DPop Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Anyone heard anything about this place? The sign is already up on the facade of what looks like a pretty nice space inside, but no menus or information on the front window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pidgey Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 From the Washington Business Journal, February 11 2009 Pizza Autentica has signed a lease to occupy a restaurant space at 1331 L St. NW.The restaurant will occupy 1,841 square feet within the building. Pizza Autentica will serve Italian gelato, expresso and pizza, according to Alex Walker of Transwestern Retail, which represented landlord Mortgage Bankers Association in the transaction. The restaurant comes from Hakan Ilhan, who founded the Cafe Cantina franchise in D.C. It is set to open this spring. The landlord is still trying to lease between 7,500 and 9,300 square feet of space, ideally for a full-service restaurant, Walker said. I'm wondering if this place is a chain. There is also a Pizza Autentica sign on Wisconsin Ave., near the Ruby Tuesday's and Armands in upper NW. ETA citation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizza man Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Same guy who started the Famous Famiglia pizza chain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I'm wondering if this place is a chain. There is also a Pizza Autentica sign on Wisconsin Ave., near the Ruby Tuesday's and Armands in upper NW. It's a chain, quite possibly serving lunch only. There's another one taking the place of Irene's Deli in the Reporters Building (click). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPop Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 It's a chain, quite possibly serving lunch only. There's another one taking the place of Irene's Deli in the Reporters Building (click). L Street is open, serving both lunch and dinner. Wifey and I stopped in last night in the small hope that we would have a good pizza-by-the-slice place within a stone's throw of our house. We were terribly disappointed. Pizza Autentica seems to have shamelessly ripped off the Sbarro concept, right down to the twisty garlic bread and same style and ingredients in their stuffed pizza behind the long stretch of glass from which you order. They also have a freezer full of various Italian-style ice creams which the guy behind the counter assured me were made in house, but looking at them I was skeptical. We each ordered a couple slices from the offerings on the table, all of which were actually fairly fresh out of the oven. She got chicken and broccoli and I got one slice with pepperoni and mushrooms and one with pepperoni, sausage, onions, and green peppers. I only had one bite of the chicken and broccoli slice and would classify it as 'deplorable'. Watery from what I'm sure were frozen bits of chicken and broccoli and completely devoid of any flavor outside of the dried up, sweet tomato sauce. My slices were saved a bit by the copious pork on them, but they were not much better and definitely not worth a trip back. I know I sound a bit harsh, but I had high hopes for what was to go in this space, and I cannot figure out why someone would think that a strip-mall-style takeout pizza place with no alcohol was what south Thomas Circle needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizzie Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 One opened in the past week or so at 7th and D St., SW (the Reporters Building?). Our office tried pizza, a calzone, and salad. While nothing was awful, it was all very mediocre. Other than the Atrium, I fear those of us working in the great southwest will continue to face an array of unfortunate lunch options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola007 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 From the Washington Business Journal, February 11 2009 There is also a Pizza Autentica sign on Wisconsin Ave., near the Ruby Tuesday's and Armands in upper NW. I'm sorry to report that the slice of pepperoni pizza that I ate (or rather attempted to eat) at lunchtime earlier today was terrible. I don't know which was worse-- the tasteless cardboard-like crust or the rubbery cheese. It has very little sauce, which was too bad because the sauce was decent; it even had some kick to it. That's what I get for being in a hurry! P.S. I'll go out on a limb and say that Sbarro's pizza is better than Pizza Autentica's. So is Domino's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobychun Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I'll go out on a limb and say that Sbarro's pizza is better than Pizza Autentica's. So is Domino's. Haven't tried the new Domino's pizza, but I have to agree with the Sbarro's pizza is better than PA's (as is Cafe Cantina's, for that matter). 1.5 stars for PA's pizza (one slice cheese, one slice pepperoni and mushroom), although I'd actually give the hazelnut gelato I had 3.5 stars (but then I'm a sucker for hazelnut gelato). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlohmann Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I googled Pizza Autentica while we were there having lunch yesterday and saw a Washington Biz Journal article about this new (and local) chain in which the owner is quoted as saying "Pizza is not exactly rocket science". My group's immediate reaction was, "well, GOOD pizza kind've IS rocket science" - - and this was not good pizza. I'll second Lola on the rubbery cheese and flavorless crust- -there's just nothing to recommend this stuff. Suggest SOMEone enroll in a Rocket Science program pronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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