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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.