Comet Ping-Pong - GM James Alfantis' Pizza and Ping-Pong on Connecticut Avenue in Upper NW

[hillvalley]

I got a sneak peak at the space this evening. There is no sign that Thai food in DC began there. There is still a ways to go before the space is ready but the oven is in. It will be interesting to see how they set up the ping pong tables and keep those bouncy balls from ending up in another diner's pizza. They had three up tonight and they took up a fair amount of space but pizza, beer and ping pong are a great combination.

[DonRocks]

How was the pizza?

[brr]

somebody told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told ME (big mistake ) that Comet Pizza MIGHT be open for 'bidness' tomorrow........

[bookluvingbabe]

Interesting. Mr. BLB and I drove past on Saturday and it sure didn't look ready to open...

He's is convinced it won't open before we move to the suburbs.

[oliveDC]

I walked through last week and was told most likely August for an opening, but there's still a ways to go construction-wise. The space looks like it's going to be really cool - the Comet sign is going inside, over the kitchen.

[Joe H]

I will be at Comet pizza within the next week or whenever it opens. I look forward to its opening. If this even begins to approach Modern (which does NOT have a coal oven) I will rave about it endlessly. And, I promise, as loud as I can. Pepe's? Sally's? And other coal oven pizzarias may be a stretch although for many Modern is as good and has a gas oven.

Of course if it doesn't I am going to suggest that they set the bar too high (for D. C. ) and will be the first to note that they were rather ambitious in the expectations that their "New Haven" appellation aroused. Putting the name "New Haven" on a pizzaria raises a set of expectations that creates a genuine sense of excitement... The words "New Haven" failed in Chicago when it was tried there. L. A., too. I genuinely hope that they are successful. "New Haven" pizza is both hyperbole and a standard that some do not take lightly... I hope they have not...either.

A wonderful resource guide to New Haven (and other) pizza: http://www.sliceny.com/archives/frank_pepes/

Edited August 8, 2006 by Joe H

[Joe H]

I will be at Comet pizza within the next week or whenever it opens. I look forward to its opening. If this even begins to approach Modern (which does NOT have a coal oven) I will rave about it endlessly. And, I promise, as loud as I can. Pepe's? Sally's? And other coal oven pizzarias may be a stretch although for many Modern is as good and has a gas oven.

Of course if it doesn't I am going to suggest that they set the bar too high (for D. C. ) and will be the first to note that they were rather ambitious in the expectations that their "New Haven" appellation aroused. Putting the name "New Haven" on a pizzaria raises a set of expectations that creates a genuine sense of excitement... The words "New Haven" failed in Chicago when it was tried there. L. A., too. I genuinely hope that they are successful. "New Haven" pizza is both hyperbole and a standard that some do not take lightly... I hope they have not...either.

A wonderful resource guide to New Haven (and other) pizza: http://www.sliceny.com/archives/frank_pepes/

Not open yet. When I called to ask I was told "some time in 2006 or 7." Hmm.... I wonder how many restaurant owners are actually able to open a restaurant on time? This has got to be one of the most frustrating experiences anywhere. Note that Comet will have a wood burning oven-D. C. does not allow coal oven pizza. (For that matter very few municipalities allow this; most are grandfathered in.)

[brr]

somebody told somebody who told somebody who told somebody who told ME (big mistake ) that Comet Pizza MIGHT be open for 'bidness' tomorrow........

well at least I said MIGHT, but clearly my intel was wrong

[Al Dente]

What's the latest on this joint?

[brr]

What's the latest on this joint?

They repainted the outside this week so we might be getting closer - I did hear another rumour regarding an opening date but was so spectacularly wrong the last time I'm keeping my mouth shut.....

[brr]

The old Thai Room sign out front has finally been removed.......

[mbalaver]

Has anyone been yet? This morning I asked a guy working at the Marvelous Market next door when Comet is opening and he said it is open. It sure doesn't look like it from the unmarked outside, but he said they were giving out free pizza last Thursday and that it's open from 6 to midnight or some such. He might have said it's closed Mondays -- I did try calling Buck's to ask about it and they are closed Mondays themselves, so I came up empty. Perhaps they are opening surreptiously to get the kinks out before the hordes descend.

[porcupine]

Perhaps they are opening surreptiously to get the kinks out before the hordes descend.

Heh heh. Too late now...

[alan7147]

Stopped by to pick up a couple of pizzas. Very sleek space and friendly staff. I waited at the bar area behind the tables and had a couple of glasses of chianti. You would never know they were open if you walked by since there was still no sign up and this was evidenced by only one two top being occupied. Staff was frienzied because it happened to be Sietsema at that two top.

Couple of observations a)pizzas only come in individual sizes (think 2 Amy's) and no white clam as of yet (which is the standard of New Haven pizza) There are about 8-10 choices of toppings including mixed greens cooked with bacon, roasted yellow peppers, smoked mozz, anchovies, salami, sausage, garlic, some sort of mushroom mixture, etc. All pizzas have either the white or red option and come with a bit of pesto on them.

The pizzas were quite good, but probably would have been better eaten there as they lost a bit of their crispness on the drive home. The toppings were very fresh and of good quality. I will be back soon to eat in and play some pong (overheard some talk of beer pong as I was leaving) I wonder if that would actually fly?

[giant shrimp]

from tom sietsema's early account, it's the concept that's worth checking out, and i am eager to visit.

my wife, a former ping-pong champion, was made to eat at the ping-pong table when her parents had too many people over for dinner, so i hope this place doesn't dredge up a feeling of resentment.

[mdt]

I'll buy lunch for the first person who has the courage to ask for extra cheese.

When do you want to go?

[silentbob]

Couple of observations a)pizzas only come in individual sizes (think 2 Amy's) and no white clam as of yet (which is the standard of New Haven pizza) There are about 8-10 choices of toppings including mixed greens cooked with bacon, roasted yellow peppers, smoked mozz, anchovies, salami, sausage, garlic, some sort of mushroom mixture, etc. All pizzas have either the white or red option and come with a bit of pesto on them.

Good to hear that there's more competition in the city now. How do the prices here compare to 2 Amy's?

[MMM]

My husband and I went for dinner tonight. We went with high hopes. It's not far from where we live, we love New Haven style pizza. We really wanted to like it. We liked the look - a riff on ping pong tables, industrial style (flaking paint, exposed beams, interesting light fixtures). There is no menu other than a board above the counter with very basic information and no prices listed. (?) We ordered a salad, two pizzas, beer and wine. The wine is generic and is served in what I'd call a juice glass ($5). We had a Caesar salad that was fine if maybe a bit heavily dressed. Our pizzas looked great on top, but after the first bite we said, "hmm, tastes burnt." The bottom crusts were 90% black - not blistered here and there, but black. My husband decided to turn his in, because why eat a burned pizza and go home angry? They did replace it for him, but our server came to the table and insisted that because of the heat of the wood-burning oven, and the corn meal on the crust bottom, they were supposed to be that way. I just think they haven't figured out how to do it right yet. The replacement pizza was much better. Then we got our bill, and were charged for an extra glass of wine, which is not such a big deal, but is annoying. Of course they fixed it when we pointed it out, but we left feeling disappointed. Darn.

[eating out]

Are there actual ping pong tables in this joint?

[alan7147]

Are there actual ping pong tables in this joint?

Three of them I believe

[Joe H]

Which New Haven pizza places have you been to? I ask this because there are only three that have coal ovens (Pepe's, Sally's and The Spot).

For anyone who is interested this is an absolutely outstanding website with a detailed report including numerous photos of New Haven's Pepe's and Sally's.

[MMM]

We've been to Pepe's and Modern Apizza on State Street. Check this website for a picture of their bottom crust. The pizza we had at Comet Ping-Pong was very good, except for the burnt bottom.

[Lydia R]

We've been to Pepe's and Modern Apizza on State Street. Check this website for a picture of their bottom crust. The pizza we had at Comet Ping-Pong was very good, except for the burnt bottom.

Thanks to both you and Joe H for posting links to what New Haven pies look like -- I doubt we'll see Comet's photographed in their natural habitat...

[Joe H]

I honestly believe that New Haven (three I mentioned plus Modern) has the best pizza in America. We're going to Comet next week. It will be interesting. The Chicago board (spin off from eG) really trashed a place that opened there claiming "New Haven style" pizza. They were actually very respectful of New Haven pizza, more so I think than New York pizza. I've also seen "New Haven style" in L. A.

I laughed.

Edited October 14, 2006 by Joe H

[DLB]

DC now has three great pizza joints! It's is clear that they are interested in keeping a low profile for a while, and slowly open the place. Walking up last night it look as if the place was closed, and when you call their number you simply get a "hello". Tom was right, this place will be packed once the word is out, the space is very cool, and do check out the bathrooms if you can find them:).

I tried the sausage pizza with melted onions...and it was damn good! The crust was perfect as were the other ingredients. There are no prices on the menu yet, but the pizza's are $11, and the glasses of wine were $5. Pretty good deal I thought for the quality you are getting.

The service last night was on point and very friendly. On are way out we were asked if we had any suggestion, I thought this was a nice touch.

[brr]

fyi - the posted hours are Tues-Sat from 6pm onwards....

[giant shrimp]

stopped by on sunday night, assuming it would be opened the same hours as buck's and it wasn't, which may be why some of the people coming into buck's looked like they were ready to play ping-pong. the prices at buck's seemed a bit lower (the rabbit was $19 and i thought it was more expensive a few weeks earlier), but the appetizers we had -- heirloom tomato soup and cauliflower gratin -- definitely outshone fried oysters and soft shell crabs, which were oversauced, the former too vinegary and both overcoated, a little gummy. apple cake was as good as colorado kitchen's pineapple upside down cake, and served in a dark and delicious pool of caramel sauce.

looking through a glass darkly: the interior of comet ping-pong is shocking. it looks like fiction, like a set for a david cronenberg movie. it has been stripped to the high rafters. the walls are bombed, the seating stern. a woman is puttering in the kitchen in the back. it's scary at night and i really want to get inside so i push my face harder into the smudged window. the people who have been eating here so far are probably mostly clairvoyants. the door says they take american express. buck's does too.

[Waitman]

some thoughts

[Mrs. B]

I very much enjoyed my clam pizza. The crust could have been cooked a bit more but the clams would have suffered for that so I think the compromise worked well.

We asked for red pizza with pepperoni and no cheese for our 13 year old and upon receiving it complained that it had cheese on it because there was virtually no sauce and the crust with oil looked, well, it looked cheesey but we were not savy enough to take a taste. Actually we were convinced it belonged to another table and so were reluctant to touch. The matter was settled by the manager eating a piece and declaring it cheese free, confirmed upon our tasting. A little embarassing but there you go. The pie was graciously comped even though we requested otherwise.

I liked the interior and if I had young kids would appreciate it's indestructability even more. The service was very (maybe too) enthusiastic. Man I just hate it when server's introduce themselves (but that's my problem).

I told Waitman this morning I would gladly go back tonight.

[giant shrimp]

if you are coming here to play a mean game of ping-pong, be advised that they do not have regulation tables in the back room. they are custom-made, short. and if you are looking for just a place to score a slice of pizza, your expectations will be exceeded. this is more like a permanent art installation, defining itself as a pizza hut in the aftermath of a cataclysm, and even more than buck's, far more than buck's, inadvertently or on purpose, challenges many of the traditional assumptions of what a restaurant should be. the greeting at the door is friendly (from the loneliest person in the place), but instead of being led, as is customary, you are herded to your seats -- high-backed, plastic-coated park benches that probably would discourage an extended stay from a homeless squatter but are comfortable enough for the duration of dinner. then there are no menus, just a board of toppings hovering high above the kitchen's pick-up counter, where, if you have come at the right time, you have the opportunity to see the sort of angry outbursts that pepper reality television cooking competitions. there were no clams last night that i could see. i remember smoked mushrooms, eggplants, garlic, anchovies, salami, pepperoni, fontina and smoked mozzarella and may be omitting an item or two. to get to the bottom of things, you have to open up a conversation with your server, and they will explain to you what is going on in the kitchen and you will gradually glean some of the information you need to order semi-intelligently. the servers at buck's have always been an enjoyable cast of characters, just passing through life and this is how you get to meet them, and that is equally true here, although they are still warming up.

we ordered one pizza with salami and fontina and a second with mushrooms and mozzarella. it is no surprise that they are idiosyncratic, slightly mishapen, cut into four slices, served on cookie sheets along with laughable, small white paper plates that you really don't need, because the crust is sturdy enough to handle easily. it is chewier, less elastic than the crust you will find at two amy's and if you had to polish off one or the other without any toppings whatsoever, i would go with this one. I had the chance to try it this way, because one quadrant of a pizza came enigmatically with nothing on it. the ton of canned end-of-the-summer tomatoes scarfed up from toigo's farm to stock this kitchen are apt to last a long time because the tomato sauce, along with the other toppings, is used sparingly. with a lesser crust, this might be a problem. in the case of these pies, my assessment is that the balance is right and plenty good.

to start your meal, for now, you have two choices: caesar salad and garden salad. we hailed caesar, and as tom sietsema would say, ours were fine. however, they are so basic, so plain, that any shortcomings, such as patches of oversalting, have no place to hide. in a way, the salad is more food for thought than anything else particularly worth mentioning. “Would you like to know about our cream cheese chocolate cake?” our amiable waiter inquires towards the end of the meal. “sure,” I tell him. “well,” he says, “it’s a cream cheese chocolate cake.” It’s worth finding out about, because it is a good piece of cake, almost quintessentially so, and a couple of dollars cheaper than it would cost at buck’s. our tab for two was heading for $90, less than we would have spent at two amy’s by $10 to $20 and roughly 40% lower than we would have paid buck’s, something to keep in mind if you find yourself walking out of politics and prose hungry with a thin wallet and a load of books that will take the next several months to read.

(if you are the sort of person who enjoys blindfolding themselves for a prolonged game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, immediately stop reading and skip this paragraph): it would be a good idea not to become too inebriated before you head off to the bathroom at comet for the first time, because you just might piss yourself before you find it on the other side of hidden doors that at first appear as a blank wall in the shower area. (no privacy is provided in this area, so it is not recommended for overheated players who are modest or who have not thought to bring along their own soap and towel.) Push the wall in the right place and, voila, it opens up to reveal the standard plumbing fixtures. Commenting on the large number of excited children populating the premises in the early evening, including a birthday party, our harangued waiter noted that the decor is indestructible (largely because everything has already been destroyed.) but in the bathroom you will find something that can be vandalized: the walls are wrapped in a beautiful mural painting of pastoral ping-pong, with allusions to manet and even the depiction of an extraterrestrial engaging in the sport, a brightly colored figurative expression for those who don’t cotton to the architectural ruins that predominate here. Across from the bar is the least harmonious element of the decor: a black-and-white photo montage that would look more at home in a community theater lobby.

This is a show-off space and even the staff is still searching for ways to describe it: like something from terry gilliam’s brazil is what we were told. One thing I hadn’t figured, underestimating the appeal of its transgressive vibes: little kids love this dark place and this anti-restaurant was made for them. Last night I dreamt I was learning how to fly a bomber and was dispatched to a lagoon-sized swimming pool, a cipher for comet, where tiny amphibious children were pushing deep into its cavernous depths away from the fading commands of their parents.

[erikv]

Dropped in tonight for several PBRs and some outstanding pizza. The space is pretty cool, and at around 6pm had several rugrats playings ping-pong. My friend and I had to censor our language during a heated game of ping-pong as we waited for our order, but that was fun. Very relaxed atmosphere, which helped since we had a slightly long wait for our food. The servers and staff were all very friendly and apologetic for the wait we had, but once we bit into the pies all ill will (however slight) was soon forgotten. I had an anchovie pizza and my friend had a smoked mozerella, pepperoni, and onion pizza. Both were out of this world outstanding! The crust had a perfect balance between burnt/crispy/chewy and we relished every bite. I will definately be back and only wish it were open earlier on weekend afternoons for some pies, pong, and PBR.

[synaesthesia]

I stopped by tonight. From the way it sounds compared to everyone else, I think the list of pizza toppings changes by the day, since we didn't see sausage on the list.

We ordered one with smoked mozzarella, melted onions, roasted red peppers and garlic.

The mozzarella was wonderfully smoky, and there was a little bit of spicyness. It was dripping some grease, which helped to make the crust nice and balance out the crispy burntness. Maybe a little on the pricey at $14 for a personal... But I'd def. avoid paying the $7 for the house salad.

Lucky for me I live about three blocks from this place, so I think there will definitely be plans for some takeout evenings.

[Joe H]

This is not going to be the post/comment/review that I had expected to make; especially since I first heard about Comet's planned opening a year ago and their intention to make a "New Haven" style pizza. I love New Haven pizza. Over the years I have twice driven round trip from D. C. to CT just to eat pizza, returning the same day feeling the 800 mile roundtrip investment was more than worth it. Even when we had to stand in line on Wooster street for 60 or more minutes to get in. Over the last twenty plus years I have been to Pepe's, Sally's, The Spot and Modern at least thirty to forty times. I've even been to the "new" Pepe's in Fairfield, CT where they somehow found a way to open a "new" coal oven! I've also eaten coal oven pizza from the North End to north Jersey and to Philly while also eating pizza at da Michele, Trianon, Il Pizzaiola, La Pergola and De Lorenzo's, Old Forge, Dayton, Phoenix, Racine, East Ohio street and hundreds of other places obsessively searching for great tomato pie by that or a similar name.

My wife and I went to Comet tonight for the first time. This has absolutely nothing in common with any pizza in New Haven that I am aware of. It actually was more similar to a kind of irregularly shaped, moderately thin crusted focaccia than it was pizza. It had tomato puree squirted on it from a plastic condiment container and was baked in a wood burning oven (as opposed to a coal oven where lumps of coal burn alongside the pie as they do in the three Wooster street pizzarias in New Haven). The result is an overall thicker crust that suffers from a lack of sufficient kneading and stretching although it is correctly charred. The interior of the pie is delicious. But 60-70% of it outside of this interior is so thick crusted that it detracts from the overall pleasure of the pie. At Pepe's and the other coal oven pizzarias in New Haven (Modern is a wood burning oven) we eat the charred edge of the crust. At Comet we left almost half of the pizza on the table. All of it from around the edge.

At Sally's the pizza maker spreads the chunks of fresh, overly ripe tomatoes with the open palm of his hand, picking out the tough spots that he feels. At Pepe's they use the back of a metal ladle where the pizza man "feels" the chunks as the ladle "bumps" over them; when he finds them he picks them out. The Spot is similar. At Comet they literally squirt tomato puree on from a plastic container. Just like ketchup. For me it is a real loss that several thousand pounds of tomatoes have been purchased and "put up" from Pennsylvania. The puree that is squirted on at Comet does not allow anyone to appreciate the taste or texture of these. In New Haven it is easy to taste the tomato and the flecks of fresh basil which Comet doesn't have either. Nor does Comet use anywhere near the amount of oil that the New Haven pizzarias do. I watched the baker at Sally's squirt olive oil on a pie for almost 10 seconds without stopping from a similar plastic bottle. At Comet I noted a few seconds, a "sprinkling."

Fresh mozz is a big deal in New Haven. It may be, too, at Comet. But the taste doesn't come through as it does in Connecticut. I remember arguments from "old timers" standing in line at Pepe's for why a particular pie wasn't quite "right." Both of them agreed the mozzarella wasn't quite as flavorful, quite the same as what they typically expected. For a New Haven pizzaria the mozz that goes on a pie is roughly similar to the mozz that we would search for to put on Heirloom or fresh in-season tomatoes with fresh basil. They expect to use similar quality on their pizza.

I didn't taste it on Comet's.

I'm sorry. Comet has a great atmosphere, a great personality-it felt like a room that would have the pizza of my dreams. But we left feeling that they were showing disrespect to New Haven pizza (yes, disrespect!)with an irregularly shaped, thicker crusted small pie that spoke more of Connecticut Avenue and less of New Haven. We also wondered how many would go there and think that New Haven pies were typically like this, that this "style" would explain the unusual almost foccacia like pie.

On a Saturday night at 7:30 with the restaurant half full we left hungry. The pies are small. Very small if you don't eat the half inch thick edges of the crust.

(Note: the following paragraph was added as an afterthought on Sunday at 1:00PM:

There are no prices listed anywhere-although the metal framed blackboard used to list the pizza options is copied from Pepe's. A carafe of decent Chianti was a surprising $26.00. We also wondered why they didn't open earlier than 6:15, not at the announced 6:00PM. Perhaps they should have a sign outside-any sign to let someone driving, even walking by know what this place is. They might also answer their phone with the name of the restaurant rather than just "hello-" when they decide to answer which is not very often in the daytime. Of course when they don't answer there is no recording. Frankly, it almost seems like an affectation of sorts to me that this restaurant has no sign, opens later than announced, rarely answers their phone in off hours (while regular hours are shorter) and doesn't list their prices anywhere.)

Perhaps they should sell pizza and not call it "New Haven" when it clearly is not.

They make a very good pie for whatever it's source is. But it is not New Haven. It is Connecticut avenue. A long way from New Haven. Or Napoli.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Joe H

[Antonio Burrell]

I'm sorry. Comet has a great atmosphere, a great personality-it felt like a room that would have the pizza of my dreams. But we left feeling that they were showing disrespect to New Haven pizza (yes, disrespect!)with an irregularly shaped, thicker crusted small pie that spoke more of Connecticut Avenue and less of New Haven. We also wondered how many would go there and think that New Haven pies were typically like this, that this "style" would explain the unusual almost foccacia like pie.

On a Saturday night at 7:30 with the restaurant half full we left hungry. The pies are small.

I have to agree with Joe, but with one difference. I've never had a "New Haven" pizza so I had no preconceptions on what to expect. I just went to have pizza. They are small and for 18 dollars, the clam pizza is insanely expensive for what I got. It was good, mind you, just not 18 dollars good. I really like the thyme that they sprinkled on it. The funny thing is that the server felt almost embarrased that it was so expensive and he actually asked me what I thought it was worth. It's good, I said, about 15 dollars good though, not 18 dollars good. They are very small pies, so I had the ceasar salad, which was good, I like more garlic, but that's my preference. I liked the crust, mine was pleasently chewy. I think that I do have a preference for "that other pizza place" however. I think the best part was relating to my wife how I'd eaten pizza and drank PBR and played ping pong many a day during college. For me, the overall experience was good, I'd go back, I just wouldn't make the effort unless I was close.

edited to add: I'm going to go back next month and see if this is typical, but I am more inclined to say that these are mearly kinks to be ironed out and soon they'll be closer to the "ideal" that they are searching for....

[Heather]

Mrs. B and I stopped in for dinner tonight. I liked the look of the place and wish they were open a little earlier because 6 is too late for our kids.

The $7 house salad is a bowl of lettuce. It's good lettuce, but I wouldn't pay seven bucks for it again. My tomato pie had a pleasantly chewy crust, spicy pepperoni and just enough cheese. I requested and got extra sauce (Don, does that get me lunch?) and was very satisfied with what came out. I tried a slice of Mrs. B's white pizza with greens and anchovies and it was good enough that I'd probably get that if I go back.

I agree with the poster above that it's expensive for what you get. Two small pizzas, one house salad, and two gin & tonics came to $48 before tip. Service was enthusiastic.

ETA the bathrooms are not for drunk people.

[DC in DC]

I returned yesterday in the hopes of trying the clam pizza after reading reports here that it was available (and, after sampling New Haven-style clam pizza at the "Spot" next door to Pepe's over the weekend in New Haven). Unfortunately, both the clam pizza AND smoked mozzerela (my backup was that + garlic) were unavailable last night. That was kind of a bummer.

Did anyone notice that the pizza has gotten smaller since the opening? I went about 2 weekends ago, and I swear the pizza was much larger than what is being served now.

I agree with those who thought the crust was a bit too charred and thick. Nothing that the excellent olive oil on the table can't solve. Otherwise, the pizza is very flavorful and seasoned.

We were erroneously brought pieces of the "pong cake" early on in our meal, which of course, piqued our interest in ordering it later. It is an extremely rich piece of chocolate cake, with super rich and yummy frosting, and a dollop of marscapone cheese on top. Our server said that the cake is made at Buck's. Definitely order this.

[cheezepowder]

So the City Paper has posted a picture of the pizza. But it looks like they had more tomato sauce on theirs than I had on mine.

[synaesthesia]

So the City Paper has posted a picture of the pizza. But it looks like they had more tomato sauce on theirs than I had on mine.

Well that looks like carryout (I asked and they do carryout) so that probably made it easier to get away with. Though that doesn't guarantee it will be there tomorrow.

[giant shrimp]

So the City Paper has posted a picture of the pizza. But it looks like they had more tomato sauce on theirs than I had on mine.

it sure looks good, but isn't exactly what we got. i would say this one costs $20.

[mame11]

At 8:30 p.m. last night, Sunday, I stopped by to see if I could pick a pie up to go. Um, they had closed early because they had run out of food. Running out of an ingredient is understanable but the makings of pizza? Is 8:30 that late?

[giant shrimp]

At 8:30 p.m. last night, Sunday, I stopped by to see if I could pick a pie up to go. Um, they had closed early because they had run out of food. Running out of an ingredient is understanable but the makings of pizza? Is 8:30 that late?

they weren't even open on sundays two weeks ago, so this could have been their first open sunday.

[DC in DC]

At 8:30 p.m. last night, Sunday, I stopped by to see if I could pick a pie up to go. Um, they had closed early because they had run out of food. Running out of an ingredient is understanable but the makings of pizza? Is 8:30 that late?

Crazy! I was there last night and while it didn't seem very busy, the wait staff definitely looked harried. We had the sweetest teenage boy as our server that kept (unnecessarily) apologizing for the "wait." Anyway, we left at 8:20 and the main seating area was almost empty. Maybe they were turning people away already.

They did have clam pizza last night. Not bad, but I agree that it's a little pricey at $18. My husband was also surprised by the small size of the pies. We decided to forgo the pong cake to play ping pong instead. Does anyone know if they plan to serve other appetizers besides the salad? The pizza alone isn't quite enough for a meal (for me).

[Waitman]

At 8:30 p.m. last night, Sunday, I stopped by to see if I could pick a pie up to go. Um, they had closed early because they had run out of food. Running out of an ingredient is understanable but the makings of pizza? Is 8:30 that late?

The thing of it is, you can't just order up more dough. If you miscalculate at the beginning of the shift, there's no making up for it later on.

[Heather]

Waitman is right, you can't just whip up a new batch of dough. Sounds like they need to rethink their prep - not unusual if it was their first Sunday service..

[schnyder]

I went last night. I really liked it. The crust was crispy and slightly salty. Everything tasted fresh and real. I got anchovies and ricotta. Loved it. Wife got "melted onions" not bad. Bro in law got smoked mushrooms and huge chunks of garlic.

PBR in a can. What's not to like?

As I said, I liked this place and will go back. It's not 2 Amys as it's not really for kids. When we bring the kids, we'll do 2 Amy's.

[The Hersch]

PBR in a can. What's not to like?

The beer. And the can.

[plunk]

PBR in a can. What's not to like?

How much do they charge for this?

[JPW]

How much do they charge for this?

They should pay you to drink it.

[Jonathan]

They should pay you to drink it.

it has become the beer of choice for hipsters.

no joke: in portland, oregon, a place where they make tons and tons of local brews, PBR is one of the, if not the most, popular beer.

[JPW]

it has become the beer of choice for hipsters.

no joke: in portland, oregon, a place where they make tons and tons of local brews, PBR is one of the, if not the most, popular beer.

Knew that, but am amazed at the fad's staying power. I thought PBR went out of style with the trucker hat craze.