2 Amys, Wisconsin Ave. and Macomb Street - Great Wine, Small Plates, Pizza, and Desserts - No Longer DOCG Pizza, but Who Cares?

[mdt]

Johnny Monis' advice to me at 2 Amys: it's as good as ever, but you have to order it well-done. I did, and I agreed - it's as good as ever. And certainly, Scott Hager and Debbie Johnson are both as good as ever if you can grab a bar seat.

I've been doing that for years and it does produce a perfect pie.

[Waitman]

Johnny Monis' advice to me at 2 Amys: it's as good as ever, but you have to order it well-done. I did, and I agreed - it's as good as ever. And certainly, Scott Hager and Debbie Johnson are both as good as ever if you can grab a bar seat.

Note that the last two times I have been there, Jeremiah Cohen -- a high-profile refugee from the Tabard's internecine reorganization -- has done an admirable and affable job while giving Scott Saturday nights off.

[darkstar965]

2 Amy's is one of those places that doesn't get as much buzz simply because it has been around so long doing more or less the same thing.  All that time, we've had a number of new and truly excellent pizza spots come into town.  I recently went to Ghibellina for the first time, and then again, as example.  Really great addition.

One way to beat the lines at 2Amys is to plan lunches there and I have one friend who always chooses this spot to meet with no objection from me.  Of course, if you also pick a day when the "biggest snow of the year" (aka maybe 6"--what's the big deal?) just stopped falling, you can be assured of having the place nearly to yourself as we did this afternoon.

The menu rarely changes.  The pizzas are as good now as they were years ago and, for my money, still the most authentic in DC with the slightly soupy middle and smaller size (I think 10" and uncut) relative to the 12" cut versions in style at other good places like Ghibellina.   Of course, no trendiness here in terms of the venue or the location.  As great for adults as for families with kids albeit the higher noise level during busy times that TS has noted.

Two pies backed perfectly.  The arugula salad with hard-cooked egg. The eggplant parm in terracotta app.  And an interesting wine and beer list which, unlike the food menu*, does change regularly.

Very glad we have 2 Amys as such an enduring option in the city.  As appreciated as ever. Not sure about WiFi but guessing not and I don't care as much about that for restaurants as I do with coffee shops and fast casual places.  And, just like the early 90s Visa Card campaign and SF's Fog City Diner, 2 Amys doesn't take American Express.  

* Didja know about this? From their website.

Every Saturday after 4pm, porchetta is served! Half a pig, seasoned with garlic, rosemary, fennel pollen, hot pepper, salt and pepper. Roasted in the oven 'til crispy.

[jrichstar]

Didn't check upthread if the porchetta has been reviewed but it is absolutely delicious. Always get it when we are there on a Saturday.

[hillvalley]

I had a perfect margherita this afternoon.  Crisp on the bottom, cheese perfectly melted, it felt even more impressive in this oppressive heat.  

[DonRocks]

There are three people in the DC area whose lack of James Beard Awards show what a travesty the entire process is. One of them is Cathal Armstrong, whose time may now have come-and-gone, but who should have absolutely won the award sometime during the past six or seven years for Restaurant Eve.

Another, perhaps even more egregious oversight, is the great Peter Pastan, chef of what was easily one of the Top 3 restaurants in Washington, DC back in the 1990s: Obelisk - ahead of its time, and with *Frank Ruta* as its Sous Chef. Perhaps even more importantly, he opened 2 Amys, arguably the most important restaurant in the history of Washington, DC. Between these two restaurants, Peter Pastan deserved to have won Best Chef - Mid-Atlantic, if not the National Award for Outstanding Chef. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer in the pantheon of DC-area chefs, and our young demographic has forgotten what an influential trailblazer he was (and continues to be) - he was perhaps the very first chef in the area to truly care about deeply regional Italian cooking.

It had been too long since I'd been to 2 Amys, and while driving up Nebraska Avenue yesterday, I gave a brief glance down New Mexico Avenue, thought momentarily about Al Dente, and then continued driving towards 2 Amys. I found a great parking space on Macomb Street, walked in, and grabbed a seat at the bar, where the always reliable Debbie Johnson was, just as she seemingly always is.

2 Amys is a wine restaurant, but I really wanted to refresh myself with a beer, so I started with a draft of Reissdorf Kölsch ($7), brewed by Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf in Köln, and it was exactly what I wanted - low in alcohol, high in taste, cold, and refreshing. I finished it before taking a single bite of any food, then getting a 1/4-liter carafe of the 2 Amys House Rosé ($11), currently from the 2012 vintage, and made from 100% Sangiovese grapes - it's not quite a rosé so much as it is a "bled red" (only a wine geek would chuckle at that), but it went perfectly with every single course I ordered, and I ordered with gusto - the fascinating items on their menu made sure of that. Look at this awesome selection of small plates!

In no particular order, because they were all served within minutes of each other, and I nibbled and picked at each, all of which, by the way, were served at room temperature and assembled before my very eyes. This is the strategy of dining at 2 Amys' bar: Look things over, point at what looks good, and ask questions. You'll be as happy and as amazed as I was:

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart ($7) - I saw, in front of me, a rectangular tart, perhaps 15 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 3 inches high - uncut - and knew I had to have it. It was flaky pasty crust, filled with goat cheese which hadn't been whipped into air, and topped with slices of heirloom tomato. This was primarily a goat-cheese dish, as that comprised probably 75% of the tart, and it was a healthy slice - perhaps about 1/5th of the entire tart, so it was very rich (as quality goat cheese generally is). Considering the powerful, unctuous nature of my other three dishes, this served not only as a wonderful vegetarian plate, but also as a much-needed palate refresher between bites of the other three dishes, which were even richer and more filling.

"What is that with sage on it?" I asked Debbie. It was noisy, so I didn't hear every word of her answer, but she said it was fennel (I thought sure it was yellow pepper, but sure enough, it was fennel), and when she added, "It's actually a lobster dish," she had me. Lobster Salad with Fennel Braised in Orange and Saffron ($10) was the food-lover's dish of the night - it was awesome, the barely cooked (if cooked at all) lobster accented with vanilla, and added to the yellow-pepper-looking fennel just before serving. I'd never seen this dish before, and come to think of it, I'd never seen any of the four dishes I had last night before. How does someone come up with this? Is it in some obscure cookbook? Does Chef Pastan just think of these things? My goodness, it was ... amazing.

These final two dishes are where things got over-the-top rich, as they were finished with really good olive oil, but were also extremely rich to begin with. This is my fault for being an overzealous food maggot, but there's no way I wasn't going to order them, so sue me:

Romanesco Cauliflower with Capers, Olives, Pine Nuts, Spicy Bread Crumbs, and Tuna Spuma ($7) was just downright evil, and was most likely illegal in several states. It was *so* rich, and along with the three slices of delicious, homemade bread I received, could have easily been a meal by itself, especially a lunch. It was all-over decadence, and hard to believe that the only meat in it was tuna in the spuma. Quality ingredient followed quality ingredient, all mounded together into a large pile on the plate, and it was just so rich that I struggled mightily to finish, but finish I did.

And finally, Oven-Roasted Swordfish Belly with Lemon, Bay Leaf, and Green Sauce ($9), the green sauce resembling something of a *very rich* pesto, the slice of swordfish belly - perhaps a 3-inch by 2-inch rectangle which didn't look like much, but it was - sitting innocently on top, with two lemon slices beneath. The richness of this dish forced me to pretty much wave the white flag of surrender, and only eat the fish, just barely dabbing it into the green sauce. The last time I had swordfish belly even resembling this, it was at Woodberry Kitchen, but even there, it was grilled.

These four dishes came to a *total* of $33, and was more food than I could finish. How much is Restaurant Week again? If you're a Restaurant Week pigeon, you owe it to yourself to read this post over, and over, and over again, until it finally hits you that you can get a meal that is better than 99.99% of Restaurant Week dinners, in terms of quality - absolutely - but also in terms of *quantity*. I had not eaten a thing all day when I arrived, had exercised earlier in the day, and could not finish my meal. I only ate one piece of bread, and while I finished the "big ticket" items such as the swordfish belly and lobster, there was just no chance of me being able to swab up all the rich sauces - something which I *always* do. No chance - this was just too much rich food.

As my mom always used to tell me, "Donald, your eyes are bigger than your stomach," and boy did that hold true in this case. You know, lately, I've been saying that Oenotri in Napa, California, where I've now been at least four times, is "like 2 Amys, but a little better." But that's not true; it's "like 2 Amys, but a little less rustic." Another restaurant I recently went to that reminds me of 2 Amys is Pizzeria Bianco (for the second time) in Phoenix. And I have no doubt that Chef Pastan is flattered by these two comparisons; one thing that surprises me is that, although I've seen Johnny Monis here in the past, I've never seen Frank Ruta here, and this is exactly the type of food that Frank Ruta respects and enjoys.

2 Amys is one of our city's great treasures, and is arguably (not definitively, but absolutely in the conversation), arguably the greatest and most important restaurant in the history of Washington, DC. And if you don't think so, think again, keep educating yourself, and keep coming here. The stroller crowd is pacified, yes, but the toughest of culinary critics are, too. Thank God for Peter Pastan.

[Marty L.]

Everything you write above is spot-on, Don.  2 Amys is our neighborhood go-to, even though it's not in our neighborhood; and, especially from April through September, when the Eastern produce is available, the bar at 2 Amys is our favorite spot in town.  Debbie and Scott and crew are ideal hosts.  And the bar items are uniformly special.  Note to readers:  Notwithstanding Don's account, rest assured the dishes are not so small that you must order four/person.  Four or five of them, along with a pizza (or at most two), is plenty for four people, especially if you're making room for ice cream -- and you must.  It's the best ice cream in town.

2 Amys is one of our city's great treasures, and is arguably (not definitively, but absolutely in the conversation), arguably the greatest and most important restaurant in the history of Washington, DC. And if you don't think so, think again, keep educating yourself, and keep coming here. The stroller crowd is pacified, yes, but the toughest of culinary critics are, too. Thank God for Peter Pastan.

[brian]

I visit 2 Amys more than any other restaurant and it's the one I'd miss most if I ever moved away from DC. Like Marty, it's not in my neighborhood but I consider it a perfect neighborhood restaurant. I can go every week and see several new dishes sitting on the bar that I want to try - the rate of menu turnover is astounding, yet it rarely feels like a new item is less than fully realized. Over the years they've expanded their beer lineup (with an impressive focus on the underappreciated Italian craft beer scene) and they now usually have Millstone's tart and funky Farmgate cider on tap. I'm sure I've been there well over a hundred times and I always walk out happy, to the point where rolling the dice on a hyped new restaurant opening rarely seems appealing in comparison.

[Nervous Eater]

As someone who enjoys 2 Amys but doesn't go as frequently as I'd like, a question for those of you who go more often: can you order all of the exciting "bar" menu items (the stuff that seems to be very seasonal and sits out at room temp) at a regular table, or do you have to sit at the wine bar?  I'm trying to figure out the best time to go to take advantage of summer bounty.  Also - any word on if they are still doing porchetta on saturdays?

[Marty L.]

As someone who enjoys 2 Amys but doesn't go as frequently as I'd like, a question for those of you who go more often: can you order all of the exciting "bar" menu items (the stuff that seems to be very seasonal and sits out at room temp) at a regular table, or do you have to sit at the wine bar?  I'm trying to figure out the best time to go to take advantage of summer bounty.  Also - any word on if they are still doing porchetta on saturdays?

Yes, you can order any bar item from anywhere in the restaurant (it's all on the white handout); but Don has accurately described the ideal experience, which entails engaging with Debbie, Scott, et al., and seeing the items before you choose.  And yes, the porchetta is virtually always available (and a must order) on Saturdays -- very occasionally on other days, too.  I also like the rabbit, which is often available in lieu of the porchetta.

[porcupine]

As someone who enjoys 2 Amys but doesn't go as frequently as I'd like, a question for those of you who go more often: can you order all of the exciting "bar" menu items (the stuff that seems to be very seasonal and sits out at room temp)

Yes, but be aware that the small plates menu is quite limited at lunchtime ( at least on on weekends); to get the interesting stuff you have to go after 5:00.

[jasonc]

2 Amys is one of our city's great treasures, and is arguably (not definitively, but absolutely in the conversation), arguably the greatest and most important restaurant in the history of Washington, DC. And if you don't think so, think again, keep educating yourself, and keep coming here. The stroller crowd is pacified, yes, but the toughest of culinary critics are, too. Thank God for Peter Pastan.

Sort of wild how this was half the price of Riggsby.

[rorkin]

Went there about a year ago and was very disappointed . Ordered a pizza with buffalo mozerella. I know that the cheese can be a bit watery. The pie came out with the cheese virtually sloshing around on top in water and turning the crust into a soggy mess. When we complained they tried to tell us that was how all those pies came out. I don't think so.. Have not been back.

[Marty L.]

Went there about a year ago and was very disappointed . Ordered a pizza with buffalo mozerella. I know that the cheese can be a bit watery. The pie came out with the cheese virtually sloshing around on top in water and turning the crust into a soggy mess. When we complained they tried to tell us that was how all those pies came out. I don't think so.. Have not been back.

As a general matter, the pizzas themselves can be amazing, but lack the consistency they had when Edan was there.  I find that if I ask for them slightly on the well-done side, they're virtually always great.

[DonRocks]

As a general matter, the pizzas themselves can be amazing, but lack the consistency they had when Edan was there.  I find that if I ask for them slightly on the well-done side, they're virtually always great.

Yes, it's well-known "insider information" that you should *always* ask for your pizzas at 2 Amy's "Well-done." They all know what it means - just do it. That's something you won't find on any other website except perhaps Chowhound.

rorkin, I promise you that if you do that, you'll be happy with their pizzas.

[rorkin]

Thanks DR. Will certainly give that a try

[bookluvingbabe]

We ended up with soggy pizza in desperate need of salt on Friday night. And despite my best efforts, I couldn't extract the tomato goat cheese tart Don described from my server but it sure looked like it was there when I walked by the bar at the end of the evening. The apps and cheese were lovely but it felt like an echo of the place we treasured a decade ago.

I think I'm in a dining funk.

[jrichstar]

On Saturday night our pizzas were as good as ever.  The Norcia (salami, roasted peppers), our go-to, was great.  The surprise was the Vongole (cockles, garlic, grana).....this I think was only the second time we got it.  When we poured the liquor from the clam on to the pizza, the combination with the garlic and cheese was salty, delicious magic.  The crust on both pizzas seemed especially tasty and well-charred on Saturday.  And as was talked about earlier in the thread, you must try the porchetta with white beans and chard.  Great combination but the pork is definitely the star---the garlicky flavor and that crispy skin is soooo good.

[Marty L.]

Worth reemphasizing:  The porchetta is generally available only on Saturdays (and *very* occasionally on other days).

you must try the porchetta with white beans and chard.  Great combination but the pork is definitely the star---the garlicky flavor and that crispy skin is soooo good.

[hillvalley]

If you are an anchovy fan you must order a bowl of fried anchovy bones.

[sandynva]

Just want to chime in on the ice cream, which I have always thought is probably the best in the city. Went there sunday afternoon for a post-zoo snack and had some suppli and ice cream at the bar. I dislike fruity ice cream, but their blueberry-chocolate (a flavor I was quite skeptical of) was so good I wanted another bowl. watermelon-lime sorbet was excellent too.

[Pool Boy]

If you are an anchovy fan you must order a bowl of fried anchovy bones.

Oh my.

[durwoodx]

If you are an anchovy fan you must order a bowl of fried anchovy bones.

They also serve as great garnish/seasoning for several of the small plates and pizze - we would just crumble them on certain dishes like salt.

[Eatdceat]

Thanks to those who suggested ordering the pizza well done - it was awesome. I had only been once before and had not known to order it well done - it clearly made a real difference.

[DonRocks]

Thanks to those who suggested ordering the pizza well done - it was awesome. I had only been once before and had not known to order it well done - it clearly made a real difference.

"Commitment does not replace experience."

-- Brian Wolken

[CanY]

I haven't been back to Istanbul in over a decade. Life takes it's toll and something gets in they way of something else, and before too long you feel trapped in between something and something. One of the things I feel worst about missing out on is the food culture of Istanbul. The heart of that culture is friends and families at a table together to share. They share stories, experiences, complaints, news, opinions, and most importantly they share their time over great food. I remember visiting grand restaurants with no soul, and I also remember tables with nothing more than bread, feta, and tea to be packed with life. And even though, the food at 2 Amy's is excellent, what makes them my current favorite restaurant in the city, isn't that. It's their unparalleled ability to welcome you in what it seems to be a loud mad house from the outside. They welcome you with their authenticity, ingenious menu, great wines, efficient service, and with the soul of the space which captivates you from the moment you seat down. I may not go back to Istanbul again for the next few years with how things are going with our own places, however, I am thankful to 2 Amy's for bringing the dining spirit of the Mediterranean to DC. 

[jca76]

This time of year, we find ourselves driving up to 2 Amys about once a week, sometimes more.  (For the record, it's not in the neighborhood for us.)  Last night was another excellent seasonal dinner!  Silky corn soup, well balanced with both salt and acid, was served cold and studded with four large chunks of perfectly tender lobster.  A roasted peach, drizzled with honey, paired beautifully with pistachios and ricotta and hints of rosemary (infused in the honey?).  I took a bite and then put it aside to save as a perfect summer dessert.  (My taste in desserts runs toward cheese and fruit and away from chocolate.)  I have never had a bad tart here, and the caramelized onion slice, dusted with shavings of a surprisingly bright aged goat cheese log, ably carried the trend.  (The aged goat cheese has appeared on a variety of dishes and I always love its accent.)  Marinated mussels and tiny fingerling potato were dressed in an herby spiced oil that screamed to be mopped up with bread at the end.  A few other small plates and a funky bottle of natural rose wine off the reserve list rounded out a lovely meal.  (At 2 Amys, the reserve list doesn't necessarily mean more expensive than their regular list.  We've been told it is just that they don't have as much of the often quirkier/rarer selections.)  Service, as always, was delightfully warm.  

So maybe you've noticed that we didn't order a pizza.  (We only do one every fourth or fifth visit.)  I have had a number of sad conversations recently -- both with friends and on this board -- in which the other person says that he or she isn't a particular fan of 2 Amys, usually citing a preferred pizza place around DC.  (A defensible position, I agree, as much as I do like 2 Amys' pizza.) Invariably, the non-fan has not ordered off of the wine bar menu (the long white, daily-changing menu).  And all too often, even fan friends tell me the same thing!  Which is why I am posting.  Check out the wine bar specials!  I am not sure there is another place in town that does so well with super seasonal ingredients, often with little more than high quality olive oil and a health sprinkling of finishing salt.  And they change so frequently that we could go back in a day or two and have an entirely different meal -- and probably will.  

[mr food]

We were unimpressed by 2 Amys pizza a few months ago-pretty tasteless.

[franch]

18 minutes ago, mr food said:

We were unimpressed by 2 Amys pizza a few months ago-pretty tasteless.

same. preferred Ghibellina's from the time we were there.

[MC Horoscope]

1 hour ago, jca76 said:

Check out the wine bar specials!  I am not sure there is another place in town that does so well with super seasonal ingredients, often with little more than high quality olive oil and a health sprinkling of finishing salt.  And they change so frequently that we could go back in a day or two and have an entirely different meal -- and probably will.  

Is this menu different from the small plates and pizza specials menu they circulate at the tables downstairs? If so, do you have to sit at the bar for it?

We were thinking of returning real soon to splurge on the seasonal goodness of the small plates and desserts!

[jca76]

No, it's the same one that the tables get.  (I'm not sure why I think of it as the "wine bar" menu, actually.  Because the dishes are plated behind the bar?)  I hope that you enjoy it!

[Jonathan]

2 hours ago, franch said:

same. preferred Ghibellina's from the time we were there.

Well that is flattering;) that's my pizza. And I'm very passionate about it.

2 Amy's, dollar for dollar, though, is the best restaurant in DC.

[franch]

8 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

Well that is flattering;) that's my pizza. And I'm very passionate about it.

2 Amy's, dollar for dollar, though, is the best restaurant in DC.

hah! well, it's very good. 2 Amys was okay to good, but there's a baseline with Neapolitan pizza that unless something goes catastrophically wrong (rotten ingredients, drastically undercooked or overcooked, etc), it's still going to be okay. i am intrigued by the "wine bar" small plates and if i find myself up there, may return for those. however, this is just idiosyncratic to my wife and me, i like a good glass of wine and delicious small plates in a bit more of an adult atmosphere. i know we only went once, but there were SO MANY SCREAMING CHILDREN. running around, knocking into tables, sitting at tables screaming, what have you. that's my biggest reason i don't want to go back....

[jca76]

1 minute ago, franch said:

i know we only went once, but there were SO MANY SCREAMING CHILDREN. running around, knocking into tables, sitting at tables screaming, what have you. that's my biggest reason i don't want to go back....

You're definitely right that 2 Amys is "family friendly" -- to put a nice spin on it? -- early in the evening, a fact that I've appreciated on the rare occasions that we've managed to convince child-having friends that they can come out in public for a meal.  But in general we go no earlier than 7:30 or 8:00, when the youngest/loudest kids have been taken home.  Or you could ask to be seated upstairs, which tends to be much quieter.  

[franch]

4 minutes ago, jca76 said:

You're definitely right that 2 Amys is "family friendly" -- to put a nice spin on it? -- early in the evening, a fact that I've appreciated on the rare occasions that we've managed to convince child-having friends that they can come out in public for a meal.  But in general we go no earlier than 7:30 or 8:00, when the youngest/loudest kids have been taken home.  Or you could ask to be seated upstairs, which tends to be much quieter.  

this must have been near 9PM on a weeknight! i have noticed this about DC in general. it tends to be more ~family friendly~...even Zaytinya at 10:30PM was full of children. :-/

[jca76]

Eek.  That hasn't generally been my experience by that hour; hopefully you just got a particularly kid-crazy night.  

[brr]

2 Amys is just so freakin good - been a couple of times recently and the bar menu just blows us away - the Porchetta is to DIE for, the tomato salad with ricotta and chives melts in your mouth - the meatballs are as good as ever - feel very lucky to be a 10 min drive and glad they are still top notch 10+ years after opening

[Jonathan]

13 minutes ago, brr said:

2 Amys is just so freakin good - been a couple of times recently and the bar menu just blows us away - the Porchetta is to DIE for, the tomato salad with ricotta and chives melts in your mouth - the meatballs are as good as ever - feel very lucky to be a 10 min drive and glad they are still top notch 10+ years after opening

it certainly gets lost in all the hype of the new restaurants that are continuously opening. But for my money, I'd take two stools at the wine bar, my wife, a crossword puzzle book and some of the most soul satisfying, seasonal food the city has to offer. Not to mention a beautifully culled wine list and beer list. All for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere in the city.

[DonRocks]

18 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

it certainly gets lost in all the hype of the new restaurants that are continuously opening. But for my money, I'd take two stools at the wine bar, my wife, a crossword puzzle book and some of the most soul satisfying, seasonal food the city has to offer. Not to mention a beautifully culled wine list and beer list. All for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere in the city.

Yes, in my review of Kinship, I mentioned something about it being on track to becoming the most-important restaurant this city has even known. I was consciously (and with hesitation) thinking about Palena before I wrote that, but I *wasn't* thinking about 2 Amys, which I thought of later. 

I believe that honorific might have to go to 2 Amys. It's not "better" than Palena or Kinship, but I do think it's probably more important, and it's most likely the restaurant I've been to more than any other - it would not surprise me if I've been here a hundred times.

[Simul Parikh]

Man, I've been 3 times and I just don't get it... 

Going to try again. What 3 things should we order?

[Mark Dedrick]

I really wish 2 Amy's was closer to where I live or work. I've enjoyed every time I've been there, but I've been there far too infrequently. 

[Marty L.]

1 minute ago, Simul Parikh said:

Man, I've been 3 times and I just don't get it... 

Going to try again. What 3 things should we order?

You should sidle up to the bar and ask them what they're most excited about that day.  But don't miss the ice cream.  And if you order pizza (not necessary), make sure you ask for it on the well-done side.

I concur with everything Don and Jonathan say above.

[Rovers2000]

My go tos are:

- Pizza: I usually lean towards their seasonal offerings but my favorites of the mainstays are the Etna and a 2 Amy's with Sausage and an egg. 

- The aforementioned porchetta is incredible

- I love their burrata, deviled eggs and the salt cod croquettes

- Many of the antipastos (dinner only) are wonderful.  I also love the salmon and goat cheese crostini. 

[DaRiv18]

24 minutes ago, Simul Parikh said:

Man, I've been 3 times and I just don't get it... 

Going to try again. What 3 things should we order?

Oh man, what a bummer.  I am not sure there is anything on their menu that I wouldn't order, unless I had a personal preference against a specific ingredient.  How TS gave Comet Ping Pong the same amount of stars as 2Amys is just way beyond me, it isn't even close.  

The only thing I didn't care for was the fork and knife aged burrata, the texture is totally different than the normal style.  I think that dish is an acquired taste that I am not ready for yet.

[Marty L.]

6 minutes ago, DaRiv18 said:

Oh man, what a bummer.  I am not sure there is anything on their menu that I wouldn't order, unless I had a personal preference against a specific ingredient.  How TS gave Comet Ping Pong the same amount of stars as 2Amys is just way beyond me, it isn't even close.  

The only thing I didn't care for was the fork and knife aged burrata, the texture is totally different than the normal style.  I think that dish is an acquired taste that I am not ready for yet.

The lardo crostino I got last night didn't work, either.  But the chicken liver . . . wow.

[Jonathan]

1 hour ago, Simul Parikh said:

Man, I've been 3 times and I just don't get it... 

Going to try again. What 3 things should we order?

The chilled sparkling Gragnano is my go to wine. Their beers are all winners.

pizza is an afterthought but I typical get the Norcia.

all dishes that are on the white wine bar menu that come from the actual wine bar are better than the normal menu items that come from their kitchen.

roasted cauliflower is always good. Roasted peppers with olives and tonnato. Cured meats. Porchetta. Marinated beans. Pickled and cured sardines. Smoked swordfish with olives and fennel. Basically anything drenched in olive oil. Make sure to ask for lots of bread and make friends with Kiersten or Jeffrey or Oliver or anyone working the bar.

[jca76]

39 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

all dishes that are on the white wine bar menu that come from the actual wine bar are better than the normal menu items that come from their kitchen.

I generally agree with Jonathan's post (although my list differs because I'm pescatarian).  Because the white menu changes daily, there's no go-to that you can be assured of ordering.  Various gazpachos (sometimes tomato, sometimes fruit) with poached seafood (lobster on a few occasions, shrimp on Monday) have always been excellent.  Get a corn, mushroom, or green bean salad if available.  The savory tarts and pies also tend to be really good.  Roasted eggplant also appears regularly and is worth trying.  If they have a smoked butter crostino, definitely order it.  

If you are ordering off of the regular menu, I second the vote for the Etna pizza.  I also like the fizzy Gragnano, although I prefer it room temp to cold (they'll ask which way you'd like it).  The C.O.S. Rami is a slightly funky favorite.  And the few cocktails they do -- only listed on a board near the bar, and oftentimes the servers won't know what they are when you ask -- are generally very good.  I'm a particular fan of the Hollinger, which has echoes of a mint julep.  

[Jonathan]

28 minutes ago, jca76 said:

I generally agree with Jonathan's post (although my list differs because I'm pescatarian).  Because the white menu changes daily, there's no go-to that you can be assured of ordering.  Various gazpachos (sometimes tomato, sometimes fruit) with poached seafood (lobster on a few occasions, shrimp on Monday) have always been excellent.  Get a corn, mushroom, or green bean salad if available.  The savory tarts and pies also tend to be really good.  Roasted eggplant also appears regularly and is worth trying.  

I also like the fizzy Gragnano, although I prefer it room temp to cold (they'll ask which way you'd like it). 

Agreed. The eggplant with a green type sauce and pine nuts has been delicious as is any type of bean or corn.

if you can use the word "soulful" to describe food, then 2 Amy's is it. 

[Simul Parikh]

Man, id better come with an appetite!!

[Jonathan]

1 hour ago, Simul Parikh said:

Man, id better come with an appetite!!

You'll be fine. They are "small plates made for sharing."

[tongue planted firmly in cheek]

 

[Tweaked]

And all this tasty goodness is the wine bar menu?  Is the wine bar upstairs? 

[jca76]

13 minutes ago, Tweaked said:

And all this tasty goodness is the wine bar menu?  Is the wine bar upstairs? 

The physical bar is in the back of the first floor, but the wine bar menu is given to all the tables, so you don't have to sit at the actual bar to partake.    

[Jonathan]

4 hours ago, jca76 said:

The physical bar is in the back of the first floor, but the wine bar menu is given to all the tables, so you don't have to sit at the actual bar to partake.    

But I find the atmosphere of the actual wine bar to be far superior to sitting in the restaurant (and in Siberia upstairs). 

You get to see the food sitting at the wine bar. And the bartenders/Jeffrey/Oliver are great.

[DonRocks]

I've been thinking about this over the past 24 hours - I wonder if some people here simply don't know about 2 Amys because I've never ranked it in bold before (although I think it *was*, for a brief while when Edan MacQuaid was there, about 8-9 years ago). The reason is simple: 2 Amys will never be in Bold because it isn't trying to be - it's simple food, made with love and care, and has a great little wine list. In fact, I had ranked the wine list as being among the Best in the Washington, DC Area in this Washingtonian article (which is the most thorough article I ever wrote there). 

But just because it's not ranked in Bold means almost nothing - the food here isn't perfect, and it's not even consistent (the same dish can be slightly different between visits - sometimes being more oily than others, for example - the bartenders sometimes are a bit cavalier when it comes to adding finishing oil) - it's those variations that help to make the restaurant so great, because even though the dishes may not always be the same, or may not even always be "great," the restaurant as a whole *never* fails to be absolutely delightful.

2 Amys has always been rated in Italic, and barring any dramatic changes, always will be, and it has always been rated #1 in Glover Park, even when Heritage India was at its absolute peak about 10-11 years ago. It is at or near the top of the list when people from out-of-town come to DC and ask me for somewhere memorable.

Also, I think that if you request the pizza well-done (which is a "must"), the pizzas have always been in the Top 5 in the city. Even though Peter Pastan scoffs at the pepperoni (and I once read an article where he did), I happen to think their pepperoni is some of the best I've ever had. And I do love the Norcia, having ordered it probably more than any other pizza here - if you're with a group of 3-4 people, you should always get an order of pizza (or, if you insist on not getting pizza, at least make sure you order something that comes with their fantastic bread - and if not, then get an order of bread).

This is the type of restaurant that you might not go to for your 20th anniversary or 50th birthday, but it's one that you go to day-in and day-out, year after year.

I guess I should add that the bar isn't very comfortable, and that it gets full unless you go early, but I agree, it's the best place to be because you can just point at whatever looks good.

[porcupine]

I probably haven't dined at 2 AMYS as often as Don has, but I'm not far behind, either. I can't recall the last time I even looked at the regular menu. The daily specials (white, single page) menu is where it's at.

[Tweaked]

I'd like to kick myself in the ass for having never been to 2 Amy's before last night.  Sitting at the wine bar with a roasted porchetta on the carving board in front of us, sampling wine, and ordering delicious little bites was a perfect way to spend a rainy night in DC.

Now not everything was perfect, the pork duck rillette was served too cold, so it lost a lot of flavor, the crostino bread was over toasted to the point of being hard, the roasted cauliflower was calling out for some salt. 

But otherwise we ate well, very well.  The tuna spuma which accompanied the cauliflower was decadently rich.  The whole squid stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovy, capers, and pine nuts were engorged and delicious.  The simplicity of salt cured sardines, bread, and butter.  Shaved matsutake mushrooms dressed with lemon and olive oil...so earthy.  A plate of white beans, perfectly cooked, it didn't need anything else.  And the porchetta:  succulent, fatty, with crunchy crackling served with roasted peppers and beet greens and radicchio for $14...lesser restaurants would charge twice the price. 

Our two servers behind the bar were also excellent.  Suggesting dishes, offer wine samples (we probably tried 6 different wines before settling on our choice), clearly having a fun time interacting with the customers.  

The wine bar was so good, I may never try the pizza at 2 Amy's.  

[sheldman]

I ate here again tonight for about the 50th time maybe.  In my opinion, 2 Amys is the perfect restaurant if your one and only goal is: excellent Italian-ish ingredients, very well prepared in relatively simple fashion, lots of olive oil.  And by that, I do not mean to mock.  But they manage to serve you that, at reasonable prices, by not including any of the other creature comforts that many people find enjoyable about dining.  And sometimes it's really lovely, when the toddler at the next table is adorable and when you don't mind leaving full of olive oil after a rushed dinner sitting in an uncomfortable chair.  (And when you don't mind olives with pits.)  Other times, it is not.  I have never experienced it by arriving at 830 pm and sitting at the bar - maybe that is a very different and comforting and warm and vibrant experience.  And yes, I am a bourgeois SOB who enjoys a pretty environment and enjoys being asked if I would like another drink, and sometimes even enjoys olives without pits in a cooked dish.  And yes, my friend Marty L may never speak to me again ...

[Marty L.]

59 minutes ago, sheldman said:

I ate here again tonight for about the 50th time maybe.  In my opinion, 2 Amys is the perfect restaurant if your one and only goal is: excellent Italian-ish ingredients, very well prepared in relatively simple fashion, lots of olive oil.  And by that, I do not mean to mock.  But they manage to serve you that, at reasonable prices, by not including any of the other creature comforts that many people find enjoyable about dining.  And sometimes it's really lovely, when the toddler at the next table is adorable and when you don't mind leaving full of olive oil after a rushed dinner sitting in an uncomfortable chair.  (And when you don't mind olives with pits.)  Other times, it is not.  I have never experienced it by arriving at 830 pm and sitting at the bar - maybe that is a very different and comforting and warm and vibrant experience.  And yes, I am a bourgeois SOB who enjoys a pretty environment and enjoys being asked if I would like another drink, and sometimes even enjoys olives without pits in a cooked dish.  And yes, my friend Marty L may never speak to me again ...

In my opinion, 2 Amys is the perfect restaurant if it entices bourgeois SOBs who enjoy a pretty environment and enjoy being asked if they would like another drink, and sometimes even enjoy olives without pits in a cooked dish  . . .  to return 50 or so times!  ;-)   Fear not, Sam, I'll speak to you again soon -- let's make a date for the bar at 2 Amys!

[jca76]

15 hours ago, sheldman said:

I ate here again tonight for about the 50th time maybe.

you had me wondering how often i've eaten at 2 amys, so i searched my calendar (where i track pretty much all my restaurant meals).  it turns out we've dined in or done take-out/delivery from 2 amys thirty-three times in 2016.  the bf and i may have an addiction simply, well prepared ingredients with a lot of olive oil.

[Tweaked]

My friend and I made a return trip to 2 Amy's last night.  Another great meal sitting in the back bar area.  Everything we ordered was good to great, with no misses.

Eggplant Caponata & Smoked Ricotta Crostino x2

Smoked Mackerel Rillette Crostino x2

Sicilian Anchovies with Bread and Butter

Fennel Braised with Saffron and Orange with Tarragon Aioli and Breadcrumbs (this dish was beautiful, with a golden piece of fennel and the green aioli)

New Zealand Bluenose Bass en Saor (this could have used a touch more acid as it leaned sweet, but still a very good dish)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto, Vincotto and Sheep Ricotta (perhaps the one dish that was merely ok)

Porchetta with Braised Carrots and Mustardy Salad (just fabulous, served with a nice fat piece of cracklin)

We also had 4 1/4 liter pours of wine and a round of post-dinner grappa, and still snuck in under $80.00/ person with tax and tip.

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, Tweaked said:

My friend and I made a return trip to 2 Amy's last night.  Another great meal sitting in the back bar area.  Everything we ordered was good to great, with no misses.

Just keep doing it over the years - you'll get the occasional miss, but it misses for the right reasons, and everything is always "good to great."

Given the previous track record of Obelisk, Peter Pastan should have won a Beard Award the first year that 2 Amys opened.

[Tweaked]

Eggplant Caponata and anchovy crostino ($3); Smoky arctic char rillette crostino ($3); grilled octopus salad crostino ($4)...all awesome.

Baby fava beans with sheep's milk ricotta ($9) was merely ok, not a lot of flavor going on.

Breakfast radishes with ramp butter ($8) was tasty but a bit awkward.  The radishes were tiny, making it hard to really coat with butter.

The porchetta ($14) was its normal thing of beauty.  We ordered one plate and then decided to order a second.  

And a big slice of ricotta cake with chocolate and orange ($6.45) wrapped up the meal nicely.  

[Ferris Bueller]

This place used to be packed all the time and on our way to the Cactus Cantina two weeks ago it was literally a ghost town at 5:30 PM on a Monday evening.  Ok, so Monday nite is a tough nite, but CC was ramping up and pretty busy when we left.  2 Amys still had many tables available.  Not sure if something has changed recently or just the time we were there.  We have enjoyed 2A many times in the past, but it always required a lot of planning or waiting in line to get a table.  Food has always been great.

 

[DonRocks]

On 4/27/2017 at 7:03 PM, Ferris Bueller said:

This place used to be packed all the time and on our way to the Cactus Cantina two weeks ago it was literally a ghost town at 5:30 PM on a Monday evening.  Ok, so Monday nite is a tough nite, but CC was ramping up and pretty busy when we left.  2 Amys still had many tables available.  Not sure if something has changed recently or just the time we were there.  We have enjoyed 2A many times in the past, but it always required a lot of planning or waiting in line to get a table.  Food has always been great.

2 Amys has been crowded for nearly twenty-five years. Let the new kids have their day - although I haven't been to 2 Amys in perhaps six months, as far as I know, nothing has changed at this legendary restaurant, which deserves a James Beard Award for Peter Pastan. Obelisk was, along with Makoto, the most interesting restaurant in DC in the 1980s, but at some point, 2 Amys surpassed it, and has been a temple of great eating (not dining; eating) since the 1990s.

It is criminal that Pastan doesn't have a Beard Award of some sort.

And, I scroll up and see that I wrote essentially the same thing just a few months ago. 

[Marty L.]

2 hours ago, Ferris Bueller said:

This place used to be packed all the time and on our way to the Cactus Cantina two weeks ago it was literally a ghost town at 5:30 PM on a Monday evening.  Ok, so Monday nite is a tough nite, but CC was ramping up and pretty busy when we left.  2 Amys still had many tables available.  Not sure if something has changed recently or just the time we were there.  We have enjoyed 2A many times in the past, but it always required a lot of planning or waiting in line to get a table.  Food has always been great.

On Sunday they were packed solid from noon onward until at least 8:00.  Many items 86'd very early on.  Go figure.

[Tweaked]

We generally go on a Wednesday night, around 7 pm and its usually 3/4 full in the main dining room.  The back wine bar area is usually full or one or two little tables are free.  We have only once had to wait for a two top to open up.  The two people working the bar area are always hustling and last night four items were 86ed while we were there.

The patio at Cactus was also hopping, but it was a lovely night out so that was expected. 

[sandynva]

the fava bean crostini are back! 

the suppli we had yesterday were better than they've been in a while--really flavorful and well seasoned. 

My margharita was great as always, and husband really liked the special sausage and artichoke pie they had. 

And the ice cream yesterday was awesome--delicious orange campari sorbet, and a chocolate hazelnut ice cream which was lighter on the hazelnut flavor than i would have liked (as i find many chocolate hazelnut things are, maybe it's a hard flavor to infuse?) but had an amazing texture and the chocolate went nicely with the orange sorbet. 

 

[jca76]

1 hour ago, sandynva said:

the fava bean crostini are back! 

I love those crostini.  The bf accidentally ordered two orders when we did Postmates delivery a few weeks ago, not realizing that unlike most of their crostini, these come two pieces to an order -- best ordering mistake ever.  They've had a number of delightfully springy dishes recently: a pizza with ramps and an egg; roasted eggplant with ramps and ricotta; grilled scallions with romesco; shaved artichoke salad with cheese, olive oil, and lemon; minted favas and radishes as a meat accompaniment; a dessert of ice cream, wonderfully sweet strawberries, and gragnano poured over top.  (Now I'm making myself hungry.  We've averaged going there twice a week over the last month, and I would happily go back tonight!)  

[KeithA]

I haven't been in a few months, but I live close by and have gone about 1-2 times every month or 2 for the past decade - it is still the same deliciousness. And I too am a big fan of the crostini - especially the eggplant caponata/anchovie one. Reminds me to it is soon time for a return visit.  Only change in these times is the added upstairs space and new waiter uniforms.

[Gadarene]

Just ate at 2Amys for the first time ever (it's never been remotely close to where I've lived, and I've never owned a car).  It's loud (children like to scream!), but pretty awesome.  The wine list is super-interesting, and the marinara pizza was excellent.  It doesn't supplant Etto or Ghibellina (yes, I know the provenance) for my favorite marinara in the city, but it's excellent nonetheless.  I love love love the crust.

[DaRiv18]

On 5/12/2017 at 3:25 PM, Gadarene said:

 I love love love the crust.

We ate there last night too (must have been several hours after you) - still lots of screaming children there at 8pm, in part to our own family's contribution.  But, I recall thinking the pizza crust was especially good yesterday, very pillowy and bubbly.  Of course we ordered it well-done, too.

[Al Dente]

On 5/12/2017 at 3:25 PM, Gadarene said:

I love love love the crust.

Hey, I was there Friday night too!

I had one of the pizzas on their specials list-- sausage, fava bean puree, and... and... dammit, I can't remember. Anyway, it was excellent as usual.

It's amazing how quickly that joint fills up. We were one of perhaps 10 tables when we arrived. An hour later it was jammed.

[Tweaked]

Back for our monthly bacchanal at 2 Amy's.  Highlights included a fairly small but lovely and plump soft shell crab, the eggplant caponata crostino (always great), big fat salt cod fritters, and of course the porchetta served with braised baby carrots and lentils.  Wrapped things up with a good strawberry shortcake.  And too much wine, per usual.     

[Keithstg]

Had a fantastic lunch at 2 Amy's on Tuesday. The special pizza (morels, garlic tomato purée, parsley and grams) was incredible. Well worth an order if it's still on the menu.

[KeithA]

About 2 weeks ago, went to 2 Amys for lunch. Very nice Calabrese pizza, and Margherita was good as always and finally got the kids to enjoy a cheese pizza there (they are bigger fans of NY style by way of Vace). Always good suppli and salt cod croquettes. They really have a way with their fryer there.

[Tweaked]

Back at it...hits included the house pickled sardines, the whipped goat cheese tart, smoked Horse Mackerel crudo, and, of course, the porchetta with beans and roasted peppers.

[Nervous Eater]

59 minutes ago, Tweaked said:

Back at it...hits included the house pickled sardines, the whipped goat cheese tart, smoked Horse Mackerel crudo, and, of course, the porchetta with beans and roasted peppers.

Looks incredible!  Any indication what days they offer the porchetta?

[Tweaked]

Wednesdays and Saturdays are porchetta night.

[Gadarene]

Shout out to Allie and the great bar program here.

I also need to remember to ask about the specials when I come, rather than just doing my usual 2Amys-and-extended-family order of a (delicious) marinara pizza.

[DaRiv18]

If they are serving porchetta as a main, then it is probably on Saturday and maybe on Wednesday.  This past Saturday, our family ended up all ordering personal pizzas all around, since we didn't feel that cobbling together the smaller plates that intrigued us would be enough.  We did get the local cranberry beans topped with sliced porchetta, and that was worth it.  But it wasn't the same.  It's great to have their pizza as a fallback option, and it's great to have their pizza period.  

[zgast]

Went Saturday night, but decided not to stay - it was blazing hot inside.  Is it always like that?

[DaRiv18]

5 hours ago, zgast said:

Went Saturday night, but decided not to stay - it was blazing hot inside.  Is it always like that?

We ate out on the outdoor patio, but as we walked thru, it didn't seem really that different than other times -- I didn't think it was super hot.  The upstairs usually is very cold, if that makes a difference, to the point I have heard diners complain about it on different visits.  I would suggest you go back.  I also think you picked a good night to skip, not only no porchetta, but their fryer was down, too, so a significant portion of their appetizers were unavailable.  Which meant other appetizers were sold out by 7:00pm (such as the herbed arborio rice stuffed squash blossoms that I wanted to order).

[Simul Parikh]

Finally made it back, with my ski buddy from Chile trip who works in DC but lives in Park City (I cannot think of a better life situation) and my .. fiancee... I don't like that. Let's go with .. lifelong slam piece. That works much better!

The side dishes are really good. The suppli were divine. Burrata was on point and not ludicrously priced. Cantabrian anchovies were very tasty. Should have had more than 3 small slices of bread for the burratta and fishies. The dehydrated bread thing with heirloom tomatoes didn't work. The juice from the tomato is supposed to rehydrate the bread, but it doesn't and ends up being amazing heirloom tomatoes on a cracker. 

This pizza is not for me. I don't get it. The toppings are too inconsistent and patchy. You can see a lot of bread in between. It really annoys me when you try to separate/slice pizza, and at the point of cut-through, the cheese slides to either one slice completely or the other. The crust is pretty good, and they have a hot ass oven, because that blistering/char is pretty sweet. One of my pieces had a straight up tumor bubble, like a neglected head and neck caner (in a good way). I did like that. We got a Margharita Extra and Puttanesca. The Margharita was the one that really shit the proverbial bed with the cheese. It just came apart too easy. Also, I didn't order that one, but the only reason it's "extra" is the cherry tomatoes. That's not an extra I need, but maybe it's the one I deserve. The puttanesca ... this one straight up angered me ... This is my favorite type of pasta sauce. Mine is probably the best you'll ever taste and I'm merely being objective, but I'm always willing to try other's (in pasta form, pizza form, whatever - olives, capers, anchovies, red pepper, and tomatoes together are a heavenly construct). It came with broccoli rabe on top. I swore it was the wrong pizza, flagged the waiter down, and was like - "We ordered the puttanesca". He said, yah, that's the one. "Yeah, but what's this green stuff?" He said, the menu says broccoli rabe. I couldn't fathom this to be true. I got a menu back, and bam, rapini listed as one of the toppings. Bob's your uncle! It tasted like broccoli pizza. That should tell you how I felt about it.

I could spend another paragraph about what puttanesca is to me, what it should contain, how it should taste, the origins (was it really the hookers tempting clients with their "tasty sauce"?). Not the point. They can't call that pizza puttanesca. They cannot. It's a crime against humanity. If not humanity, then at least me.

Yet, after all that. I loved the place. It is just so darn cute. I'm going to go back soon, and not get pizza. Or maybe just one. But not that one.

[Rovers2000]

32 minutes ago, Simul Parikh said:

They can't call that pizza puttanesca. They cannot. It's a crime against humanity. If not humanity, then at least me.

This was my gateway pizza here - and its one of my favorites so I'm always happy to debate it .  Its been said up thread and I would recommend it based on how much you seemed to enjoy the more blistered parts of the crust - order the pizza extra crispy.  I'd also potentially suggest you try the Etna.  Its my other favorite.

But agree - the strongest points are the sides / antipasti.  Also on the bread front - I normally ask for an extra side of it when I order Burrata and other delicious treats and they're always happy to oblige.

[Tweaked]

I was there last night....super busy.  Waitress thought it was a big post-Rosh Hashanah service crowd.  And Simul, I've never once had the pizza at 2 Amy's.

Winners last night: 

Round one:  Sicilian anchovies with bread and butter (such a good and simple combo), Salt cod croquettes, braised fennel, baby octopus salad (could have used a little acid)...all with extra green sauce.  Round two:  Goat cheese tart with beets and salad greens and creamy mustard dressing, and of course the porchetta, served with cranberry beans and grilled radicchio.

The mackerel crudo was merely ok, not as good as last month when the mackerel had been smoked, which really played well with the richness of the fish. 

Food porn: 

Top:  Crudo, goat cheese tart, porchetta.  Bottom: porchetta close up - crackling, fat, pork.

[Simul Parikh]

10 minutes ago, Tweaked said:

I was there last night....super busy.  Waitress thought it was a big post-Rosh Hashanah service crowd.  And Simul, I've never once had the pizza at 2 Amy's.

Winners last night: 

Round one:  Sicilian anchovies with bread and butter (such a good and simple combo), Salt cod croquettes, braised fennel, baby octopus salad (could have used a little acid)...all with extra green sauce.  Round two:  Goat cheese tart with beets and salad greens and creamy mustard dressing, and of course the porchetta, served with cranberry beans and grilled radicchio.

The mackerel crudo was merely ok, not as good as last month when the mackerel had been smoked, which really played well with the richness of the fish. 

Food porn: 

Top:  Crudo, goat cheese tart, porchetta.  Bottom: porchetta close up - crackling, fat, pork.

The goat cheese tart looked good, I just completely forgot to order it. And that porchetta also looks good. Okay. Going back and not getting any pizza. 

[DonRocks]

42 minutes ago, Keithstg said:

I have to say, this thread is remarkable. Usually out-of town chefs get skewered, no matter the pedigree (see Lee, Sursur and especially Ripert, Eric). Yet ice cream from an absentee chef is nearly universally praised. Wow. Guess these other chefs should get busy making ice cream in the flyovers.

I've had the ice cream in Columbus and thought it was very good, and The Whole Ox in Marshall carries it. That said, its no 2 Amy's, or Moo-Thru. Or maybe it is, with better marketing

For whatever it's worth, DIShGo and I had 2 Amys ice cream two nights ago - vanilla with local-wildflower honey - and we both agreed it was a step up even from Jeni's (which we just had two nights before). This really doesn't have anything to do with an "out of town chef" - it's ice cream, not an asparagus soufflé. I'm also not convinced it's made in each store; it makes more sense to have it shipped in from a central location for consistency. Assuming that's true, it's the individual stores' primary responsibility to serve it at the correct freshness and temperature, and of course with friendly service.

[Rovers2000]

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

For whatever it's worth, DIShGo and I had 2 Amys ice cream two nights ago - vanilla with local-wildflower honey - and we both agreed it was a step up even from Jeni's (which we just had two nights before). This really doesn't have anything to do with an "out of town chef" - it's ice cream, not an asparagus soufflé. I'm also not convinced it's made in each store; it makes more sense to have it shipped in from a central location for consistency. Assuming that's true, it's the individual stores' primary responsibility to serve it at the correct freshness and temperature, and of course with friendly service.

The roasted pineapple ice cream at 2 Amy's is the single best ice cream I've had in my life.  I've only had it once, but I greedily look every single time I'm there to see if it has returned.

[Marty L.]

13 hours ago, Rovers2000 said:

The roasted pineapple ice cream at 2 Amy's is the single best ice cream I've had in my life.  I've only had it once, but I greedily look every single time I'm there to see if it has returned.

True that.

[Tweaked]

Porchetta Porn, served with cider braised cabbage and farro.

[KeithA]

I have always said that the pizza is good at 2 Amys but I usually find the appetizers/small plates to be outstanding. I used to love their crostini but they seemed to have moved away from offering them. Lately, I've been enjoying their various fish offerings - the anchovies and peppers on the regular menu are always nice and on Monday I had great pickled sardines with olive tapenade off the special menu. On two recent occassions, I had the same eggplant with smoky/spiced tomato sauce with the lightest, freshest sheep's milk ricotta.  The suppli telefono and my perennial fave the salt cod croquettes were very good on Monday. The kitchen has a great way with the fryer.  One new twist after years of being the same, now the salt cod croquettes come with a bit of lemon aioli and the usual lemon wedge. I think I'm still partial to the lemon wedge but options are nice. Lastly, the roasted olives are great to share as a app. 

[DIShGo]

2 hours ago, KeithA said:

I have always said that the pizza is good at 2 Amys but I usually find the appetizers/small plates to be outstanding. I used to love their crostini but they seemed to have moved away from offering them. Lately, I've been enjoying their various fish offerings - the anchovies and peppers on the regular menu are always nice and on Monday I had great pickled sardines with olive tapenade off the special menu. On two recent occassions, I had the same eggplant with smoky/spiced tomato sauce with the lightest, freshest sheep's milk ricotta.  The suppli telefono and my perennial fave the salt cod croquettes were very good on Monday. The kitchen has a great way with the fryer.  One new twist after years of being the same, now the salt cod croquettes come with a bit of lemon aioli and the usual lemon wedge. I think I'm still partial to the lemon wedge but options are nice. Lastly, the roasted olives are great to share as a app. 

I agree with you. On a recent visit to 2 Amys we enjoyed some very good pizza that we took home for lunch the next day, but the small plates and the desserts stole the show. My favorites were the matsutake mushroom and pecorino salad and the vitello tonnato. Both dishes were outstanding. We also enjoyed sicilan anchovies on their delicious bread with butter, and curried chickpeas and baby carrots with mint and sheep's milk ricotta. The latter was delicious, but for me, the North African flavors didn't meld as well with the rest of the dishes. The dessert was one of the best I have ever enjoyed--yogurt and wild honey ice cream.  The addition of the yogurt gave it a wonderful texture, and the wild honey taste lingered on my palate long after each bite. 

[DonRocks]

44 minutes ago, horacebailey14 said:

We've tried Jubilee but think Jeni's is a step above. I admit we haven't tried 2Amy's (didn't know people thought so highly of the ice cream until recently), but at the moment Jeni's is definitely at the top of our DC list. 

We hit up 2 Amys again this past Sunday, and finished our (amazing) meal with three scoops of Vanilla and Straciatella Ice Cream, along with Mint Sorbet, knowing in advance that they might not go together - we just *had* to get one of each. Both of us preferred the flavors we had on our previous visit, but the quality was right there as always. 

It isn't that 2 Amys is so much "better" than Jeni's; it's just that when you make things in small batches, you can control things such as freshness and temperature so much more easily than when you have a regional or national chain - if 2 Amys went this route, it would undoubtedly suffer (at least in relative terms).

MartyL, do you agree with the previous paragraph?

[Marty L.]

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

We hit up 2 Amys again this past Sunday, and finished our (amazing) meal with three scoops of Vanilla and Straciatella Ice Cream, along with Mint Sorbet, knowing in advance that they might not go together - we just *had* to get one of each. Both of us preferred the flavors we had on our previous visit, but the quality was right there as always. 

It isn't that 2 Amys is so much "better" than Jeni's; it's just that when you make things in small batches, you can control things such as freshness and temperature so much more easily than when you have a regional or national chain - if 2 Amys went this route, it would undoubtedly suffer (at least in relative terms).

MartyL, do you agree with the previous paragraph?

Way outside my area of expertise, but it sure sounds right!  What I do know for certain is that I've never had ice cream in D.C. better than at 2 Amys, and it's always great there.

[sandynva]

i have absolutely no technical expertise in this area, so it's just my opinion, but i wonder 1) does it matter why 2 amys is better than jenis, or if 2 amys would be worse if it went national? isn't what matters to us the ultimate experience we are presented with here, in this city, where we have the chain jeni's and smaller 2 amys? 2) i don't know that it's just a matter of size. i was pretty underwhelmed by jeni's. it was definitely good, but in general i thought the flavors under-performed, that they read better than they actually tasted. i thought the goat cheese and cherries would be fantastic, but the cheese flavor was muted. similarly the roasted strawberry tasted somewhat different than typical strawberry, but not as much as i'd expected. in contrast, for me 2 amys flavors consistently overperform--i've never gotten x flavor and said " i wish this tasted more of x" and even flavors that sound sort of boring (straciatella) end up being more special than expected. 

[DonRocks]

10 minutes ago, sandynva said:

i have absolutely no technical expertise in this area, so it's just my opinion, but i wonder 1) does it matter why 2 amys is better than jenis, or if 2 amys would be worse if it went national? isn't what matters to us the ultimate experience we are presented with here, in this city, where we have the chain jeni's and smaller 2 amys? 2) i don't know that it's just a matter of size. i was pretty underwhelmed by jeni's. it was definitely good, but in general i thought the flavors under-performed, that they read better than they actually tasted. i thought the goat cheese and cherries would be fantastic, but the cheese flavor was muted. similarly the roasted strawberry tasted somewhat different than typical strawberry, but not as much as i'd expected. in contrast, for me 2 amys flavors consistently overperform--i've never gotten x flavor and said " i wish this tasted more of x" and even flavors that sound sort of boring (straciatella) end up being more special than expected. 

You answered your own question! It matters "why" because in your examples, temperature had a lot to do with the equation - this is probably the coldest cheese product you've ever eaten (unless you go around licking cheese popsicles), and frozen temperatures are known to mute flavors. Similarly, 2 Amys' ice creams seem to be served a couple degrees warmer than Jeni's, and that makes for a more penetrating flavor - the ambient temperature inside 2 Amys, and the side-by-side plating (as opposed to vertical stacking) also contribute to them coming up towards room temperature fairly quickly.

[sandynva]

 i had my jeni's on a flat dish-thing, at home and waited until they were pretty melty (which is how i generally eat ice cream, i think it tastes better) which is pretty much the same way i  often eat 2 amys. So i don't think the muted flavor was a function of temperature. 

[Tweaked]

2Amy's was quite epic last night.  A parade of amazing dishes.

Our opening salvo included the wonderful Sicilian anchovies with bread and butter; smoked salmon and goat cheese crostino, little piggy croquettes with green sauce; and eggplant caponata with toasted bread and anchovy.  The piggy croquettes were really good, think large tatter tots but with shredded pork rather than potato.  The eggplant caponata was a masterpiece: a Twinkie sized log of eggplant cooked until almost falling apart and smothered in caponata sauce topped with an anchovy filet and which we smeared on bread. 

Next up was the steamed cockles with fresh ginger broth and crostino, the cockles were immaculate, the broth could have been punchier and need a dash of salt. Honey roasted carrots with marcona almonds, mint, and sheep's milk ricotta was another blockbuster dish.  The sweetness of the carrots, creaminess of the ricotta, crunch of the almonds.  It was only bettered by the smoked lamb neck with creamy mustard dressing and frisee.  The lamb neck was shaved carpaccio style and drizzled with the dressing and frisee sprinkled on top.  I would be hard pressed to think that a better dish was served in DC last night.

We finished up with our now standard double porchetta order, served with fat plump cranberry beans and charred cauliflower (although I substituted in another helping of the carrots, since I hate cauliflower).

Hell, we were too stuffed to even get to the Maine lobster and mozzarella salad nor the pork belly, cherry and pistachio terrine.  And we forgot to order the salt cod croquettes.    

Lamb Neck and a spread of food (Cockles, Lamb neck, roasted carrots)

[DaRiv18]

2 Amy’s may have the best steak (36 oz dry aged Tuscan steak, served with a big bowl of beans and a big bowl of steamed baby spinach, $55) in DC north of Dupont Circle, it is a push with Buck’s 18oz prime steak served with fries ($39). Both are wood fired, both are delicious.

Tuscan Steak Night seems to be settling on Saturdays, although it has appeared all over the place. 

[DonRocks]

41 minutes ago, DaRiv18 said:

2 Amy’s may have the best steak (36 oz dry aged Tuscan steak, served with a big bowl of beans and a big bowl of steamed baby spinach, $55) in DC north of Dupont Circle, it is a push with Buck’s 18oz prime steak served with fries ($39). Both are wood fired, both are delicious.

Tuscan Steak Night seems to be settling on Saturdays, although it has appeared all over the place. 

If anyone from 2 Amys sees this post, could you figure out a way to let us know when Tuscan Steak Nights will be?

Thank you, DaRiv18, for writing this.