Pizzeria Orso, S. Maple Ave. in Falls Church - Chef Carlos Diaz Steps In For Will Artley, With GM Sara Barrera

[DrXmus]

I'll concur with everyone else that Pizzeria Orso is a must-eat restaurant in the area. My wife, our friend and I hit it for lunch today (Saturday).

We had the Suppli di Telephono and the Potato Crocche (potato/cheese croquettes) for appetizers. Complaint #1) they arrived about 60 seconds before the pizza (not great) and #2) they were horribly underseasoned. Otherwise, they were both very good with the Crocche winning the contest (with added salt). The potato was coarsely grated and still had some nice texture to it. The cheese flavor was subtle but tasty and present. Both would have been immensely tastier had the rice and potato been seasoned appropriately before being made into their respective finished dishes. They were fried perfectly.

At the table we had a Margherita DOC, a Crudo and a make-your-own with ham, artichokes, olives and something else I can't remember. The crust was great on all of them. It was chewy and flavorful, with nicely charred edges and bottom. I really enjoyed the ingredients on the Crudo (prosciutto/arugula/Grana); they seemed to be of high quality. SWMBO's Margherita was good, but was a little light on the sauce. I understand the need to not oversauce a 'za, but the consensus was that it was not quite enough. We liked that the basil wasn't overdone. Nothing worse than a pile of basil on a Margherita pizza. Good job, there.

The beer list is quite sufficient, with really good options available. I loved my Firestone Union Jack IPA on draught. What a great beer to have with great pizza! I can easily see hanging out at the bar and watching a game with a beer or two and an appetizer. Pizzeria Orso is definitely a place to visit multiple times. I can see myself trying several different pizzas that sounded great. The space is beautiful, but I can see how it'd get loud once they get busier and more crowded. It's all hard surfaces, except for the cushy booth seats (which felt great!).

Kudos, pizza man.

[Ericandblueboy]

This pizza here is different than its major competition. It is about 4 x soupier and 3 x puffier than any pizza I've ever had. Part of the soupiness comes from a very generous serving of the fresh mozzarella. I can't complain. The crust was taken out of the oven at the perfect moment; it had a delicious, delicate char that I swear tasted slightly caramelized. It was definitely worth a bravo

By Steve Siegel on CH - I generally respect his posts but how can his description possibly be accurate? Maybe his life has previously been blessed with non-soupy pizzas but I doubt it.

[Joe H]

By Steve Siegel on CH - I generally respect his posts but how can his description possibly be accurate? Maybe his life has previously been blessed with non-soupy pizzas but I doubt it.

We had two pies at Orso last night and both were exceptionately soupy with the cheese and toppings sliding off of the middle of the crust when sliced and lifted from the pie onto each plate. Charring was superb and flavorful but there was absolutely no crunch to the puffy edges. Both of our pies had buffalo mozz which as Steve notes will add "soup." We need to return and order pies without buffalo mozz to see what their crust will be like. Next week I'm back in L. A. where I'll return to Pizzaria Mozza which is my standard bearer along with several pizzas "with a three day rise" at Philly's Osteria. Orso is really going to come down to expectations and whether or not someone likes a crust like this. I believe that most will, most will even rave about it as they have on here. I just need to try a few more but the puffy edges to the Margherita were surprising for their lack of crunch. (Many will say there should NOT be a crunch.) Sausage by the way was probably the most flavorful that I have ever had on a pie.

[lion]

I just need to try a few more but the puffy edges to the Margherita were surprising for their lack of crunch. (Many will say there should NOT be a crunch.) Sausage by the way was probably the most flavorful that I have ever had on a pie.

I was looking for the 'crunch' myself and found it on opening Tuesday with my Margherita. It's such a slight thing that it can be easily overlooked or in the heat of pushing out pizzas every two minutes be lost as well. In terms of the 'soupiness', yes there was a little of that, but the favors of the toppings were so distinct, definitely a caliber higher than other places. Really want to go again and see how it is, before commenting more since think it will take six weeks to get everything 'firing up' correctly. However, for the DC area it's one of the best already. I'm curious to see if it becomes a national level destination. It definitely has the potential.

[Ericandblueboy]

clam, sausage broccoli rabe, and diavola...from my wife's phone camera....

[pizza man]

Will provide descriptions later...clam, sausage broccoli rabe, and diavola...from my wife's phone camera....

Those Pizze look like Sh!t. Sorry. I admit to taking a half hour break today-it's been a very long week. Please allow me to make it up to you.

Thanks.

[Arcturus]

Those Pizze look like Sh!t. Sorry. I admit to taking a half hour break today-it's been a very long week. Please allow me to make it up to you.

Thanks.

They absolutely do. I take responsibility for that. Again, apologies.

[Scott Johnston]

Claudia and I had a great meal here on Sunday and both feel this is a great addition to Falls Church. The service was top notch and very friendly. The wait staff knew the menu, refilled glasses, pointed out favorites and did everything possible to insure we had a good stay. We started with Suppli A Telefono and Potato Crocche. Both were really good and large portions. I will say that ordering both together was a bit of an over kill as there were only two of us to share. In any event, I love the fillings in both of these. Next we tried the Eggplant Parm. The cheese was nicely crusted and reminded me of breaking into a crème brule, the simple tomato sauce and fresh basil really made this dish. Next was a simple Bambino pizze (Tomato, mozzarella, grana) to which we added sausage. Really really good. The pizza came out perfect, and was really flavorful. We finished with a Tri Colore pizza that was the high light of the lunch. You really get two pizzas in one, the pest/ricollta side bursts into flavor with the fresh pesto and the ricotta/salami side has an incredible depth with the salami. The leftover pizza was just as good at dinner when we warmed it in the toaster oven. Congrats to the staff!! I know the first couple of weeks are hard, but keep the great effort up!

[Marty L.]

Those Pizze look like Sh!t. Sorry. I admit to taking a half hour break today-it's been a very long week. Please allow me to make it up to you.

Thanks.

Even though Eden himself did not make my pizzas last night (the last of the evening, apparently), they both looked and tasted great -- using only the very few ingredients left in the joint (ricotta, rapini, capers, olives, sausage) after they had been cleaned out by the mad Sunday night rush!

(If I had to complain about anything, it would be that although the veggies in the frito misto were delicious, they were a bit overwhelmed by a not-delicate-enough deep-fry. But that's a quibble -- something that can be easily tweaked.)

[Sthitch]

Last night five of us hit Orso to get a range of pizzas (actually there were six, but the adorable 2 month old slept through the entire meal so she really doesn't count). While waiting for the final member of our party to show we put in an order for a bowl of clams. The bowl of small clams were some of the best I have had, not just because of the copious amounts of white wine and olive oil used to prepare them, but the flavor of clams themselves stood up very well.

I figured that the best way to judge how the pies would fair was with a Margherita DOC, and it achieved beyond my somewhat muted expectations. Was it soggy? A little, but that has never bothered me, and the one at my favorite pizzeria in Italy is even soggier. The crusts on all of the pizzas that we sampled were perfectly cooked, although some commented that there were spots that were a bit too charred, but not enough to effect the overall quality of the pies. The rest of the pies that we ate were:

Custom Pizza of sausage and artichoke - the artichokes are halved fresh baby artichokes. The sausage is as flavorful as others have noted

Giamette - a meat lovers pie, it was quite good, but I felt that the ham took over

Filleto - the only non-red sauced pie of the night; it was all about the cheese and garlic, I found that the texture of fresh cherry tomatoes were a detriment to the overall experience.

Diavola - a pepperoni lovers pizza with just a touch of heat, the quality of the pepperoni is on par with the other ingredients.

Crudo - basically a Margarita topped with fresh arugula, prosciutto, and shaved grana. The only issue I had with this pie is that the knives on the table were not put to the task of cutting the prosciutto, otherwise the flavors were excellent.

The pizzas were outstanding, the one quibble I might have is that sitting under a hard blowing air-conditioning vent cooled our pies too quickly, but then again it was a refreshing escape from the swampy humidity that has settled in over the area. I hope to return again very soon, and explore some of the other pies, and maybe the mussels.

[DonRocks]

Last night five of us hit Orso to get a range of pizzas (actually there were six, but the adorable 2 month old slept through the entire meal so she really doesn’t count).

Say hi next time.

Actually, we missed each other since I got a carryout Capricossa ($16) mid-afternoon. By the time I got around to eating it, a good thirty minutes had passed, and it had come completely up to room temperature. While not as otherworldly as the pizzas I had on my first visit (Edan was not manning the oven; understandable considering Orso is open 70 hours a week), this was a fine pizza with superb ingredients that had only one flaw: It had no blistering despite an excellent char, and was simply too chewy - not at all "dense," but not airy either.

Very good, but at over $18 after tax and a small gratuity for a carryout lunch, it needed to be better still.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Sthitch]

Say hi next time.

That would go against my Curmudgeonly nature.

It had no blistering despite an excellent char, and was simply too chewy - not at all "dense," but not airy either.

All of ours were nicely blistered.

[ktmoomau]

Last night five of us hit Orso to get a range of pizzas (actually there were six, but the adorable 2 month old slept through the entire meal so she really doesn't count). While waiting for the final member of our party to show we put in an order for a bowl of clams. The bowl of small clams were some of the best I have had, not just because of the copious amounts of white wine and olive oil used to prepare them, but the flavor of clams themselves stood up very well.

I figured that the best way to judge how the pies would fair was with a Margherita DOC, and it achieved beyond my somewhat muted expectations. Was it soggy? A little, but that has never bothered me, and the one at my favorite pizzeria in Italy is even soggier. The crusts on all of the pizzas that we sampled were perfectly cooked, although some commented that there were spots that were a bit too charred, but not enough to effect the overall quality of the pies. The rest of the pies that we ate were:

Custom Pizza of sausage and artichoke - the artichokes are halved fresh baby artichokes. The sausage is as flavorful as others have noted

Giamette - a meat lovers pie, it was quite good, but I felt that the ham took over

Filleto - the only non-red sauced pie of the night; it was all about the cheese and garlic, I found that the texture of fresh cherry tomatoes were a detriment to the overall experience.

Diavola - a pepperoni lovers pizza with just a touch of heat, the quality of the pepperoni is on par with the other ingredients.

Crudo - basically a Margarita topped with fresh arugula, prosciutto, and shaved grana. The only issue I had with this pie is that the knives on the table were not put to the task of cutting the prosciutto, otherwise the flavors were excellent.

The pizzas were outstanding, the one quibble I might have is that sitting under a hard blowing air-conditioning vent cooled our pies too quickly, but then again it was a refreshing escape from the swampy humidity that has settled in over the area. I hope to return again very soon, and explore some of the other pies, and maybe the mussels.

The clams were awesome. When going back I may order a whole bowl and not share. I didn't really find the pizzas too soupy at all- the crust was chewy, the ingredients good, the Margherita was the most wet, but wasn't really that wet. The front of a slice may not stand striahgt, but I don't really expect them too. I must confess I loved the Giametti, it was a meat loving dream. The slice of Fileto I had was wonderfully garlicy and really nice. And I must of liked the crudo as I ate extra slices. It was a great selection of pies. And they have a small, but nice wine list. There may have been a few bites that had too much char for me, but not enough to stop me eating anything. I agree it would be nice to have the offer of cutting your pizzas as the knives given really weren't up for the job. I like AC too much to quibble about it cooling the pie, but it did...

I have to laugh I took two leftover slices home to my Hubby (who is a NY pizza person, bless his heart) who scarfed them down in about two seconds flat, then said, "they were ok."

[durwoodx]

...a fine pizza with superb ingredients that had only one flaw: It had no blistering despite an excellent char, and was simply too chewy - not at all "dense," but not airy either.

I have to agree with this assessment. While there were some great yeasty flavors going on the texture wasn't quite there for me on my recent visit. Not a bad pie by any means - in fact very, very good - but there are certainly better in the city. I will have to head back (probably pretty often) to reassess. The burrata was spectacular, though.

[jiveturk21]

Four of us went for dinner last night, we liked the space and we are happy that it is finally open. The wine list could use some work, the choices were average and they could certainly add more selections. Same with the bar, I know that it is early on, but I would think that buying liquor is a pretty easy thing to get done. The service was fine, a little amateur, but I think that is to be somewhat expected.

The food, however, mostly made up for some of these early hiccups. Like others have mentioned, the suppli were terribly underseasoned. We felt the same about the fennel and orange salad. I think that the goal was for the olives to add some saltiness, but there were not enough of them on the plate to make this happen. On the other hand, the chef's selection of salumi was just about perfect. The $20 price tag was pretty steep, but it was worth the money. And, the wicked bread, although an awful name, was simply wonderful.

The pizzas were a mixed bag. I actually liked the crust on each, I thought that they were both chewy and crispy. I think that they could have had a bit more crisp to them, but this is a minor quibble. We liked the crudo, the toppings were great. We didn't, however, really like the vesuvius. The crust was fine, but the burrata just turned into a soupy mess. We likely should have thought about that before ordering, but it was pretty much a waste of $19.

Overall, good start to a restaurant that was really needed in that area.

[jparrott]

Four of us went for dinner last night, we liked the space and we are happy that it is finally open. The wine list could use some work, the choices were average and they could certainly add more selections.

I really like the beverage program at Orso. A lot of overlap with 2 Amys, which is one of my favorite small lists anywhere. The whites are delish, the Gragnano is essential. I would like to see the Terradora di Paolo Aglianico in place of the one they are offering, but that is but a quibble. And there is a well-curated selection of food-friendly beers.

[thetrain]

Had a late dinner last night; Orso was no longer packed and the service was prompt. Pizzas looked consistently good and ours was delicious. After two visits I can say its my favorite pizza in the area - so far (for me) its been more consistent than 2Amys and the atmosphere is better to boot. The Left Handed Good JuJu beer on draft is a good summer beer with ginger in it - reminded me of Gina's recession cocktail.

Also enjoyed the Potato Crocche - everything I had hoped Arby's Loaded Potato Bites would be and more.

[pizza man]

Thanks for the feedback, good, and bad.

I think the ship is starting to float now.. So, we are starting our special menu, just on the black board for now, but coming soon in print. Tonight we have some nice Porcini-pizza and raw. Putting Happy Hour in the works too, probably next week.

I'll try to keep you all posted.

P.S. if yer one of the people we irked in the first week, please give us a chance to make it right. Thanks.

[durwoodx]

Was in yesterday for a second pass. The crust this time was better, less chewy but perhaps a little too far on the dry end of the scale this time. I am talking very fine-tuning minute criticisms here. The pizza/crust is really quite, quite good.

We also had the burrata (AGAIN) which was served slightly too cold this time, which made for slightly less gooey goodness in the center, but otherwise just as good as the last tasting of it. The highlight of the meal was the Potato Crocches, which were everything you always wanted tater tots to be, but never were. Great crunch on the outside with an (almost) smooth center with just enough potato texture to give it a good feel. We will definitely be getting these again.

[RaisaB]

I ate here again last night and had the porcini pizza special. It was wonderful, very loaded, great charred chewy crust. But what got me was the Eggs in Hell! These were delicious, the house sauce is one of the best I have tasted.Just a reminder, this place is only two weeks old...give it at least six months and I am sure everything will go smoothly. For being such an infant, I think they are doing wonderfully.

[wristband]

Had lunch today - our experience comported with Joe H. and DrX's criticisms above. Margherita was, yup, soupy and bland. Crudo also lacked taste despite the arugula - proscuitto was tough and crust sponge-like. Seafood salad had small bits of bland, rubbery octopuss and mussels (why not grill 'em to generate some flavor?) soaked with dressing. The Suppli was just too dang hard to cut with a serated knife - one bounced off the plate after repeatedly whacking it - so our teeth broke open the rock-like rice balls.

Waiter was enthusiastic which was nice to hear. We stressed: hold the pizza order until we finish the Suppli and seafood salad apps. Several salad bites in, here come the pizza. As service at 2941 is terrific, hopefully some of that culture can migrate to S. Maple St. Smiles are great but not enough.

Though we were disappointed, I sincerely appreciate management and pizza makers are trying hard (surely exhausted after two weeks), that Orso is a welcome addition to FC and it takes time for a new restaurant to break itself in. I value the comments of Don and others here who had the opposite experience. Having enjoyed molto wood oven pies over the course of many years in Rome, Naples, Sicily etc., I looked forward to Orso with eager anticipation.

But the pies today were mediocre. Orso has a ways to go. I'm in the Joe & Dr.X column. But I want to return in six weeks to see how today was an off day.

[Ericandblueboy]

Waiter was enthusiastic which was nice to hear. We stressed: hold the pizza order until we finish the Suppli and seafood salad apps. Several salad bites in, here come the pizza. As service at 2941 is terrific, hopefully some of that culture can migrate to S. Maple St. Smiles are great but not enough.

I guess I'd like some opinions on whether this expectation is reasonable in a restaurant like Orso. I certainly don't think one should expect the same level of service as that of 2941, but what about a request to hold the pizza order until the apps are finished?

[pizza man]

suppli is finger food.

[wristband]

I did not mean to imply 2941 service should be replicated at Orso. The two share management. My hope is they instill a small whiff of attentiveness from 2941. Like refilling empty iced tea glasses (instead of asking too many times). Like do not deliver entree pizza while customers (who specifically requested the order not go in until the contorni were finished) are just taking initial bites of seafood salad and rice balls.

For comparison, and to illustrate my negative comments on the food, check out photos of Suppli and Pizzas in Rome posted yesterday. Note the Margherita is not a soupy mess and the Suppli are not rock hard golf balls.

Katie Parla's blog: http://www.parlafood.com/rome-pizza-showdown-stefano-callegari-vs-gabriele-bonci/#more-6497. If the link won't open, its www.parlafood.com to see "Rome Pizza Showdown."

[deangold]

Roman pizza is a very different style than Neopolitan

[wristband]

True! But on both (levels?), this was not what I had expected based on the posts here. I do hope Orso will come into its "own" in the months ahead. Not there now.

[DonRocks]

True! But on both (levels?), this was not what I had expected based on the posts here. I do hope Orso will come into its "own" in the months ahead. Not there now.

I wasn't going to say anything, but as long as this conversation is being drawn out, the picture of that Margherita at Sforno doesn't exactly make me want to hop on a plane to Rome.

[Joe H]

I wasn't going to say anything, but as long as this conversation is being drawn out, the picture of that Margherita at Sforno doesn't exactly make me want to hop on a plane to Rome.

Forgive me, Don, but I thought the crust looked fantastic! I appreciate the link-I have a tradeshow in Rome in early October and look forward to trying Baffeto, this and perhaps several others.

[pizza man]

funny that the Suppli A Telefono (telephone lines) in that link don't have any cheese in them, as the cheese in the center is what stretches like a drooping telephone line (when broken in half by hand and pulled apart) , like the name suggests.

Also, while Roman pizze can be very good, (al metro, or croccante) and certainly has it's fans, it is not Vera Pizza Napoletana.

[lion]

Had lunch today - our experience comported with Joe H. and DrX's criticisms above. Margherita was, yup, soupy and bland.

But the pies today were mediocre. Orso has a ways to go. I'm in the Joe & Dr.X column. But I want to return in six weeks to see how today was an off day.

Made a second pass at the tail end of lunch. Came with my GF this time and we both enjoyed a Margherita. Her comments were the crust was great: buttery, salty, and flavorful.

Pie was good today.

[laniloa]

Went for a late lunch yesterday and really enjoyed the margherita. While the middle was a little softer as you would expect, it wasn't anywhere close to soupy. I thought the crust had a nice chew to it but would have preferred the edges a bit thinner. Won't stop me from enjoying many more. A very welcome addition to the area.

[BklynBoy]

I had lunch there today. Not perfect but by far the best pizza I have had in Northern Virginia.

Started with a salad of Fennel and oranges. This is a classic Italian salad that I don't often see on American menus. The Orso version was excellent. Next, I tried one of their Arancini. (deep fried stuffed rice balls). These are a southern Italian staple and the version i had at Orso was better than the ones I grew up on in Brooklyn and frankly better than the last one I had in Rome.

On to the pizza! I tried a Martguerita and it was very good. The tomatoes seemed freshly crushed, the mozzarella was high qaulity and the dough had a lovely taste. I would not describe the interior of the pizza as soupy at all but the crust was not crisp as I prefer it. It was nicely charred around the edges but could have been a bit crisper in the center. Of course, there's no pleasing everyone. As I was eating at the counter a woman who was paying for her meal at the counter commented that her pizza bus 'buned'. One man's 'crisp' is another's 'burned'. Lesson learned, next time I will ask for my pizza a bit more crisped than what I now know their normal baking time to be.

This place is off to a great start. Once their oven is broken in and begins to impart a bit more flavor to the dough, I think their pizza will be unbeatable, right now balancing the drive to 2 Amy's vs. something almost as good much closer to home, I will be going to Orso for my pizza fix

[Black Bear]

Seems as if there is a push for more and better pizza (# of new and very good restaurants opening recently or about to open). Had a create your own sausage and pepperoni pizza and a pale ale. Both were great, nice space, good parking on the street. Hard to judge the wait staff as I was in early and mostly they were watching the world cup with me, so hard to see how they'd respond if the restaurant was full at night. I will be back.

[sunshine]

Trekked to Falls Church from DC to try Orso and we were not disappointed. We had a great meal although being less than 2 weeks old, Orso was definitely experiencing some issues with their service and consistency. We felt bad because our food came fast and was done right, but tables around us were having meltdowns (sending back burnt pizza, not getting food although they had arrived earlier than other tables, etc.). Of note, the General Manager (who is a familiar face from 2 Amy's) was handling it well and making things right. The pizza is as good as, if not better, than 2 Amy's. We had the Crudo (mozzarella, arugula, proscuitto) and Giamette (salami, pepperoni, some type of ham, another meat), the potato crocce and arancini (both nicely fried, potato crocce better than arancini which was mostly risotto and less mushroom ragu/peas). The crust is a little thicker, breadier, more toothsome and slightly sour in a great way, and the toppings were generous. The pizze looked smaller but were more substantial. Glass of Gragnano was served chilled (much tastier chilled than lukewarm), perfect on a hot day. Good beer/wine selections. The space is expansive and open with booths and tables and a decently large bar area with TV screens. Located on the first floor of an office building across from an auto parts place, down the street from Bowl America. No problems finding parking. I work in Falls Church so look forward to having more meals here.

[lfrierson]

Abused my privileges at the pizza oven last week (a closed Elevation Burger on Sunday evening steered us to a 3rd trip and finished off the bender) - Vesuvius (excellent, but a pizza with burrata as a side - even better), porcini special (porcinis front and center, delicious), Crudo (yes), and DOC (with a few more basil leaves, I wouldn't order anything else).

Special thanks goes the bar for bringing us back with a friendly pour and excellent small dishes. The pizzas stand on their own, but the mushroom crostini and fried mussels skewers are making an argument for a dinner of small plates and beer. We particularly enjoyed the crostini, cool mushroom puree (not overly salted, huge plus) stand up nicely against a warm, smoked prosciutto. The mussels, flash fried with lemon on top, are a fresh twist, but be mindful of the garlic dipping sauce - it will blow your hair back.

Back again when we're in the neighborhood; the pizza is right and the seats are friendly.

[DonRocks]

The mussels, flash fried with lemon on top, are a fresh twist, but be mindful of the garlic dipping sauce - it will blow your hair back.

Had it Sunday night when Matt "took me out" for Father's Day - it's just homemade mayo (okay, with a mother lode of garlic).

(And, for those of you keeping score, my 3rd visit was as good as my 1st. Two out of three times ... the Best Pizza In DC, by far - the Cotto e Funghi was one of the greatest pizzas I've ever eaten (do not let the description of "cream" scare you off here because it's undetectable).)

Cheers,

Rocks.

[czk]

Tried it out last night and really enjoyed it. We had the suppli and the burrata for appetizers and found the suppli to be under-seasoned, but still enjoyed them. The burrata was amazing and the garlic toast served with it trumped what they give at 2 Amy's. Hubby and I shared a Margherita DOC and the Tri Colores and both were great, but we preferred the Margherita. The middle was not what I'd call soupy, as others have said, but certainly not as crisp as the outside crust. We LOVED the salt on the edges of the crust as well, a great finish to each piece. We would go back in a heartbeat!

[Sthitch]

We had the suppli and the burrata for appetizers and found the suppli to be under-seasoned, but still enjoyed them.

Under seasoning were not the problem that we had with our Suppli last night, I found the tomato in the rice to be rather sour, my wife compared it to the flavor of "over-cooked boxed Mexican rice" I cannot say that I disagree with that sentiment. Fortunately, everything else fared much better, the Giamette was a meat lover's dream come true, and while the Margherita was moist, it was far from soupy.

[DrXmus]

SWMBO and I hit Orso again yesterday for an early-ish dinner (2nd time). I thought it'd be packed, but there were still just 5 tables seated or so. Personally,I like having the place quiet ,but my wife and I were both thinking about how tough it must be to start up a restaurant and have enough reserve to wait for the business to start paying for itself (and the owners). I'm sure it'll catch on soon enough and we'll be dealing with lines and reservations.

The potato crocce were better seasoned than my first trip, although we still salted a little more to our taste. Unfortunately, they didn't have that chunky texture that they had had a week or so before. I had really enjoyed that thicker grated texture. By no means did I not eat the little balls of goodness, I'm just saying...My wife had the Diavolo (pepperoni) and I have to say it's probably the best pizze I think I've ever had (except for Matthew's pizza in Baltimore). The peps were spicy and their "juices" ran all over the pizze to give the whole pie a fantastic flavor. I can't wait to go back and get one for myself! I had a special which included porcini, garlic and tomatoes. I'd give it a 5 out of 10. The tomatoes had a great flavor, but the porcinis didn't contribute much. The thinly sliced garlic was just OK, but they were huge cloves and didn't have a ton of flavor, either. The crust was pretty ashy on the bottom and it was a bit off-putting. The crust was super thin and cracker-like, which is nothing like my first pizze. I enjoyed the one I had last time with a little more chewy substance, personally.

I have to rescind a comment I made in my first post about noise. We sat on the opposite side of the room this visit and I saw that some overhead panels weren't just decorative, but were probably sound-absorbers.

I'm really excited that Orso is so near my house. We'll be there often, I'm sure, and look forward to it getting even better as the wrinkles get ironed out. My Italian wife is on the picky side when it comes to pizze, and were both loving Orso.

[DannyNoonan]

We packed up both kids and stopped in for our inaugural visit to Orso this evening. Arriving shortly after 6pm (courtesy of our two small kids), we found the place not as empty as I expected. That's probably a good sign for Orso's future prospects.

We each started with a glass of gragnano. I had a long week a work and would have loved a cocktail but the gragnano was a nice start on a warm evening. My wife started with the mixed green salad and I started with one of the special apps - crostini topped with burrata, tomato confit, basil and olive oil. The salad was perfect - fresh greens dressed lightly with lemony vinaigrette. The crostini was excellent as well. Nicely toasted crostini, creamy burrata, fruity olive oil. The tomato didnt do much for me but overall the dish was a hit. I was bummed that my daughter made me share half of it with her.

Margherita pizza for me, marinara for my wife, and a bambino topped with arugula for our daughter. Each pizza was fantastic. The crust was nicely charred, pleasantly chewy but not dense, and full of flavor. Sauce was simple - tomatoes crushed with salt I bet. Mozzarella was fantastic on my margherita. The grana on the bambino was nutty and added a distinctive flavor to the pizza.

We are so pleased to have Orso open in this location. We live not far away in Arlington and couldnt be happier that what seems to be a 2 Amys equivalent opened so close to home. We will certainly be back on a regular basis. We didn't run into any of the aforementioned service issues - we found service to be prompt and courteous and the dishes paced appropriately. We even managed to re-connect with the nice blond lady we use to see regularly at 2 Amys. This place is off to a great start. Great location, great food, friendly service.

[4bigreddogs]

Tonight was our first visit. Arrived at 8ish and there was a light crowd (6 - 7 tables). After being seated near the bar/video games, we waited for quite awhile for any acknowlegement from staff and finally waved to the group of idle waiters (grouped near the bar) for assistance. It wasn't clear whether we had been assigned to someone earlier, but our server was extremely pleasant and attentive through the rest of the meal. Ordered the fried mussels (lemon aioli was good, but the mussels were fried on a stick (surprise), the batter had a gummy texture, and the mussels were unevenly cooked). Potato Crocche had a nice creamy cheese texture. I love anchovies, so had the Romana. Tasty, but it was a "no cheese" option. I missed the cheese. Big Dog had the Margherita Doc with pepperoni. Very delicious (buffalo mozzarella with the pepperoni was a great combination). The dough is indeed chewy and flavorful. Love having the addition to the neighborhood, but I'm not ready to declare this my favorite DC pizza.

[DannyNoonan]

Second visit to Orso with the family last Friday and we had a similarly fantastic visit as our inaugural trip.

I won't detail our exact order as it was almost exactly the same as we ordered last time (I know, I know but we like to stick with a good thing when we find it). The only exception was the fennel, olive, and orange salad that I ordered. Nicely sized portion; good contrast in textures with crunchy fennel and tender oranges; nice juxtaposition of flavors with the briny olives and slightly creamy dressing. A very nice, refreshing starter for a sweltering day.

The pizzas were fantastic again as well. And the gragnano too. As for service, it was friendly like last time but there were a couple really big tables for the servers to contend with so things weren't quite as smooth. They did a nice job under the circumstances though and we, with both kids in tow, we really appreciated our waiter slipping our orders in just before the 12 top's orders.

This place is good.

[Ericandblueboy]

I was supposed to catch a flight to Indiana tonight but due to some bad weather somewhere, my flight was canceled. To salvage my night, I went to Orso around 8. The place is packed, with a long wait. Luckily I found a seat at the bar and was able to put in a pizza order. It took quite a while for my pizza to arrive, at least it was good. Be prepared to wait on a Friday night is all I can say.

[Al the Pal]

Finally made it to Pizzeria Orso. the potato crocche (spelling???) were excellent. I really liked the crudo and would order it again if not for all the other pizza's on the menu that I'd like to try. My husband enjoyed the Diavola pizza but wished it had more pepperoni. To me the crust was the best I've had in ages. It is a bit fluffy with just the right amount of char.

[DannyNoonan]

Went to Orso again tonight. Ordered the same (fennel salad and margherita pizza for me; mixed greens and marinara for my wife; bambino for my daughter). As before, it was all completely awesome so I won't bother to re-hash except to comment on how the addition of a small amount of salt to the edge of the pizza crust completely elevates an already transcendent dish. The salt and the char make the crust a treat in itself. The cheese makes it heavenly.

The big news tonight was that they are now offering cannoli for dessert. We tried a chocolate chip version. I am not a regular cannoli eater so I don't have much to compare to but it was good. And I haven't mentioned it in previous posts but the gelatos they offer are great as well. THey are Dolcezza I believe.

[Pat]

I had the Diavola for lunch. I thought the crust was perfect. Charred but not too much. Thin but not cracker thin. A little bit chewy. Wet but not soggy. I wish I had the opportunity to be in Falls Church more often so I could try out more of the menu. I'd have liked to try some of the antitpasti, but, in this heat, I wasn't even up to eating much pizza.

Beautiful space. I like the mod/60s lettering for the restroom sign .

[mdt]

I was very happy with my Margherita DOC and Left Handed Brewery Milk Stout for lunch this afternoon.

[pizza man]

it really does

[Arcturus]

it really does

You old softie.

[lfrierson]

Had it Sunday night when Matt "took me out" for Father's Day - it's just homemade mayo (okay, with a mother lode of garlic).

(And, for those of you keeping score, my 3rd visit was as good as my 1st. Two out of three times ... the Best Pizza In DC, by far - the Cotto e Funghi was one of the greatest pizzas I've ever eaten (do not let the description of "cream" scare you off here because it's undetectable).)

Cheers,

Rocks.

Don Rockleone - tried the fried mussels recently? We had an order tonight; they've bumped up the lemon and toned down the garlic in the aioli. HUGE improvement - closer to a thin, lemony hollandaise. Big garlic fan, but sauce v1.5 is on the spot.