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Pete's Apizza, New Haven-Inspired Pizza in Four Area Locations with Delivery


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I don't know why Pete's doesn't get the same love as some of the other (deservedly lauded) pizza spots in this area. Maybe it's the fact they have more than one location. Maybe it's because they don't do the individual sized, neopolitan inspired pizza that DC seems to love. Maybe it's the sticker shock at seeing a pie cost $26.

None of the above. They seem to get mixed reviews and I'm one of those who don't think much of Pete's.

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Despite what their website says, the guy who answered the phone Friday night said that Pete's doesn't deliver on Friday or Saturday nights. Which is, um, really, really odd.

(And ended up being disappointing because the two Radius pies we got delivered instead were Just. Not. Good. Aside from being cold, leaden with cheese, a floppy and un-tasty crust, and way too light on the sauce, the toppings were surprising: I literally could not tell what they had put on our veggie pie. Visually, nothing there, but it wasn't just a cheese pie because every few bites you'd get a random veg flavor, like green peppers, and I uncovered a small onion petal under the cheese of a cold slice the next day. Sadly, I think Radius delivery has just run out of chances with me.)

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Wow, clearly I am not getting over to Arlington much because I had no idea Pete's was Right There on Clarendon. It's a hopping place! Made me a bit sad, considering what I knew had been just down the street up until a few months ago, but we still very much enjoyed the experience. Got a half Cutler (Pepperoni, Hot Sausage, Prosciutto di Parma, Soppressata), half Elm City (White Pizza, Fontina Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions), and demolished the whole pie by the end of the night. Both sides were great - the carmelized onions are the real deal, sweet and slithery, but the porky side won out. Partly, I think, because I really liked the sweetish tomato sauce that actually tastes of tomatoes. It is a very...sturdy thin crust pizza (I am spoiled by the lightness/fluffiness of the creations at Pupatella's, but that's a whole different animal so unfair to compare) and somewhat expensive, but it is a big pie and the Boylan's soda fountain is terrific, so we'll be back when I'm not in the mood for Neopolitan. It wasn't "transporting," per se, but it was very good "regular" pizza. And Pete's is open much later than the Italian Store!

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So, we pretty much never go to Pete's. But once a month or so, the idea of facing a stove or walking out for dinner is too much, and we pick up that phone and call for a large pepperoni pizza. A trip to CT last year convinced us that if we could just get the Pete's Pizza *crisper*, we'd be much happier people. So we started ordering the pizza "well done." And we were happier. BUT. It turns out, if you actually read the delivery box (what? read?), it tells you to reheat slices in a hot, non-oiled saute pan for a minute or two.

I don't know what sort of strange alchemy goes on in my sauté pan for that minute or two, but it works. The pizza slices are like night and day, just out of the box versus just out of the pan. But I keep burning my fingers.

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Half-price dine-in pizzas at the Clarendon location on Mondays is quite the deal... and the place was packed at lunch today. Friends and I devoured a tasty Nighthawk (chicken pesto, mushrooms, caramelized onions).

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Half-price dine-in pizzas at the Clarendon location on Mondays is quite the deal... and the place was packed at lunch today. Friends and I devoured a tasty Nighthawk (chicken pesto, mushrooms, caramelized onions).

I got a couple slices at Pete's (Tenleytown) last week for lunch, and discovered that all the gelato there is house-made, downstairs, by Yvette Odemns (I don't actually know Yvette, but saw her standing over by the napkin dispenser). The gelati is trucked to the other Pete's locations, but it's all made right here.

Dolcezza has nothing to worry about (except on the pizza front). Comparable to the Cleveland Park Vace, I think, and maybe a bit better in terms of ingredients and selection. My slice of New Haven Clam pizza, by the way, had precisely one clam on it (and that bite was absolutely awesome).

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Tonight was the 3rd time I ordered a "Plain" (i.e. no cheeses) for takeout and when I arrived for pick-up they had made an "Original" (i.e. cheese). Granted they made me another one as I waited but still. You either need to train your staff better or change the name as something is getting lost in translation. I was standing there as they ordered my replacement pizza:

Guy at register: "I need a 14" plain on the fly"

Pizza Maker: "You need a plain with cheese"

Guy at Register: "No plain with no chesse"

Pizza Maker: "Oh, okay"

Description on menu is as follows:

NEW! Plain (V) $10.50 / $14.95

In New Haven, you have to ask for "mootz" to get what most people think of as a plain pizza. When you ask for "plain," you get a simple, classic fresh tomato pie the way Frank Pepe made them when he first opened for business in New Haven in 1925. Ours features our crisp thin crust, all-natural tomato sauce, fresh chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, a dash of oregano, and a good sprinkling of pecorino-romano. Light, healthy and a great value.

Pete’s Original - 14" / 18"

Tomato Sauce, Whole Milk Mozzarella - $14.50 / $18.95

Also ordered a "Boola Boola" (House-made Meatballs, Roasted Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Cherry Peppers) and there was not one meatball to be found on the pizza - very disappointing considering it is a $19 pizza.

We ordered from the Friendship Heights location.

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Went today with the Groupon. I had never been before and unfortunately did not leave a fan.

We got a half New Haven and half East Rock. Way oversalted, tasted like a salt lick. I rembered reading some comments about salty and wow they were right. Could not get over the price stickershock of what it would have run if I didn't have the groupon ($26 pizza) - Don't think I would be back for pizza. We had the the gelato and I think that was one of the best gelato I had in a long time.

Would definitely go back for gelato and their desserts.

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We love Pete's! The owner is really nice and I don't mind paying extra since they said they try to buy as many ingredients as possible from the local farmers' market.

That said, it is too expensive to go regularly. We've gone several times with groupons and on half-price mondays and after getting it on the cheap (Aka more-in-line with other pizza places), it's hard to go back to full price. From what I remember, they've discontinued the monday deal.

I like supporting them though since they're local and they donated to a charity event I did last year (CupcakeCampDC). That, and their pizzas are huge! Clarendon needs a good pizza place, and no more ice cream/froyo/gelato places!

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I'm developing a theory that Pete's Apizza is way better eaten at the store than as take-out. The couple times we have had it as take-out the crust has been flabby and overall a disappointing pie. Whenever we eat at the store it is crispy and delicious. I think the sitting around and then re-heating in the pizza oven actually helps their pizza. Or their pizza doesn't travel well. Anyway, I will be a "dine-in only" customer from now on.

Also noticed last night that Pete's has basically stolen the Groupon business model and is now offering their own in-house Groupon-style $10 buys $20 worth of food deal. Deal runs throughout August and good for 90 days.

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I'm developing a theory that Pete's Apizza is way better eaten at the store than as take-out. The couple times we have had it as take-out the crust has been flabby and overall a disappointing pie. Whenever we eat at the store it is crispy and delicious. I think the sitting around and then re-heating in the pizza oven actually helps their pizza. Or their pizza doesn't travel well. Anyway, I will be a "dine-in only" customer from now on.

I agree--and it's the same with delivery. But I don't really like their dining room much and I only live a couple of blocks away, so my fix is to order it to-go, but not heated. Then I crisp it in a skillet when I get home or whenever. I know it's an extra step and somewhat of a pain when you want something fast, but I think it's well worth it.

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From their December e-mail:

We've signed the lease and submitted our building plans for county approval. We're hoping to open in the Spring. For those who are map-curious, the address is 962 Wayne Avenue, at Georgia Avenue. We can't wait.

Let me translate for MoCo-speak - they will be open in the Fall.

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From their December e-mail:

We've signed the lease and submitted our building plans for county approval. We're hoping to open in the Spring. For those who are map-curious, the address is 962 Wayne Avenue, at Georgia Avenue. We can't wait.

Let me translate for MoCo-speak - they will be open in the Fall.

Excellent news, but I tend to agree with Dan's thought on the schedule. Need only to add that the liquor license will likely take another few months.

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We stopped in for a few slices at the Tenleytown location on Saturday evening, right before they got slammed with the dinner rush. Having been to Pete's numerous times for whole pizzas and for slices, and generally really happy, we were really disappointed with the slices. They looked fine, but they were...boring. No flavor at all. The cheese was there, but didn't express itself. The sausage was abundant on a sausage and mushroom slice, but the flavor was so muted it could as easily have been absent. The chef's choice slice, which looked promising and a bit spicy, was just a bit spicy and not much else.

I'm chalking this up to an off-night, or perhaps pizzas that sat a bit too long, but as we were leaving I was looking longingly over at Rome Pizza, across the street, and wondering if I could get a more interesting slice. We didn't try, and probably wouldn't, but that speaks to how underwhelming the pizza was. By the time we left, though, the place was seriously hopping.

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...The cheese was there, but didn't express itself....

Sorry, laughed when I read this thinking it would kind of fit into #3 here. Visions of mozzarella dancing or pecorino at the podium giving a rousing speech on bgh :D

More seriously, thanks for the post. Pete's does seem to do the up and down thing across different days more than some others.

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Tried the vegan pizza over the weekend. I'd always been curious about the vegan, but was wary to purchase a whole pie and I'd never seen it by the slice (at the Tenleytown location). Happened to be at a friend's house, with a kid with lactose issues, vegan pizzas were ordered, so it was a great opportunity to try it.

Gotta say, as vegan goes, it was pretty tasty. The slices had been warmed up in a skillet to crisp up the bottoms which improved them nicely and got rid of some of the chewiness. The "daiya" brand cheese that I think they use is made from pea protein instead of soy. It melts great and in melted form I couldn't detect any weird chemical notes or odd flavours. That being said, I doubt one would confuse it for real cheese. :-)

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I've stopped at the Clarendon location a number of times for convenience. yet I think its incredibly mediocre. I've had slices, whole pies, some of the pasta dishes.

All around ....on each choice..just so so...tres mediocre. nothing exciting about it.

Jeez. James Gandolfini just passed away. Tony Soprano. Maybe Pete's doesn't care. okay...Pete's is from Connecticut...not New Jersey.

I can't help but think neighborhood pizza places should be like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6cAdJd3wGc

and on top of that....the pizza should be good!!!

....and come to think of it...here is an exquisite Soprano's perspective on espresso, Italian coffee's and other Italian foods: One of the more elegant discourses on food one will ever find: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUKJWsnAAXs

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I've stopped at the Clarendon location a number of times for convenience. yet I think its incredibly mediocre. I've had slices, whole pies, some of the pasta dishes.

This always leaves me wondering: what came first, the chicken (popularity) or the egg (business plan)?

Pete's was really good for a precious short while when it first opened in Columbia Heights; the last time I visited (also in Clarendon), it was unidentifiable as the same product.

Taylor Gourmet, Elevation Burger, Matchbox ... the list goes on and on; at least Sweetgreen has a model conducive to expansion.

I fucking *hate* chains.

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Pete's was really good for a precious short while when it first opened in Columbia Heights; the last time I visited (also in Clarendon), it was unidentifiable as the same product.

I have to disagree, from the get go I found the crust at Pete's to be more akin to cardboard than pizza dough (up thread I wrote as much). I had hoped that it was because the slices were reheated, but when I went back and had a full pie it was even worse.

I look at Pete's and Taylor as the descendants of Armand's. When Armand's came to DC there were no Chicago deep dish pizza joints, but there were enough people from Chicago living in the area that pined it that Armand's had no problem attracting customers and expanding. So what Armand's did all those years ago for Chicago style pizza Pete's is doing for apizza and Taylor's is doing for hoagies.

The problem is that Armand's never did make a very good deep dish pie and expansion just made it worse - I see a strong parallel in Pete's and Taylor.

I don't mean to say that the intention of the people that started Pete's and Taylor was to make subpar food, actually I do believe that they really wanted to bring a taste of home to DC, but once they had this built in audience they exploited it (see Taylor's sneaking way of changing bread - and the sad excuse for a cheesesteak I had at Taylor Charles last week).

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I probably stop into Pete's (CH) at least once a week, often twice. The convenience for me is absolutely incredible, and I always leave completely satisfied. I generally get a slice of the chef or vegetarian special, and I'm almost always thrilled with it. With it I have a salad, the antipasti (5 types of side dish salad things for about $11), or a soup. With a glass of wine. Throw in a couple slices of cheese pizza for kid (a bit bland for my taste) and possibly a serviceable gelato, and the night is easy as could be. Plus the service is fast and friendly, and it is easy to join tables mid-meal, as we end up doing that about 75% of the time as it serves as the family dinner cafeteria for a good portion of my child's school. I would love to get one close to home too, as there is absolutely no decent delivery pizza in the downtown area and sometimes - especially with kids - that is what you need.

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Pete's was really good for a precious short while when it first opened in Columbia Heights;

I still like Pete's.

I have never been to any location other than Columbia Heights though.

And they will deliver to me - a GREAT rarity.

I just wish they had pineapple. I like pineapple.

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I don't get the love. For a few months this winter I ate a lot of Pete's (take out and delivery) and now don't need to for a long, long time. I don't dislike it, per se, but I don't get the love. Granted, the only New Haven style pizza I have had was a rewarmed two day old slice, so I don't have an authentic comparison. But when judging it as a good old pie, I'll pass.

That being said, their antipasta salad combo is a go to when we want to splurge on carryout for lunch at work.

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Drove in to Clarendon to try Pete's today, after their inclusion in the article in the Washington Post about gluten-free pizza crusts. I had a GF pizza with pepperoni and "caramelized" onions. Husband had a cheese pizza with pepperoni.

The gluten-free pizza crust was not my favorite. I would rate it just above Rustico's chickpea crust, but well below Domino's GF, which is below Fire Works GF. The crust was tough, and had a little off-taste. There wasn't that much pepperoni on it, and the "caramelized" onions weren't caramelized, just cooked translucent.

The ambiance was pretty much non-existent. You order at the counter and are assigned a table. The atmosphere and decor reminded me of the student union at my college in the early '70s.

The only plus was that they validated the $6 parking in the garage across the street, which is nice because parking is scarce in that area.

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I ate at the Pete's in Silver Spring last night and have to say that I really enjoyed the pizza.  My husband and I had a large Coliseum pizza with crispy eggplant, olives, and roasted garlic.  (The large is way too big for two people).I want my pizza crust to be crispy and the this entire pie was delivered crisp and stayed that way.  The crust could have had a touch more flavor but it was good.  All ingredients were fresh and flavorful.  We also enjoyed a spinach salad with pine nuts and goat cheese.

The Silver Spring location is large and roomy and while the decor isn't notable, it's pleasant enough for a pizza place.I welcome this addition to downtown Silver Spring= perfect for a quick bite after a movie at AFI.

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For me, Pete's is an answer for where to go if you want decent food, at a reasonable price, that is served quickly, and you know will be generally good.  For example, the weekend before Thanksgiving, we had a bunch of errands to run around town which culminated at Rodman's.  Since we were going to be out of town for most of Thanksgiving week, we were trying not to buy any groceries.  And we had a Pete's Groupon that was about to expire.  So the Wisconsin Ave location was the perfect choice.

The pizza was all solid (slices of the veggie, clam, and chef's choice), the large antipasti plate (4 takes on fall vegetables) was decent, and dinner ran us $13, including the cost of the Groupon.

Tough to beat that.   

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Pete's is a pretty good option for pizza in my opinion, I think the crust has a nice texture and the sauce isn't too sweet(although I'm not above crushing a ledo pizza). Only issue I've ever had is when I ordered a slice after work starving and asked if they could please not make it destroy my mouth hot, got it walked out and took a bite and felt the roof of my mouth start to melt. Other then that I had a slice of a chicken and garlic one that was too garlicky and too salty. But still pretty good.

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Pete's is a pretty good option for pizza in my opinion, I think the crust has a nice texture and the sauce isn't too sweet(although I'm not above crushing a ledo pizza). Only issue I've ever had is when I ordered a slice after work starving and asked if they could please not make it destroy my mouth hot, got it walked out and took a bite and felt the roof of my mouth start to melt. Other then that I had a slice of a chicken and garlic one that was too garlicky and too salty. But still pretty good.

Funny, knowing where you live (which is where I used to live), I read the first half of the first sentence and thought to myself, "ËśThe Ledo there used to be pretty good,' and then ... I saw. :)

Don't you love it when the cheese clings to the roof of your mouth? And then for the next three days you're doing tongue exercises scraping off dead pieces of palate? Remind me to tell you about the time I dropped an entire container of super-heated hot and sour soup in my *crotch* - I think I wrote about it somewhere. Ah! Found it!

(Avatar change to commemorate both 1) the post beneath the one linked to above, and 2) the inauguration of our Fine Arts Forum.)

He says, about to crush an Orso pie.

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Hey! If you like this post, and want to support dr.com ... do you see that little "less-than"Âť sign at the top-right of the post, next to #133? Click on it. It's the "share"Âť icon. Please share it on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you'd like. I need to promote this little icon, "Ëścuz we just don't get shared enough. :(

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We like Pete's as a good place to take the kids, and our daughter often requests it. They've been doing a 1/2 priced Mondays deal in Silver Spring on any whole pizzas. We usually get the Cutlers, our daughter loves pepperoni and salami, and who's going to argue with that. I like the options with hot peppers, but rest of the family usually can't eat those. My wife's favorite is the arugula, which is basically a pizza with a salad served on top. That one solves the burnt roof of the mouth problem since the arugula provides a bit of a cooling barrier.

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I know this is a bit random, but I wanted to give a shout out to the pesto pasta at Pete's in Friendship Heights. This is a place we visit occasionally with my little nieces. Though their pizza, salads, etc. never call to me, their pesto is one of my favorite versions of this classic sauce. And I think it is $10 for a bowl (sans the distracting shrimp)!

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What happened to Pete's Columbia Heights? I went in for the first time in a couple months and it was completely different. Seemed like all new staff, bad service by the guy that seemed like the manager (I had to wait for five minutes while he lectured the new staff), weirdly wrong orders, cold pizza, different music, dull vibe. Please tell me this was a one off and they didn't completely change management. I don't want to return to the place I went tonight.

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Had a Nighthawk with sausage instead of grilled chicken.  I love the flavors and toppings of their pizzas, but this pie was definitely a little on the crispy side and when we got it home from picking it up a very short ride from Clarendon to the heart of Ballston, it was cold.  So I imagine it was cold when we got it.  Reheating only made the crust a bit more like cardboard.  But the toppings and flavor was overall really good.  I have had some pick up order snaffos lately and need to be more attentive.

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We tried the garlic and clam pizza from the Silver Spring location that was supposedly inspired by Frank Pepe in New Haven (which I have visited and eaten this pizza). It was terrible with a few not so fresh clams and a timid amount of garlic on a overly bready crust. F for fail.  The Edge of the Woods pizza was good and I would probably get this again-nice use of eggplant. 

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I'm no expert since it is rare that I can eat pizza at all anymore, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Margherita from the SS location this week. Crust was crisp yet chewy and a perfect amount of sauce on the slice. Not familiar with how authentic it is as it did differ from other Margherita slices I have had....but kudos to remaining authentic in having no garlic in the sauce. 😊

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Resumed Monday Madness 50% all medium and large pizzas through end of March. Dine in or take out only. Also this month (February), their email subscriber deal is buy one get one on desserts. Then if you combine in their Front/Flip deals you can get a very complete meal, with leftovers, for very cheap. Got a free salad yesterday without any additional purchase via Front/Flip.

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I'm no expert since it is rare that I can eat pizza at all anymore, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Margherita from the SS location this week. Crust was crisp yet chewy and a perfect amount of sauce on the slice. Not familiar with how authentic it is as it did differ from other Margherita slices I have had....but kudos to remaining authentic in having no garlic in the sauce.

This resonates with me. I also don't eat pizza very much anymore. But have had Pete's and liked it, probably partly because I'm familiar with the northeastern/New England style from growing up. That said, when I do get pizza now on rarer occasions, I almost always go to places that have the more traditional and authentic Neapolitan versions. Two Amy's, Pupatella when Wil was there, even Ghibellina as my only pizza so far this year. This shift was partly fueled by trips to Naples as an adult. Not right or wrong, just my own bias.

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I too have always found their crust to be very crispy. Haven't gotten the clam pizza in a while but the last time I did, it was fine.

As others have noted, very different from neapolitan style, like at Pacci's, but good in it's own genre.

It's definitely not pizza to be eaten cold as leftovers, lest you really get into the jaw breaking chewiness, but when reheated as they suggest in cast iron pan, it is almost as good as fresh as the crust regains its crispness.

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