120 replies to this topic

[Mrs. B]

Anyone have the inside skinny on this restaurant? Click

[DameEdna]

A little article in the Washington Business Journal says that Pete's Apizza is one of six restaurants opening in a building near 14th and Irving St. ... Sake Club, Potbelly, Five Guys, a Gastropub (?) by chef Jamie Leeds. Just enough information to cause trouble. Original article here: click

[synaesthesia]

The article adds some other adjectives into that name, "Pete's New Haven Style Apizza." Pete's is one letter away from Pepe's. Coincidence?

[pizza man]

Pizza Pizza? (Pete's Apizza)
A tip of the hat to Little Caesar's, perhaps?

[Pat]

Pizza Pizza? (Pete's Apizza)
A tip of the hat to Little Caesar's, perhaps?

I was wondering if there was a reference to zpizza.

[Waitman]

Pizza Pizza? (Pete's Apizza)
A tip of the hat to Little Caesar's, perhaps?

I was wondering if there was a reference to zpizza.

No and no.

[monavano]

I was wondering if there was a reference to zpizza.

How about New Haven?

eta: from Columbia Heights News-Pete’s Apizza, bringing New Haven-style “apizza” to Washington, in addition to fresh pastas, panini, soups, antipasto, salads and gelato, as well as a selection of domestic and Italian wines and beers. Fast casual service model, contemporary Tuscan-inspired décor.

[Pat]

How about New Haven?

That's it. Thanks for the answer. Maybe zpizza is an allusion to that?

[monavano]

That's it. Thanks for the answer. Maybe zpizza is an allusion to that?

Funny, because I couldn't get to sleep last night and wound up watching a show on various types of pizza, whilst surfing the channels. Sally's APizza was featured and then it rang a bell.

I think zpizza refers to stuffing zballot boxes

[Waitman]

You know Pete?

Both of them, actually. Well, I know of them.

Mike -- who speaks with a heartening passion about the finer points of a proper New Haven crust -- points out that you can't really duplicate the more famous of the New Haven joints, like Pepe's or Sally's, because you can't put a coal oven in a DC apartment building. But, regardless of what the gastrotourists who never get far from Wooster Street might believe, New Haven has a lot of great apizzarias that use more environmentally friendly heat sources and which are as esteemed by the locals as the ones in the guidebooks. The Pete's Apizza crew is channeling memories from two such spots from Mike and Alicia's idyllic youth off the Long Island Sound: Apizza Grande in East Haven and Rossini's, in Cheshire.

[pizza man]

Both of them, actually. Well, I know of them.

I stand corrected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apizza

[pizza man]

Perhaps this poem could be the root of the term "apizza"?
This is in Napolitane dialect...Translation is difficult. Also, if you have been to Una Pizza Napoletana in NYC, you may recognize it.

'A PIZZA

Pizzaiuo', m'he 'a fa' 'na pizza
muzzarella e pummarola...
Ma ll'he 'a fa' cu 'e mmane, 'o core
e.. 'a fronna 'e vasenicola,
Falla bbona!

Mana grassa a muzzarella,
miette ll'uoglio, miette 'o sale...
Falla fa' cchiù arruscatella:
quanno é cotta nun fa male...
Cotta bbona!

E vullente, 'a dint' 'o furno,
nun l'he 'a mettere 'int' 'o piatto
ca si no perde 'o sapore...
Io m' 'a piglio e 'a chiejo a libretto...
Quant'é bbona!

E cu famma e devuzzione
magno primma 'o curnicione...
'O profumo é saporito!
Mentre magno sto abbucato
p' 'o... vestito.

Comme coce! E quant'é bella!
Comme fila 'a muzzarella!
Muorzo a muorzo 'haggio magnato...
Pizzaiuo' he 'a campa' cient'anne!
Pizzaiuo' me so' sfizziato!!!...

per Lello Lupoli

seems probable that even the "New Haven" pizze have Neapolitan roots.

[ebgbdc]

So... is this Pete's joint going to have a coal oven? Thought those were hard/impossible to get... if no coal oven, will it at least have a wood oven? If neither, can they really call themselves "New Haven style" in good conscience?

[Sthitch]

So... is this Pete's joint going to have a coal oven? Thought those were hard/impossible to get... if no coal oven, will it at least have a wood oven? If neither, can they really call themselves "New Haven style" in good conscience?

I had a conversation with one of the owners of Matchbox about this very topic and he said that they had originally planned on using a coal oven and it was not the permits that killed the idea but the fuel. He would have had to buy coal in bulk and that is only available by the rail car full, and it was only delivered as far as a railhead, so figuring out how to transport 270,000 pounds of coal to Chinatown became problematic.

[DonRocks]

I had a conversation with one of the owners of Matchbox about this very topic and he said that they had originally planned on using a coal oven and it was not the permits that killed the idea but the fuel. He would have had to buy coal in bulk and that is only available by the rail car full, and it was only delivered as far as a railhead, so figuring out how to transport 270,000 pounds of coal to Chinatown became problematic.

The permits originally forbade the import of coal as well, but an annual exception was eventually lumped in - the Santa Clause.

[pizza man]

So... is this Pete's joint going to have a coal oven? Thought those were hard/impossible to get... if no coal oven, will it at least have a wood oven? If neither, can they really call themselves "New Haven style" in good conscience?

Here is a pizzeria in Oregon that is similar in concept.

http://www.apizzascholls.com/index.htm

Third picture down in the background you can see a Blodgett deck oven.

[Waitman]

So... is this Pete's joint going to have a coal oven? Thought those were hard/impossible to get... if no coal oven, will it at least have a wood oven? If neither, can they really call themselves "New Haven style" in good conscience?

Note to quote myself, but I'm so freakin' articulate I can't help it sometimes:

Mike -- who speaks with a heartening passion about the finer points of a proper New Haven crust -- points out that you can't really duplicatethe more famous of the New Haven joints, like Pepe's or Sally's,because you can't put a coal oven in a DC apartment building. But,regardless of what the gastrotourists who never get far from Wooster Street might believe, New Haven has a lot of great apizzarias that use more environmentally friendly heat sources and which are as esteemed bythe locals as the ones in the guidebooks. The Pete's Apizza crew is channeling memories from two such spots from Mike and Alicia's idyllicyouth off the Long Island Sound: Apizza Grande in East Haven and Rossini's, in Cheshire.

I had a follow-up e-mail exchange with Mike yesterday and he's eager to let the world know that there is much to New Haven pizza besides Sally's and Pepe's. I suspect you'd have to rumble if you called the places he grew up eating at "inauthentic." And, FWIW, the Wikipedia article to which pizza man linked does not mention coal ovens as a defining feature.

Here is a pizzeria in Oregon that is similar in concept.

http://www.apizzascholls.com/index.htm

Third picture down in the background you can see a Blodgett deck oven.

This place is great. Mrs. B and I and all the busy Little B's found it using that superpower one develops after too many hours on the Internet, the one that allows you to read between the lines of 10 different on-line reviews and articles and suss out which place really is the one you want to go to. The owner is known as the "Pizza Nazi" and I was personally reprimanded for ordering too many toppings.

At any rate, if Pete's can pull it off as successfully as Scholls, they will arguably be the best in town.

[DameEdna]

The owner is known as the "Pizza Nazi" and I was personally reprimanded for ordering too many toppings.

Yes, quite likely you get some points for this. At least I know you would on "that other board".

[Lydia R]

I had a conversation with one of the owners of Matchbox about this very topic and he said that they had originally planned on using a coal oven and it was not the permits that killed the idea but the fuel. He would have had to buy coal in bulk and that is only available by the rail car full, and it was only delivered as far as a railhead, so figuring out how to transport 270,000 pounds of coal to Chinatown became problematic.

I was heartened to see 40 pound bags of Reading Anthracite, but also a quartered piece of wood in the oven. For a moment I thought it would be cool to see the coal bags prominently stacked, like the potato bags at 5Guys, noting where today's coal was "sourced."

Wow, I wonder how the Phat Pug folks in Perry Hall knew to buy it by the 40 pound bag [photo below]... Seems the Reading company has a bagging plant in Pennsylvania that directly sells 40 pound bagged coal to customers using coal stoves [built by a sister-company of the coal company] for home heating or other non-industrial purposes and a network of retail distributors selling in non-bulk quanities. Given that most coal-fired pizza places also use some wood, then coal-fired might have still been a viable business plan for Matchbox.

Here is a pizzeria in Oregon that is similar in concept.

http://www.apizzascholls.com/index.htm

Third picture down in the background you can see a Blodgett deck oven.

Sounds like a great place if I get to Portland. When more ecofriendly ovens in New Haven are mentioned upthread does this mean they get a great crust with skill, the right dough and a gas oven?

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[Waitman]

Pete's Apizza opens Monday! On schedule. Who knew?

ETA: Here are some pictures, including the two Petes and a pretty charming looking pie.

[Antonio Burrell]

We ate here tonight. I like the fact that they sell the pizzas by the slice also. We had clam pizza, artichoke and olive pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, cesar and a sorbrillo. The crust is thin, slightly crisp, chewy, but no char. I like the clam at 2amys and Comet more. The clams were chopped and overpowered by the garlic and cheese. The art and olive was very good. The spaghetti was very good, thicker chewy noodles with very flavorful meatballs. The manager said the meatballs use natural beef and pork. I particularly liked the fact the pasta was perfectly cooked and not drowned in sauce. The sorbillo is a square of dough filled salami and pepperoni and garlicky ricotta, folded in half, topped with sauce and baked. I really, really liked this. All and all I like this place alot, bonus points for slices, and open till eleven on the weekends.

[Waitman]

We popped into the soft opening and had better luck with the char than M. Burrell. I'm thinking that they're just getting their rhythm down; they are char freaks and will adjust. We had been turned away on our first attempt to get free slices and had killed an hour or so at Wonderland (they say it's become overrun by the the Adams-Morgan crowd, but on Sunday evenings its just us local weirdos) so our critical faculties weren't the sharpest, but we found the apizza well worth a more sober analysis, including a clam pie, hopefully tomorrow evening during Ugly Betty.

Menu.

Manifesto.

[DonRocks]

All and all I like this place alot, bonus points for slices, and open till eleven on the weekends.

Antonio's initial thoughts very much mirror my own, though I had a better char-job. After two pizzas (white clam; pepperoni and sausage), here are some observations:

They got pretty busy today, apparently because of a Daily Candy article. I'm now officially the first person ever to wait in line outside the door at Pete's, but I won't be the last.

I chatted with Joel "loup de" Mehr for awhile as I waited outside - he's a good guy and seemed remarkably calm considering the whole crew is exhausted and they're about to get torpedoed with customers.

No alcohol available yet.

Everyone involved (restaurant, customers) will be glad they serve pizza by the slice. They're going to do a big carryout business during afternoon rush hour with people coming up from the Metro.

This place reminds me of Bobby's Crabcakes.

The potential is here to nudge aside Alberto's (or Vace, if you're so inclined) for best slice in town.

I don't see this being set up to be a cross-town destination, not that that's a bad thing.

Antonio Burrell was in the neighborhood last night. Just thought I'd throw that one in...

Cheers,
Rocks.

[DPop]

Antonio Burrell was in the neighborhood last night. Just thought I'd throw that one in...

Cheers,
Rocks.

Why, what would he be doing at 14th and Irving?

[Sthitch]

Menu.

Manifesto.

I am sure that including their philosophy on the website makes them feel all good inside, but don't you think they could have taken a teensy bit of time and include the hours of operation?

[Antonio Burrell]

Why, what would he be doing at 14th and Irving?

Cause I like pizza.....

[Sthitch]

At lunch today I ordered a slice of original and a slice of sausage and mushroom (it was far more mushroom than sausage). My first bite of the original left me wondering if I had something wrong with my taste buds because it came across tasting rather flat, the a bite of the mushroom pie assured me that I could taste, I just wasn’t tasting much. I really like the crust, but I think that it could stand a little more salt, and near the outer edge of the cheese pizza it was a bit doughy. The real problem I had with the pizza was with the sauce as it tasted like pureed canned tomatoes with no added flavor. Also the little bit of sausage that they put on the other slice tasted strange, not really striking me as classic American sweet Italian sausage, but something leaner and with a different flavor profile.

The staff were very nice and do seem passionate about what they are doing. I just hope that they are able to fix the sauce (the crust I chalk-up to being a new restaurant – and my slices did not have any char, only a few brown spots on the bottom) so that I can one day add this to my lunch rotation when I am craving a slice of pizza.

[Mrs. B]

We brought everything home and re-heated so I will refrain on a full review until we have an opportunity to dine in.
I agree that the crust could use a bit more salt and a bit more char*. The pizza could also use just a bit more sauce (and the flavor of the sauce didn't leave a distinct impression to be honest), but not so much to sog out the crust, a fine line to tread.
It's not Vace, not Comet, not Two Amy's and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I can walk to it and that's a really good thing.
I liked my taste of the slice of clam pizza. At this point I think Comet wins but please refer to my opening comment about bringing it home and my last about location.
*I think the char issue will sort itself out after the joint hits its' stride (at least I hope so). They have been slammed since the soft opening and I think they might have a tendency to pull a pizza out a bit too soon to keep the ravenous patrons under control.

[nrubenstein]

I swung by Pete's in the mid afternoon last week after a weekly construction meeting that *always* runs late. There was no line at 2PM, and I was able to get my two slices of pepperoni very easily. I think that with more time on their hands, they were able to get a pretty nice char on my my slices and I thought they were pretty flavorful. I won't say they're a revelation, but in the context of DC pizza, I'm VERY happy to have them around.

[food.fiend]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of the above comments. The pizza we ordered last night (slices of the sausage/mushroom, and the carmelized onions/roasted peppers) were a bit bland. They definitely needed salt, a tastier sauce (not just a tomato puree), and more time in the oven. I realize we were eating reheated slices from already made pies, but when they were brough to us they weren't even luke warm, and we had to send them back. Now, if they had been busy and were just overwhelmed with having just opened, I might not have minded so much, but we were 2 of maybe 5 customers in the whole place at 6:30 or so. Also ordered the antipasto appetizer, which was also overly bland. Four different mini preparations, and each one was flavorless. If I remember correctly, we had roasted peppers with carmelized garlic cloves (and you did not taste garlic at all, even when eating the cloves), white beans (the best of the lot), broccolini coated with a few specs of quinoa (random) and grilled asparagus... Also slightly annoying, and funny too, was that they attempted to deliver our food before we'd even sat down. We were followed around the restaurant by one of the workers with our antipasto appetizer as we got our napkins, silverware and drinks, and then she promptly plopped the food on a table, choosing it for us... ha.... Then, of course, the luke-warm pizza arrived as we were putting our napkins on our laps. That all I would chalk up to them just opening, and maybe needing to work out some kinks, so I wouldn't really hold against them. But the food itself also needs some work. Hopefully they improve soon!
Actually, we were still hungry, so we ended up heading to Dino for more food, and to unwind. The whirlwind adventure of Pete's had taken a maximum of 15 minutes, and we were sort of wanting a bit longer dinner...

[wcferg]

I ordered two pizzas on Saturday night: one with caramelized onions and roasted peppers and one with sweet sausage. Both were great. This was the first time that I preferred the meatless pizza to the meated one. I found the crust to be salty enough. Unfortunately, at $20-25 each, I won't be buying whole pies very often.

[Sthitch]

This was the first time that I preferred the meatless pizza to the meated one.

Why? What was it about the meatless pizza that was so much better than the one with the sausage?

[Antonio Burrell]

Got take out from here again tonight, the kids were craving pizza. Me..I was craving spaghetti pompadoro with meatballs. Pizzas had much more char this time and were spot on. Boys loved their pepperoni and sausage and mushroom. Nida loved the clam. Just as a note, the spaghetti was angel hair tonight, possibly a supply problem, oh well, still good

[sunshine]

husband and i picked up a pizza last week from pete's with high hopes. ordered the "down the hill." we ordered it deeming the 18.95 price tag a little steep, but excited to give it a try. when we arrived we learned that the price had been jacked up from the initial menu price to 23.95, which only heightened our skepticism. 26 bucks with tax.

irritated by the price, we were very happy with the pizza. whatever crust issues others may have encountered we did not. very nice char. the caramelized onions were delicious. the sausage good, if not great. even the "fire roasted" green peppers, which Mr. Sunshine generally dislikes, warranted his grudging approval.

only quibbles, the sauce could have used a little kick and, well, it was 26 bucks.

overall, very pleased with the pizza and delighted to have it in the neighborhood. remains to be seen whether the neightborhood, including us, is willing to make it a regular part of our rotation when we can get to two amys in five minutes with bell's oberon and lagunitas IPA on tap.

[Sthitch]

only quibbles, the sauce could have used a little kick and, well, it was 26 bucks.

The lack of flavor in the sauce is my biggest complaint about the pizza at Pete's, I can avoid the overly lean sausage and while I thought that the crust needed a bit more salt, with good sauce it would not be nearly as evident.

[Sthitch]

I made my second visit to Pete’s today and the word that I think best describes this experience is inconsistent. I ordered two slices, one cheese and one pepperoni. The crust on the cheese pizza was chewy and a bit doughy with some spots not tasting as if they were cooked though and while it had some char there was not enough to really add any flavor, but this time the dough was properly salted. Like the last visit I found the sauce to be lacking, but not nearly as flavorless this time around, and the cheese only had a very light tan.

In contrast to the rather mediocre slice of cheese, the pepperoni was almost a work of art. The crust was crispy, well charred, and evenly cooked. Another contrast to the slice of cheese was the nicely browned cheese. As I mentioned the sauce on the cheese pizza came across as a bit insipid, but this blandness worked quite well on the pepperoni pizza as the pepperoni was some of the best I have had the sauce been better flavored I think that it would have thrown off the balance. Maybe what the cheese pizza really needs is a scattering of fresh herbs before the cheese to help wake-up the sauce.

[Sthitch]

:[

Well to answer the question you originally asked, Pete's slices have as much in common with the jumbo slice as Eamonn's has with Arthur Treacher's. While I have my issues with the cheese and sausage pizza the love, attention, and effort is obvious where these same attributes are absent on a jumbo slice. So no this is not a gourmet jumbo slice.

[Tweaked]

After a mini-shopping spree at Target we stumbled into Pete's Apizza...drawn in by the pizza by the slice signage. well glad that we did. Crispy crunchy crusty and enjoyed the white clam. If you are on a similar shopping spree in the area, I suggest you swing by for a slice, located by the metro exit and across the street from Best Buy, Target et al. Just wander past the Five Guys.

[mame11]

After a day that included two trips to Columbia Heights' shopping area, I was famished. Having laid off of most things bread related for the past few weeks (save the bread basket at Tabard Inn), I threw all control to the wind and headed to Petes.

Am I glad I did. The special pizza tonight was eggplant, spinach and tomato. It was amazing. I have to say Vace's pizza pales in comparison.

But even better was the salad (had to be good somewhere right?). Arugala with fresh roasted corn, amazing bacon and a delicious shallot vinaigrette (I don't normally use dressing).

The menu is so extensive I would love to have a $20 Tuesday at Pete's to work through the menu. It would take a bit of organizing (the manager said we could do it if we set it up in advance), but I think it would be fun to have a pizza tasting.

[Sthitch]

I really love the crust at Pete’s but the tomato has yet to leave me feeling anything but underwhelmed. I have found that the sauced pizza’s are not only in dire need of a shake of salt, but toppings as well. The same cannot be said for the New Haven pizza (chopped white clams, cheese, and garlic), it was quite flavorful, but as Antonio Burrell mentioned above the clams were a bit overwhelmed, but for me only by the cheese not the garlic.

[DPop]

I am with you 100%, Sthitch. I don't even bother with the sauced pizzas (unless there is sausage and onions on the slice) or the paninis any more. They're certainly not bad, but they do not come close to the delight that is the New Haven.

[sunshine]

I've always found the pizza here to very good, especially the clam (the New Haven with no red sauce) and their specialty pizzas - current favorite is the one with pepperoni, caramelized onions and peppers with tomato sauce. The pizzas in general are flavorful and savory and crust nice and chewy with a good char, but can't compare to real New Haven pizza because I've never had the original. I have also been pleasantly surprised by their salads and pastas. The arugula salad is quite good. Yesterday we tried the stracci con funghi pasta dish and loved it. Fresh pasta, lots of mushrooms. Our child really likes their meatballs too. Pete's also makes all their desserts. The tiramisu is really good - again, tasted fresh (not like it was frozen and thawed or sitting for a while) and served in a little coffee cup and saucer. I also really dig the casual vibe and cafeteria/ala carte style ordering. Place is family-friendly too.

[hmmboy]

I have also been pleasantly surprised by their salads and pastas.

I LOVE the Bolognese sauce - another case where they are following grandma's recipe.

[susanmab]

Finally made it to Pete's. I eschew shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but it was a decent pizza-getting day. Took a long walk through the park, ended up at Pete's.

I had a slice of the New Haven and a slice of plain. I think I judge a pizza joint by their plain, and I was not disappointed. The New Haven was really really good.

It did feel a little pricey, but not disturbingly so.

I have a feeling I'll be back...

[Waitman]

If you're shopping Target for your holiday needs, you might check out Pete's happy hour specials, running from 4:00-6:30 Monday through Friday:1. Get a slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza and a pint of Peroni for $5 plus tax 2. Half-price draft beer (Peroni and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale $2.50; Bell's Best Brown and Bell's Winter White $3) 3. Half-price House Red or House White (varies)

[ol_ironstomach]

You can now count me with the group that thinks Pete's is pretty good, but not New Haven good. It's simply impossible with the oven equipment they have. The crust has good flavor, but not even remotely the level of spring and char of a Pepe's pizza (which practically has to be rescued from the flames of hell prior to serving). Another consequence of lower heat / longer bake is that the toppings on a Pete's slice don't have the moisture of a Pepe's slice. We also thought the tomato sauce would benefit from a kick...more salt, for starters. It has a lot more in common with a good New York pizza IMHO, but with New Haven-esque flavor combinations.

[Seanchai]

I last had New Haven pizza over 20 years ago so I can't compare Pete's to that. What I can say is that the slice pizza I had the other day was better than the Pizza Paridiso, 2 Amy's and Comet I've had. I don't know if the crust is authentically New Haven or not but damn, it was tasty.

[Jess]

I was at Pete's on Saturday and noticed that they are celebrating their one-year anniversary today and are offering full pizzas all day for half price!

[DonRocks]

You can now count me with the group that thinks Pete's is pretty good, but not New Haven good. It's simply impossible with the oven equipment they have. The crust has good flavor, but not even remotely the level of spring and char of a Pepe's pizza (which practically has to be rescued from the flames of hell prior to serving). Another consequence of lower heat / longer bake is that the toppings on a Pete's slice don't have the moisture of a Pepe's slice. We also thought the tomato sauce would benefit from a kick...more salt, for starters. It has a lot more in common with a good New York pizza IMHO, but with New Haven-esque flavor combinations.

I hadn't been back to Pete's in awhile, and at 9:30 PM last night, the slices sitting out looked pretty congealed and dreary. Seeing the beer and wine selections reminded me of how much I like the place, but I was steeling myself for disappointment with the pizza.

"Do you have anything fresh from the oven?" I asked.

"We have what we have," she said, pointing over to the pies.

I got a slice of New Haven ($3.25), which was removed with a spatula, and stuck in a mini-oven to reheat. Boy I have to say this was a pretty good slice, texturally - the crust was well-made, and the toppings were honest. Any fears I had of a bad slice were removed, but that aside, I wish I had ordered from another pie - this is a very salty, assertive pizza, and the white clams could have easily been oyster mushrooms, and I would not have known the difference.

But still, flavor of this particular slice aside, I once again walked out impressed with Pete's, especially considering its proximity to so many boring chains.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[Waitman]

Had a beer and some snacks at Commonwealth and then rolled next door to Pete's and I don't know if they've gotten better or if it's just been way too long since I chose them over my beloved Vace, but their pie was astounding. Son, wife and father-in-law all in agreement. World Class. Richman should have visited DC.