing else.

Pupatella is wonderful. The arancino is no afterthought, as good as a great margherita. Do not miss this. Sauteed onions are a nice touch. Hard to find pizza more awesome than this.

You are definitely being too hard on the guy. This is Walt Disney World. The phrase "the space looks like a tourist trap" has no meaning in this context. Nobody lives at Disney.

If the guy doesn't know the exact name of the flour, who cares? Sure, I don't care to have him talk about the water. But it will probably be pretty good pizza if they put effort into the dough. Disney does a pretty good job with quite a few things, so I'll reserve my judgment if and when I taste it.

Puputella ia indeed really excellent. Probably the only 'true' Neapolitan - as in Italy. Liberty Tavern is nice, but there are a lot of restaurants that make nice pizza, so I wouldn't go out of my wy for it. In Arlington, Pie-Tanza gets the award for the lightest pizza and is a fine product. Red Rocks is fairly close to 2 Amys, but again falls just a bit short. Vace is in a whole 'nother category and is excellent. The Atomica at Pizzeria Paradiso is also a winner.

"Why is it important that pizza be accepted as "serious food" by the culinary intelligentsia?"

Pizza doesn't have to be considered serious by anyone. The question is: why do you think only "serious food" can be considered great?

Here is what I have to say about my preferred phrase, "humble food," whether it be a Jamaican brown stew or a cassoulet: there are fewer great examples of these foods than the four star restaurant experience. If you find a great one, then cherish it because it may not be around for long. The "intelligentsia" can always concoct a new four star restaurant, since the rating system is relative.

"Shelemm, what did you mean when you said "this is a bad sign for pizza"?"

I meant that it perpetuates the myth that pizza takes a back seat to other foods.

If it's so easy to make a great pizza like Motorino and receive all these accolades, then it wouldn't be a rarity and would not deserve the accolades.

It's a very old-fashioned idea nowadays to think a sublime version of humble food is in some ghettoized category that does not fit in with Le Bernardin. Of course the two can't be compared, any more than you can compare an egg roll to a salad. So even including the two on some kind star system is bogus. However, if you are going to have a star system at all, then it should reward greatness. That is what everyone is going to understand in a graphic sense.

No doubt there will people (apologists) who will explain why a pizza can't receive more than one star, but that's all it is, an apology. Why should we accept that?

Portofino Bakery in Miami on 27th Ave just north of 836. The pasteles de coco are kept warm, flaky, buttery, and so melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

If you go to PP, get the Atomica. Many people slam PP for being a bit tasteless, which I have to agree with. The Atomica changes all that.

Vace is carry-out only. A super pizza with the sauce on top, which might turn off some folks. They do a great, great job with onions and olives, so get at least those on the pizza. Order a whole pie. Reheated slices not as good.

2 Amys is a minimalist's dream.

Red Rocks is serious pizza.

Ella's is not.

Comet: it's all about the toppings.

Liberty Tavern has some cute toppings like the Vermont Pizza with apples and chedddar cheese. The crust is very good for a restaurant that also makes some pizza, but not compared to a top-notch pizzeria.

Pete's Apizza has a stiff crust that hurts my jaw chewing after a while.

Moroni Bros.: since they learned their craft from PP, maybe adding toppings will do the trick, though I don't know if they have the quality that PP offers.

Matchbox: The min-burgers are better than the pizza.

Italian Store is one of the better pizzas around, but nothing exciting.

Totally skippable (and not all that serious): Luciano's, Ella's, Ledo, Washington Deli, Lost Dog.

Your next stops (after Vace) should be PP, Sette Osteria and Pie-Tanza in Arlington, although it has slipped since they expanded.

2 Amys is still tops, not just for DC, but would be hard to beat anywhere.

I love ordering an onion and olive pie from Vace. Getting a reheated slice does not do any pizza justice. They put the cheese under the tomato sauce here. Carry-out only. Finding excellent pizza can be difficult anywhere, especially if it is not thin crust.

Washington Deli is ok for what it is, but really, not serious at all.

The Atomica at Pizzeria Paradiso is excellent.

All the rest are ok to very good. have not tried Primo Italiano in Reston (mentioned above but this is the first I've heard of it) or American Flatbreads which is the Vermont place now in the VA suburbs which gets high marks.

To add, there has been a pizza revolution going on in the DC area recently with Red Rocks, Pie-Tanza, Mia's, and Pete's Apizza adding to quite a few other fine choices. Pizza Paradiso makes a version called Atomica with spicy salami. It is great, but it needs the spiciness because the plain pizza is a bit boring. Vace, listed in a previous post, is my #2, but it is carry-out only. They do a great job with onions and olives that really make it a glorious, pungent mess. The regular pizza comes with the cheese under the sauce, so this is a terrific pie with a different take, and it works. Older choices like Ella's (substandard) and Piola (an international chain) used to be average for DC, but now they are considerably below the bar.

I just returned from trying Old Forge pizza in Old Forge itself, at a place called Gighiarelli's. There are two other places across the street from each other about half a block away. Friday night about 9pm, lots of cars parked near here, but when I went in, the place was deserted except for one couple. Bare walls, no menu, so the waitress comes up to us and asks, "do you want a tray?" I figured this meant pizza, but I asked if they had a menu, and the woman -with only a grunt- fetched a small placecard from another table. Spaghetti, meatballs, suasage and peppers, maybe some gnocchi too, as well as a few subs, but I got the impression nobody looks at these items. The other couple was eating only pizza. We went the simple route, no toppings.

The pizza is served on a rectangular tray and looks like it came out of an Easy Bake Oven. I am positive some folks would be shocked to see this being served, much less touted as a serious food.

I have to say that I fell in love with it. Despite the thick crust, it is airy and light and crispy on the bottom. The tomato sauce is oniony in an unusual and tangy way. The cheese is grainy. It is a large pizza, but is eaten quickly and easily because of the its lightness.

If you go, and I think you should, try to think of it as another food. One that is more enjoyable than 95% of other pizza out there if you are open to the experience.