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Del Ray Pizzeria, Owner Erik Dorn's Pizza Sports Bars in Del Ray and Now in Belle Haven


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Had lunch here today. It is apparently true - Eric Reid is running the show. The waiter said they reopened under new management 2 weeks back. I didn't even realize that it had opened and closed and reopened in such a short period.

Anyhoo - Sandwiches were great. Our table had a steak and cheese and meatball. Pizza was just ok and could use some help on the crust. It was fairly bland.

On tap they had magic hat, brooklyn lager, a couple other decent ones I can't remember.

I very much look forward to going back to try the main selections. Has anyone been for dinner?

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Had lunch here today. It is apparently true - Eric Reid is running the show. The waiter said they reopened under new management 2 weeks back. I didn't even realize that it had opened and closed and reopened in such a short period.

Anyhoo - Sandwiches were great. Our table had a steak and cheese and meatball. Pizza was just ok and could use some help on the crust. It was fairly bland.

On tap they had magic hat, brooklyn lager, a couple other decent ones I can't remember.

I very much look forward to going back to try the main selections. Has anyone been for dinner?

Who's Eric Reid? I assume you don't mean the Miami Heat play-by-play guy...

Never mind; just figured it out. Need more coffee this AM.

Good to see Eric found some place new so quickly.

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May also mean that they need help in the kitchen.

It's still needs some work, this whole pizza thing is entirely new to me. We're working on new dough recipes constantly. I was fortunate enough to bring over most of my staff from DMG, including my sister Bee, who is running the front of the house. The location its self is unbelievable, the actual layout is different, something we're also working on. I look forward to seeing you all.

Thanks again for your years of support at Del Merei.

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Nice meal there with both kids a couple nights ago. My meat-laden pizza was great and the kids grilled cheeses were really tasty. I ate most of their fries, please don't tell anyone.

BUT....

As I really want this place to succeed in the neighborhood, just expressing a concern about not having sandwiches or anything less of a big deal at dinner time. Although the pastas are reasonably priced, not having a cheaper sandwich/burger/something like that option makes the restaurant a "medium" deal quickly and harder to justify for a spur of the moment quick night out, especially if one is "over-pizzaed" - a common syndrome for parents of younger kids.

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Had a great piece of A.S.S.S* during a recent weekday lunch.

As we entered Pizzeria Del Ray, I was struck by remarkably airy views and plenty of window space. The flowing interior spans far beyond what the exterior portends. A half dozen TVs adorn the venue, but only two were turned on during lunch, making this a good place for a business meal.

Note To Future Self: The half-dozen seats right at the bar, or just about any table in the house, would offer a fantastic place to catch a game. A long list of Oskar Blues, Founders, Dogfish, and other selections graced both the printed and handwritten placard menu, as did the vividly described wine selections.

Our calamari starter ($7) provided light breading with nicely chilled, brightly acidic lemon aioli and pleasantly piping hot marinara. Accompanying arugula made for a peppery finish, all high quality ingredients treated honorably.

Alfredo, sausage, shallot, spinach pizza ($13) and a Prime Time (tomato sauce, sliced New York strip, blue cheese, mushrooms, shallots, truffle oil, $13), both 10-inch thin-crusts, followed. The former required us to add freshly grated parmesan and red pepper flakes to wake up the flavors. But the Prime Time needed a fork lift to pick my dining companion’s jaw off the floor. “One of the best pizza toppings of my life” he proclaimed, as pungency met hearty met earthy met intensity. I kept calling it SporeFest (fungi and mold!), he kept calling it Heaven, but it was a seriously rich and delicious concoction.

Service had definite hiccups. A misheard drink order, the long delay between drink ordering and meal ordering, and a forgotten request for lemon wedge for the appetizer (which turned out to be unneeded) all added up to room for improvement. On counterpoint, our arrival was met by an enthusiastic server who made us feel welcomed quickly.

We inquired about the possibility of gluten-free, or even wheat-free, dough on the horizon. The server noted they had heard that same inquiry from several customers. Perhaps a groundswell of requests could enable an additional crust option sometime down the road--wink/hint/nod to lperry, ktmoomau, ScotteeM, others. In the meantime, I’ll return for certain to try additional Pizzeria creations, hopefully at night to enable libation liberation.

After this meal, ample leftovers kept beautifully, the flavors deepening with time and enjoyed even more with age. Here’s wishing Pizzeria Del Ray follows a similar trajectory, with a growing and ever-deepening base of appreciative regulars.

*Third menu item down

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We inquired about the possibility of gluten-free, or even wheat-free, dough on the horizon.

Thanks for the kind words. It has been fun crafting different pizza creations, something I'm certainly new at. We have had requests for gluten free options, my main concern is that the kitchen is small and we don't have a lot of room to work. Flour is always flying in the air.

At Del Merei we had numerous gluten free menu options and I would like to offer them at the Pizzeria as well. So, what I'm getting at is, will the flour in the air contaminate the gluten free pizza dough? Any suggestions or are ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Eric

We now carry 50 plus beers, couple are gluten free.

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From what I'm reading, probably. :) Some celiacs can get sick from miniscule amounts of gluten.

Hey Eric - From my time at Rustico, I can tell you unless your dough is prepared in a separate kitchen and cooked in a seperate oven, its not possible to guarantee someone they won't have a reaction. While we received mostly praise for the chickpea crust, I responded to more than a few phone calls and letters from people who said they didn't feel right the next day. We started to coach the employees ("we do offer the gluten free crust. While we don't want to scare any one off, if you are very sensitive to gluten, your best bet is to avoid pizza altogether as we can't guarantee cross-contamination blah blah blah..."

Since moving to matchbox, the inquiries about a gf crust here are non-stop. I've found when I choose to explain why we don't offer it, I get thanked for looking out for their interests. Still looking to try out your new digs...

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At around 8:00pm last night, the pizzeria had a decent crowd, with quite a few families having a late dinner. Little man decided a second dinner* was in order and ended up devouring half of a 10" pizza all on his own.

Always going the choose-your-own pizza these days, a pizza containing spinach, aged parmesan, and ricotta was only $11, a fair price for the pizzerias I tend to go to. The pizza was good and fresh, although an eentsy bit crispier than I am used to. Can't wait to come back and try some of the things kmango suggests upthread.

*Little man had a decent bowl of noodle soup already. Lunch was 15 lamb and kale wontons. When we got home, he decided he was still hungry and proceeded to down 2 tube yogurts. This is at 4. I am afraid to imagine what he will be like at 11 or 13....

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Del Ray Pizzeria has a coupon today, $10 for $20. Anyone been lately (not much to lose with $10, but maybe someone has recommendations).

Yup, we were there this past Wednesday. It turned my "oh no, I'm not ready to cook for company" dinner situation into rounds of applause from a visiting family member who adored every morsel of his food.

A couple of tips:

  • Don't let the name "pizza rolls" turn you off. Like you, I associated that phrase with uniformly shaped, bottom-of-the-line ingredient nightmares stacked two-dozen high in the frozen aisle at Costco. And, hopefully like you, I ordered them anyway, confident that Chef Eric would create something magical. Between the prosciutto, mozzarella, and two dipping sauces, this is an outrageously interesting and flavorful starter. It's hearty as well, requiring both fork and knife, and a bit filling, which is a very good thing because this can mean....
  • Leftovers! I don't know what it is (Elfin magix?), but Pizzeria Del Ray leftovers have, without exception, always tasted amazingly well developed the next day and the texture stays true. Most pizzas do not keep nearly this well. So I recommend erring on the side of over-ordering, your lunch will thank you the next day.
  • On a less positive note, ymmv, but dinnertime this past Wednesday was deafening LOUD. It was so difficult to converse without raising our voices, we wound up ordering appetizers and drinks at the table, and took our pizzas to go. I believe an office group or other social gathering was happening at the bar, which probably contributed mightily to the din. And of the three instances I've been to this restaurant during peak times, this deafening has happened only once, but is something worth noting...mentally...don't say it out loud and add to the cacophony.
  • I've had both the arugula and watermelon salad, both are excellent.

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Good enough for the President, apparently!

I didn't see this until the end of the one video I looked at. My friend was stunned to run into him at the Best Buy before this stop, and I was checking google news to see if her picture showed up anywhere. She was walking out of the Wii aisle as he was walking in, thought she recognized him but didn't know why. Then it dawned on her and he reached out and shook her hand. (Her version of the story is better.)

I'm glad he wasn't just visiting big chain stores :) .

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Matt and I just got back from Dairy Godmother about an hour ago, and I saw this, then Eric Reid's Facebook page, then the CBS Video. Our conversation went like this:

"Matt, do you remember Del Merei Grille?"

"Yes."

"You remember it closed down, right?"

"Right."

"Well, the owner opened up a pizza parlor up the street, right by where we were tonight, and guess who ate there this afternoon?"

"You?"

"Obama."

"What?!"

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A couple of newer developments at DRP...

On recent visits, more than one server has let me know Chef Eric expanded his house-ground meat offerings, including sausage and meatballs. The quality and attention to detail shows, as it does with most top-notch ingredients here. Memorable experiences from the outrageously rich and luscious gnocchi with meatballs, and savory sausage in both the pizza rolls and on a thin crust pizza, indicate this was a smart move to build an even deeper loyal patron base.

A brunch menu, both Saturday and Sunday, is now part of the regular lineup here. As a wee lassie who is admittedly more into microgreens than Texas Toast on a weekend morning, I found the DRP Benedict on mozzarella-bruschetta difficult to cut. Once I navigated that, the bright lemon of hollandaise offered nice spark, with salty ham on counterpoint to richly yolked eggs.

My fussiness probably extended into my assessment of the entree names. I dismissed several of them as intended for people with far larger appetites than mine: The Big Bowl, Big B.E.L.T.C.H., and Plate-Sized Pancakes. But sports fans should dig it, this is hearty fare for a relaxed morning while TVs in the bar recap the latest victories, defeats, and draws. Brunch prices are wallet-friendly, $8-$14 for entrees, and $2 per extra side dish. The exceptional salad and sandwich menu is also available during brunch, most in the $6-$9 range. With all the shops nearby, this would be an especially good location for a small group to convene for some weekend R&R (restaurant and retail).

On a recent Sunday morning, I overheard one of the servers lamenting how delicious the sausage smelled, because she is a vegetarian.

She is for now, anyway. :rolleyes:

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Ah, so I'm becoming a bit of a local here lately...

A few recent shout outs:

  • The menu staple BCA (bacon/crab/artichoke) dip arrives with both freshly fried pita-esque chips and fresh pita wedges. It's rich, and more than enough for two or three to start a meal. Although I did not notice, nor miss, the bacon this past time...perhaps it is a lighter edition for summer? Or maybe the B stands for baked, and I'm on auto-pork belly mode for some reason.
  • Find an excuse, any excuse (pizza crusts!), to request a side of the house made ranch dressing. Yes, it's just ranch, but the garlic and depth are a revelation.
  • If offered the "Cheesecake Tart", order it, and sharpen your fork tines to prepare for a table-wide fight to the finish! Pillowy light, topped with feather-touch sponge cake, dotted with cranberries, dark berries, sliced strawberries, and a whisper hint of powdered sugar. Outstanding.

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Three more reasons to venture towards Del Ray Pizzeria this season...

1. Grilled Romaine Salad, $6: Smoke from the pecans, thinly sliced pear, micro-crumble blue cheese, maple-glazed bacon bits, and honorably grilled lettuce make this salad a lot more than the sum of it's flavor parts. I am not normally a fan of grilled leaf anything, but will be returning soon for this one.

2. Gift Certificate for a Trivia Buff, price varies: Monday nights are trivia night, a pleasant early-week diversion for any trivia hounds on your gift list. As an extra bonus, get me to come along, they'll feel omniscient.

3. The Enclosed Snapshot, free: This is what diners see when they first walk in the door this week.

(p.s. at dairy godmother)

(house made marshmallows are back!)

(walking distance: 150 feet)

post-5654-0-70395900-1355231643_thumb.jp

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Once upon a time, "frickles" were the only appetizer I would get here. Then I tried the pizza rolls. Crispy, doughy, bacony, with sides of garlicky ranch and a slightly spicy marinara. Can't ditch the frickles, but now there are two "must get" items every time I'm here.

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One thing I believe to be true about Del Ray Pizzeria ...

May we please pause for a moment, and each pay our own silent tribute to Claudia Gomez?

One thing I believe to be true about Del Ray Pizzeria is that they may have the strongest beer program in Del Ray (Evening Star Cafe would be in the running as well). I began my early dinner with a draft of Natty Greene's Old Town Brown ($6.50) - a somewhat thin, but flavorful brown ale that isn't nearly as fearsome as it looks, but also lacks a bit of depth - I'm glad I tried one; I didn't go back for a second.

Since President Obama dined at Del Ray Pizzeria, they naturally have a section of the menu (entitled "President Approved Pizzas") devoted to his orderings, and I suspect they're all best-sellers, too. A Large (14"), Thin-Crust "Barack My World" ($19) was, I suspect, renamed after his visit. Homemade red sauce on homemade crust, with mozzarella, pepperoni, and house-ground sausage, this was - both in name, and in reality - a glorified sausage-and-pepperoni pizza. For a thin-crust-pizza, the dough was somewhat French-bread like, and thicker than I thought it would be. The pepperoni seemed like standard-issue, thin-sliced Hormel, but the sausage - scattered thinly in fine crumbs - was a step up. In execution, the pizza should have either seen a hotter oven, or should have been cooked longer because some of the grated mozzarella hadn't fully melted out of its grated shape. (the kitchen should be vigilant with this). If I were in Del Ray, and were choosing between this and any of the national chains, I would choose this every time, but this was nevertheless pizza designed to serve masses of people, and wasn't a destination pie.

Note that Del Ray pizzeria also offers gluten-free pizza. They don't offer delivery that I'm aware of, but if they did - keeping a two-mile radius enforced - I suspect it would be fruitful: there are a lot of people living in this area, especially considering high-rises are limited.

For my second beer, I tried a draft of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale ($6.50) - get it? RyePA? - and this was more to my liking. I love the taste of rye in my drinks, and it was enough to offset any pale ale hoppiness that might otherwise intrude upon my happiness.

Del Ray Pizzeria has lots of TVs, with lots of different sporting events on - I was enjoying the UVA-Hopkins lacrosse game, sitting next to a huge UVA lacrosse fan. This restaurant is almost in sports bar territory, and it was kind of fun.

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My local.

It is what it is - a local pizza joint slash sports bar.

Not getting into the nuts and bolts, pizza is religion and for those that prefer neopolitan style, this is anathema. For those that like pan pizza or thin crust, it's good. It's bread, good cheese, good toppings, good service, good beer.

Every night there are locals here- me for one, Mayor Bill (maybe Congressman Bill soon?), the yoga teachers, the other service industry types. People talk to you. The bartender with facial hair sometimes and sometimes not - he knows beer very well. Ask him questions. Ask for tasters. Tell him your inner feelings - he has served as a therapist for me and my friends for a few years.

I got the buffalo chicken sandwich, but with diesel sauce. Hot as Kate Upton in zero gravity (you know what I'm talking about). They had Stone "enjoy by April 20" so I had that. Grassy and delicious. I rarely order pizza here. It's good and I like it enough but I just don't eat pizza much.

I really like DRP. Not for what it supposed to be known for. More because I like for what it stands for - it is Del Ray.

I also recommend the wings andouille po boy, and the nachos. All solid.

S

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It looks like the new location on Belle Haven Road, off the GW Parkway just south of Old Town Alexandria, has opened. That should be a good location for them. Not too much available in that neighborhood.

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It looks like the new location on Belle Haven Road, off the GW Parkway just south of Old Town Alexandria, has opened. That should be a good location for them. Not too much available in that neighborhood.

Nothing on Belle Haven Road that I can I think of; the closest are a bit down Fort Hunt Road on Belle View Blvd in the shopping center.  Off the top of my head, it has:  Baskin Robbins, Roy Rogers, Subway, Dishes of India, Brenner's Bakery, an Italian deli, and Primo Family Restaurant.  UnWined Belle View is also in that shopping center.

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My wife and I checked out the Belle Haven branch of Del Ray pizza last night which seems to be called DRP, or maybe not, I'm not quite sure.  Who cares? 
 
The first thing I noticed when we pulled up was about a dozen or so raised beds with herbs and veggies growing outside.  They also have a nice sized stone patio outside (no tables there yet) which looks to nearly double the size of the place.
 
The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the place was nearly overrun with kids.  At 7:30 the place was packed with lots of young families and lots of pre-teen kids.  We got the last available table (for two) right smack in the middle of the action.  Luckily, a few minutes later a booth opened up and we were able to move over.  It was much less intense over there!  10 or 20 minutes later there were three or four open tables and there or four fewer families with kids in the place.  By the time we left at 8:30ish it was a completely different restaurant.  We walked into to Chuck E Cheese and walked out of a nice neighborhood joint.
 
They have a happy hour from ?? - 6:30 with drink specials and $2 off on apps and our waiter said they've been getting a good happy hour crowd, which transitions into the family hour, which eventually transitions into a quite restaurant.  It's amazing to think that this place that was completely packed on a rainy Tuesday night used to be a broken down convince store.  They probably made more money last night than "Pat's" made in a month.
 
Anyhow, on to the food.  We split everything and ordered way too much, but there were a lot of nice choices on the menu.
 
We started with the smoked chicken wings with red rooster sauce (mild, spicy, red rooster, and diesel were the degrees of hot sauce, but they also had Cajun, Old Bay, BBQ, teriyaki and lemon pepper). At first I thought the sauce was not at all spicy, but it had a bit of a delayed reaction and really delivered in the end.  There was a nice smoky flavor to the wings too.  Interestingly the online menu dated April13 had them priced at $7/10 for a small or larger order, but our menu had them at $8/12.  Either way they were very good.  The "smoked" aspect set them apart from your standard Buffalo wing.  EDIT - I was looking at the prices of the Del Ray location ($7/10).  I just found the online menu for the Belle Haven location and they were listed what we were charged, ($8/12)
 
Next up was the Grilled Chipotle Caesar Salad for $7.  The "grilled" part refers to the Romaine lettuce.  I don't think I'd ever heard of grilled lettuce before Rose's Luxury started doing it.  Has grilled lettuce always been a thing?!?!  The salad was very big and very tasty with the burnt taste coming through nicely.   Like the wings, I'd definitely order this again.
 
The Duck Ruben was recommended by our server, but even if he hadn't, we probably would have ordered it anyway.  ($13).  Here's the description from the menu: Pulled duck leg confit, caramelized onions, pickled red cabbage, 1000 island and swiss. It came with a choice of fries, tots or salad. Again, very tasty, a little unusual, and another thing I'd get again.

Our final choice, which pushed the order into total overkill mode was a pizza. We got it mostly to take home to the kids so we stuck to a "regular" pizza, the Barack My World - peperoni, sausage, and mozz.  It seemed to have some parmesan sprinkled on top too.  I didn't see any, but could taste it.  We got the 14" size for $19.  Very nice.  They have 3 sizes of pizza.  The 10" and 14" are thin crust and the 12" is thick crust.

Good place for a casual meal.  We'll definitely be back.

http://www.drpbellehaven.com/menu.html

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Matt and I ate at Del Ray Pizzeria Belle Haven location Saturday night after coming from Lowe's on Route 1. I had pizza, which wasn't terrible, but wasn't on the top of my pizza list either, it was fine.  Matt's buffalo chicken sandwich however looked amazing and he really liked it.  I was totally thrown off my game because I was going to order, "Carolina Gold Jambalaya" which I assumed was jambalaya  made with Carolina Gold rice, when I went to order it the waitress explained it was their take on it and was pasta and had a cream sauce, so I didn't order it.  On their current regular menu online it says pasta, however it didn't say pasta, nor did it say cream sauce.  Anyway I didn't like the new sound of it so I scrambled for another option.  They did have a nice beer list.  

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DRP Belle Haven has been wildly successful since it opened in the spring. The bar is a great spot to grab an beer and burger after work....if you can get a stool. The buffalo chicken pizza, burgers, wings and steak salad are all hits with our family. Not a big fan of the nachos (which are oddly composed) or the duck, which was downright mushy when I tried the Ruben sandwich.

This past summer they opened the terrific patio on one side (with cornhole to entertain the kids while waiting for your food) and a seasonal frozen custard stand on the other side. This outpost has rapidly become a much-needed local watering hole for many.

One caveat.....I have yet to have a fully successful carry-out experience. Every order seems to have some sort of error each time, even with VERY specific confirmation of the order placed over the phone. Something seems to get lost in translation with the kitchen.

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Other than Pupatella, where do people in close-in Northern Virginia go for the best pizza these days? Wiseguy?

I can tell you where *not* to go - after opening the front door in Del Ray last night, we were blasted by a 100-decibel trivia quiz, so we sat outside (incidentally, last night is the first time all summer that I've been cold outside, so autumn is coming).

The beer selection is good, but here is the pizza we were greeted with, a 14-Inch Supreme Clientele ($19):

IMG_3497.JPG

This pizza is exactly how it looks: It's edible if you don't eat the "bones" at the end, but it's also nothing you'd return for - the very definition of mediocrity.

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Other than Pupatella, where do people in close-in Northern Virginia go for the best pizza these days? Wiseguy?

I can tell you where *not* to go - after opening the front door in Del Ray last night, we were blasted by a 100-decibel trivia quiz, so we sat outside (incidentally, last night is the first time all summer that I've been cold outside, so autumn is coming).

The beer selection is good, but here is the pizza we were greeted with, a 14-Inch Supreme Clientele ($19):

IMG_3497.JPG

This pizza is exactly how it looks: It's edible if you don't eat the "bones" at the end, but it's also nothing you'd return for - the very definition of mediocrity.

It's so bad... ugh. 

Red Rocks in Old Town for Neapolitan style, Valentinos for NY style... Fireworks in Arlington is pretty good. Otherwise, a desert. 

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29 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Other than Pupatella, where do people in close-in Northern Virginia go for the best pizza these days? Wiseguy?

I can tell you where *not* to go - after opening the front door in Del Ray last night, we were blasted by a 100-decibel trivia quiz, so we sat outside (incidentally, last night is the first time all summer that I've been cold outside, so autumn is coming).

The beer selection is good, but here is the pizza we were greeted with, a 14-Inch Supreme Clientele ($19):

IMG_3497.JPG

This pizza is exactly how it looks: It's edible if you don't eat the "bones" at the end, but it's also nothing you'd return for - the very definition of mediocrity.

To me, Del Ray Pizzeria is decent if looked at more as a local bar (with fair to decent bar food intended to soak up a couple of evening beers), rather than a purveyor of quality pizza.

These days, in Northern VA, Pupatella remains king - however, lately I've actually enjoyed Crust Neapolitan in Tysons even more than Pupatella.  The dough, at least lately, feels a bit lighter and more digestible than Pupatella.  The pizzaiolo is, I believe, a cousin of the owner of Menomale and Salumeria in Brookland (both of which are excellent establishments).

Wiseguys is good for NY style, and I enjoy it.  Haven't been to Orso since Will Artley was there, but it was good then.  I need to revisit to see how it stacks up against Crust/Pupatella/Menomale.

I also really enjoy the pizza at Italian Store and have for years - it's somewhat like NY style, but also vaguely reminds me of the lesser quality by-the-slice 'za that is available block by block in every major Italian city.  Nothing you'd travel out of the way for (i.e. not a destination pizzeria), but satisfying and comforting in it's on way.  That's meant to be a compliment.

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I certainly don't get to every pizza place in the region.  It turns out I enjoy Neapolitan and NY style, plus some in the middle some place.  Some I've enjoyed in the last year include:

Pupatella, Orso in Falls Church (still very  good), WiseGuy for take out, Ciao Osteria in Centreville, (though I won't go there often but if I lived nearby I'd be there often) and for me the tremendously convenient Fireworks in Arlington.  Fireworks pizza is not distinctive to any style.  6-7 years ago or so when it first opened  I thought the pizza dough horrific.  Its vastly improved and reasonably good.  They have terrific and inventive toppings which has always been their strength.  

WiseGuy is still a wonderful example of NY style Pizza.  Lot of toppings there.  Worthwhile in Arlington/ actually a better experience downtown.

Pizza/convenience. Hmmm.... If I actually gave a hoot about craft beers I'd probably rent a seat at Fireworks have them put my name on it and be there all the time.   I did grow up in Jersey after all........

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I think the pizzas at Liberty Tavern are underrated.  IMO they are best eaten there as they do not travel as well as some others (but can be decently revived in the oven at home).  We stick pretty much to the Classico (crushed tomato, basil, mozzarella di bufala) or the Brunch Pizza (if we are there at brunch).  The Brunch Pizza does freeze and reheat quite nicely for an easy breakfast slice later in the week if you cannot make it all the way through on your first pass.  Make sure you wrap the slices individually.  Just remove from the freezer, unwrap and place in the oven (on foil or baking sheet) at 350 degrees, go and take a shower and get ready for work, and it will be ready when you are done.  Easy peasy.

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On 8/29/2017 at 11:42 AM, DonRocks said:

Other than Pupatella, where do people in close-in Northern Virginia go for the best pizza these days? Wiseguy?

I can tell you where *not* to go - after opening the front door in Del Ray last night, we were blasted by a 100-decibel trivia quiz, so we sat outside (incidentally, last night is the first time all summer that I've been cold outside, so autumn is coming).

The beer selection is good, but here is the pizza we were greeted with, a 14-Inch Supreme Clientele ($19):

IMG_3497.JPG

This pizza is exactly how it looks: It's edible if you don't eat the "bones" at the end, but it's also nothing you'd return for - the very definition of mediocrity.

What didn't you like about it?

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I have to say, I agree on the pizza. We actually really like DRP (and by "we" I mean the adults, since our picky kids have a very odd collection of foods they like, which include neither meat nor pizza nor fries), but never order the pizza. It's been a while, but I recall it being bland (crust and sauce) and too doughy. And we really like the sandwiches, and the trivia, so we haven't bothered to try it again.

Other than Pupatella, our current favorite in Northern Virgina is Pete's in Clarendon.

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