Bebo Trattoria, Chef Claudio Sandri in Crystal City - Closed.

[Apples & Bananas]

Isn't the broader question here why can't Roberto find consistency? Anyone who has been to Bebo knows that he can churn out quality food, and occasionally the service can be spot on. But in a city where it's fairly easy to find a restaurant that can deliver, and deliver with a great deal of regularity, why can't Roberto do this?

I know this is a question that's been asked a million times, but surely it's within his capacity to do it.

[Keithstg]

Isn't the broader question here why can't Roberto find consistency? Anyone who has been to Bebo knows that he can churn out quality food, and occasionally the service can be spot on. But in a city where it's fairly easy to find a restaurant that can deliver, and deliver with a great deal of regularity, why can't Roberto do this?

I know this is a question that's been asked a million times, but surely it's within his capacity to do it.

That's a question that has been asked since Galileo was open (re: the service, especially). Perhaps a better question would be framed in two parts - Why, despite his tremendous talent, has Roberto been at the center of so many FOH foibles, and, how can this question be asked without being accused of trying to "force someone out of business", which is absurd.

[mdt]

That's a question that has been asked since Galileo was open (re: the service, especially). Perhaps a better question would be framed in two parts - Why, despite his tremendous talent, has Roberto been at the center of so many FOH foibles, and, how can this question be asked without being accused of trying to "force someone out of business", which is absurd.

My bold above. Because of the relationship between certain folks that don't get treated the same way as others when they dine at certain places. There are plenty of other negative posts about other places that don't get the "force someone out of business" response. I guess some folks are more important than others.

FWIW, I had a margherita pizza made by RD that was soup on a crust, so yes he does put out some less than perfect product.

[Apples & Bananas]

I think the idea that anyone wants Roberto out of business is simply laughable. This area benefits from having him here, and having him succeed. If anything, we only want him to live up to our expectations and what we know he's capable of.

[Joe H]

"I would have been happy if my pizza were just burned! My recent Pizza Capri (Tomato, Mozzarella, basil, oregano, whole egg) came out with no cheese! None! I thought maybe it was hidden somewhere, maybe under the sauce, or even under the egg! Nope.

Since Bebo opened, I have been happy to live with the disorganized, frenzied yet S- L- O- W service, in order to enjoy pretty good food at a fair price. I've known that I cannot go to Bebo in a rush or bad mood, starving, thirsty, etc. That way, I usually leave happy. Not this time. I just left perplexed. I intended to point out my missing cheese to the bartender (we were seated at the bar), but I couldn't catch his attention for about 30 minutes. Knowing that Roberto was at the oven the whole time, and had prepared my pizza, only added to my bewilderment.

That said, I ate the pizza anyways. It was actually OK without the cheese.

The only cheese that is on the Pizza Capri is grated parmigiano along with oregano, tomato and then the egg. If you can see the parmigiano there will be too much cheese-it blends in with the tomato as the pizza bakes. Point is you should not be able to see the cheese. It WAS correctly made.

How can someone sit at a bar and go for 30 minutes without attracting a bartender's attention? Thirty minutes?

If a person is going to "pile on" in a thread and assert that three pizzas are burnt with the chef owner preparing them himself or a pizza is served without cheese or that 5 or 10 minutes is 30-all of this potentially damning and damaging to a popular restaurant-they should at least be factually correct. For whatever reason there are too many who seem willing to say anything to win their point. Even at the expense of losing their own credibility in an effort to make someone else look bad.

For those who post on here: sometime you seem to think that this is a private dialogue where few if anyone else (other than your friends whose approval you want) are reading what you write. A slew of factually incorrect assertions CAN hurt a restaurant. When they are wrong they must be corrected. This has nothing to do with a relationship or friendship. It has to do with what is fair and what someone has worked for.

[mdt]

The only cheese that is on the Pizza Capri is grated parmigiano along with oregano, tomato and then the egg. If you can see the parmigiano there will be too much cheese-it blends in with the tomato as the pizza bakes. Point is you should not be able to see the cheese. It WAS correctly made.

How can someone sit at a bar and go for 30 minutes without attracting a bartender's attention? Thirty minutes?

If a person is going to "pile on" in a thread and assert that three pizzas are burnt with the chef owner preparing them himself or a pizza is served without cheese or that 5 or 10 minutes is 30-all of this potentially damning and damaging to a popular restaurant-they should at least be factually correct. For whatever reason there are too many who seem willing to say anything to win their point. Even at the expense of losing their own credibility in an effort to make someone else look bad.

From the menu (click),

CAPRI - Tomato, Mozzarella, basil, oregano, whole egg $13.50

[Josh Radigan]

Uh, the menu online for bebo states that the Capri Pizza has Mozzerella as an ingredient.

[Keithstg]

How can someone sit at a bar and go for 30 minutes without attracting a bartender's attention? Thirty minutes?

For those who post on here: sometime you seem to think that this is a private dialogue where few if anyone else (other than your friends whose approval you want) are reading what you write. A slew of factually incorrect assertions CAN hurt a restaurant. When they are wrong they must be corrected. This has nothing to do with a relationship or friendship. It has to do with what is fair and what someone has worked for.

I agree Joe. However, this seems to be a situation where you simply don't believe Miguelito, not where anything incorrect was stated. You may not believe the OP, but credibility in posts is a two way street, and blindly defending the restaurant in this case seems to be more of a knee jerk reaction than anything else.

[alan7147]

The only cheese that is on the Pizza Capri is grated parmigiano along with oregano, tomato and then the egg. If you can see the parmigiano there will be too much cheese-it blends in with the tomato as the pizza bakes. Point is you should not be able to see the cheese. It WAS correctly made.

How can someone sit at a bar and go for 30 minutes without attracting a bartender's attention? Thirty minutes?

If a person is going to "pile on" in a thread and assert that three pizzas are burnt with the chef owner preparing them himself or a pizza is served without cheese or that 5 or 10 minutes is 30-all of this potentially damning and damaging to a popular restaurant-they should at least be factually correct. For whatever reason there are too many who seem willing to say anything to win their point. Even at the expense of losing their own credibility in an effort to make someone else look bad.

For those who post on here: sometime you seem to think that this is a private dialogue where few if anyone else (other than your friends whose approval you want) are reading what you write. A slew of factually incorrect assertions CAN hurt a restaurant. When they are wrong they must be corrected. This has nothing to do with a relationship or friendship. It has to do with what is fair and what someone has worked for.

I call bullshit on this. You are unsympathetically biased towards anything having to do with Roberto Donna. I thought you stated a couple of months ago that you no longer had interest in posting on this "mean spirited board"

[pizza man]

From the menu (click),

CAPRI - Tomato, Mozzarella, basil, oregano, whole egg $13.50

Sounds quite good.

Can anyone tell me how the egg is cooked on this pizza? Soft yolk? cooked through?

To me, That would be the measure of a consistently cooked pizza with egg..Was it well balanced?

[Joe H]

I've had the Capri pizza and it does not have mozz on it. Mozz and egg do not seem to go together. The website speaks for itself whether it is right or wrong. If it is wrong someone should make the correction. I don't have a menu at hand to refer to what this might say but the pizza does not have mozz, it has parmigiana.

Enough is enough.

[DonRocks]

Roberto and I have been communicating about this discussion, and with his permission I reproduce part of his most recent email - mainly because I think the last sentence is both funny and poignant:

"But any way as I always say it is good when people talk about you bad or good, even if it look that we are the only restaurant that perform poorly. The nice thing I read is that people see me in the restaurant a lot and I am not out fishing or opening restaurant in other city."

[eating out]

After a recent Wednesday night shoe sale shopping frenzy at Pentagon City Mall with a few friends, we emerged hungry and in search of a good meal that would sate a non-red meat eater, a vegetarian, and three omnivores. As the known foodie of the group, it was my call, and I chose Bebo. At the time of the decision, in my gut, I knew that this choice had a very real chance of backfiring. But, I love Roberto Donna's food, I had been wanting to try the pizza again for the second time, and was on a mission to try the infamous Smoked Mozzarella special. So off we went.

I dropped my friends off at the door and went in search of parking. By the time I got to the restaurant a few short minutes later around 9pm, they had been seated, and had waters and breadbaskets in front of them. "Good sign," I thought. Although, when I walked in I had taken immediate notice of Roberto Donna's absence in the kitchen and at the oven. "Maybe not such a good sign," I thought.

Sat down with my friends, grabbed some bread to head off the hanger that was beginning to set in, and checked out the menu. Everyone was thinking pizza, and we were trying to figure out how many and which ones to order. Male waiter arrived, nice and polite, and in broken English asked if we were ready to order. I said not yet, but we have some questions. Friends proceeded to ask about the sizes of the pizzas, toppings, etc. I asked if the pizza chef could make the Smoked Mozzarella pizza - the waiter had no clue what I was talking about and couldn't quite understand me. I explained that there is a special pizza with smoked mozzarella and onions that Chef Roberto Donna makes, and perhaps the GM or someone in the kitchen would know what I was talking about. He gave me a quizzical look and said that he would check. I was not optimistic. My girlfriend ordered 2 glasses of wine, one for herself and one for me, and the waiter left the table.

Return of the waiter. He comes back to the table with one glass of wine, places it in front of the GF. Comes to me, asks if I'm ready to order. I ask him to start with the rest of the table, as I'm still figuring out what option two will be if Smoked Mozzarella is not doable, and he has yet to check on that. Also I mention that we ordered a second glass of wine - I'm not sure he understands me. He goes around the table, taking pizza order after pizza order, and stops at my GF. At that moment, a waitress appears with a credit card that she picked up from the floor and asked if it belonged to any of us. No, it didn't, and confusion seemed to set in on both waiters' faces. Within about 15 seconds, before taking my or my GF's order, our waiter runs back to the front of the place near the pizza oven. I assumed that he was going to check on the possibility of the Smoked Mozz special and deal with the credit card.

About a minute later, he comes rushing back, stops at me and announces, "No pizza." I thought he was talking about the Smoked Mozz. I was disappointed but not surprised - I said, "Nobody knows how to make the Smoked Mozzarella pizza back there?" He said, "No, there's no pizza." I was like, what do you mean there's no pizza? It was 9:15pm on a Wednesday night, the place wasn't completely full and pizzas were flying by left and right. I asked what he meant and he said "There's no more pizza, we're out, there's no more dough." At this point, the hanger was rushing in on me. I said, "Then we're leaving." I looked around the table at my friends faces which registered disbelief, apologized, and asked everyone if there was something else they wanted to order. Veggiehead said nothing else appealed to her that she could eat. Non-red meat eater pontificated on how a pizza place could run out of pizza so early. Everyone agreed, "Let's get out of here." I took a few sips of our one glass of red wine, put on my coat, and headed for the door with my hangry group of friends.

On the way out, I wanted to check with the General Manager about what had just happened. Spoke with a man hanging out near the hostess stand who had an accent and who I believe was the GM. I said that we had just been informed that they were out of pizza after we ordered, and I was wondering if this was a typical occurrence on a weekday night at 9pm. Also wanted to know if he thought there was any way they could have informed us of this before we were seated and ordering pizzas off the menu. He basically started in with an explanation, and I believe he apologized, but it wasn't very sympathetic and was given with more of a "too bad for you nothing I can do" tone in a brick wall way. He went on about how busy they were all day, how they only make a certain amount of dough every day, how it has to be made 10 hours in advance, and how as soon as he found out the pizza oven chef was out of pizza dough he let all of the servers know. I could tell that the conversation was not going anywhere else from here, so I just said we wished they could have informed us when we walked in or at least before we had ordered, that they were running low/out of pizza. We would have gone somewhere else, and avoided this unpleasantness. At least they didn't charge us for the one glass of wine, but in reality we didn't even give them the opportunity as we almost immediately headed for the door.

After we were out the door, I asked my friends - "What could they have done differently?" I wanted to give Bebo the benefit of the doubt, that maybe this wasn't just another case of bad service and a seemingly mismanaged floor. My friends unanimously decreed that they could have told us when we walked in or even as we were debating the merits of the pizza at the table with our waiter that they were running very low on pizza and it would not be available. Or the waiter could have said they were running low on pizza, and to let him know right away if we wanted it and he could put in our orders. To seat us, answer numerous questions about the pizza on multiple trips to the table, whet our appetites and then return only to hastily add that in fact there is no more pizza, was very upsetting to a group of very hungry ladies.

To myself, I was thinking, ah yeah, that plan backfired just as I thought it might and hoped it wouldn't. Disappointing to have this experience anywhere, but especially so to have it happen while putting myself out there suggesting the place as a great pizzeria, even knowing that something could potentially go wrong. Here's the thing - I have always loved Roberto Donna's food, still do. Have no qualms with him, nor his delicious meals, whatsoever. In fact, I like him, he's always been nice to me, even at the Grill when some thought of him as the "grill nazi." But, I am very well aware that all of his establishments have had multiple reports of major service issues, and I've experienced them myself. When I dined at Galileo, it was unusual to have a meal without a service incident of some kind. But again, the food was always great. The first time I went to Bebo, I did not have any service issues. What's sad to me, is that I feel that first experience was probably an anomaly. For me, the best restaurant experience I've had at Chef Donna's establishments was at the Grill (I never had the opportunity to do the Lab). Zero expectation of service. Get your great food and get out. Perfect.

So here we are with another testimony of an incident at Bebo. As for me, I have decided only to return to Bebo on one condition - I can go with Joe H if he'll let me and is not offended by my post . He seems to be the only person who is capable of securing an amazing meal at Bebo without fail. Joe H, if you read this and decide to again challenge the Board to meet you at the bar for some of the best pizza in the country, I am there. It seems to me that with Joe H at your table, you're guaranteed a great time at Bebo, and that is not easy to come by. I'm still hoping to experience Chef Donna's great pizza some time soon.

[Dave Pressley]

I took a few sips of our one glass of red wine, put on my coat, and headed for the door with my hangry group of friends.

Hangry=hungry + angry?? Sounds like a bad experience all right. It also sounds like a line cook who forgot to count his product (in this case, dough) before service, ultimately ending with an "86ed" item with no warning to the waitstaff.

[eating out]

Hangry=hungry + angry??

you got it

[synaesthesia]

Not trying to stir the pot here. I can't help but wonder if there is a tendency to be predisposed to expect poor service at Bebo, and to some degree it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is no doubt that as a whole the quality of the service is not at a level that it needs to be. But I wonder if something similar occurred at another restaurant - running out of an item - if the resulting emotion would be equal to the anger that might arise at Bebo. Perhaps if it were any other restaurant that does not have the track record of Bebo, maybe something else would have been ordered instead.

Arguably, it was over an extended period of time, and it is evident that there is a failure in the chain of communication from the pizzaolo or fornaio to the waitstaff. They should have informed the servers that the dough was running low. Hard to say whether or not that happened, but it seems that he did not find out until right when he told you that they were completely out. As for the slightly tactless response, that might be chalked up to his "broken English" and he may not quite know how to politely convey that they are out. Hard to say, but I guess that's not really the point of what I am trying to post about.

[mdt]

...and was on a mission to try the infamous Smoked Mozzarella special...I asked if the pizza chef could make the Smoked Mozzarella pizza - the waiter had no clue what I was talking about and couldn't quite understand me. I explained that there is a special pizza with smoked mozzarella and onions that Chef Roberto Donna makes...

Why make things complicated? There is no need to ask for the "special" smoked mozzarella pizza. It can be created from the list of toppings on the menu, $2.50 for the smoked mozzarella and $1.50 for the onions.

[Heather]

There is no doubt that as a whole the quality of the service is not at a level that it needs to be. But I wonder if something similar occurred at another restaurant - running out of an item - if the resulting emotion would be equal to the anger that might arise at Bebo. Perhaps if it were any other restaurant that does not have the track record of Bebo, maybe something else would have been ordered instead.

I can't speak for the original poster, but if I sat down at 2 Amy's or Comet, had my order taken, got my drinks, and was then informed that there was no pizza, then yeah I'd still be pretty angry. Sounds like they need to rethink their prep in addition to addressing their service issues.

[Waitman]

I think you got off lucky -- based on an admittedly limited sample size, Bebo's pizza is a smash miss. And if you love Donna's cooking, why not stay for something else? Certainly easier than moving to another spot.

On the bigger point, I'm not ready to make a federal case about Bebo running out of pizza and on not letting you know immediately as you entered. Lots of places run out of pizza for the reasons the manager explained and it's often hard to judge how much of something like that is left (it's not like having exactly four steaks in the reach-in, it's more of an estimate thing), versus how quickly the customers are snapping them up. Sounds like more of misdemeanor case to me.

[synaesthesia]

I can't speak for the original poster, but if I sat down at 2 Amy's or Comet, had my order taken, got my drinks, and was then informed that there was no pizza, then yeah I'd still be pretty angry. Sounds like they need to make enough dough for evening service, in addition to addressing their service issues.

Well, the pizza at Bebo is what I would consider a menu afterthought. Yes it plays an important role in their menu, but they have a far more extensive menu outside of that as compared to 2 Amy's or Comet. The option of a bowl of pasta is not nearly the same thing as deviled eggs and some charcuterie.

[Heather]

Well, the pizza at Bebo is what I would consider a menu afterthought. Yes it plays an important role in their menu, but they have a far more extensive menu outside of that as compared to 2 Amy's or Comet. The option of a bowl of pasta is not nearly the same thing as deviled eggs and some charcuterie.

True enough on the other options, but I'm not sure I agree that the pizza is an afterthought there. The pizza oven is pretty prominent.

Dough is something that has to be planned in advance; it can't be whipped up last minute. Better to overestimate than underestimate, since we're not talking about something as costly as prime meat.

[pizza man]

Hey, every good pizza place runs out of dough from time to time..This is the risk you take when serving quality pies. The pizzaiolo cannot always forecast the demand and the long ferment/proof times prevent an "emergency" batch. Many of the legendary U.S. pizzeria hours state the hours as "x o'clock until out of fresh dough". UPN in NYC, for example.

However, 9pm does seem too early, and a good pizzaiolo* should be able to forecast the daily usage.

Also, I read somewhere that Bebo is not opposed to refrigerating left over dough..Seems like there should always be dough on hand in that case.

I suspect there is more to the story.

*pizzaiolo - pizza chef responsible for the production of the dough

[eating out]

Not trying to stir the pot here. I can't help but wonder if there is a tendency to be predisposed to expect poor service at Bebo, and to some degree it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is no doubt that as a whole the quality of the service is not at a level that it needs to be. But I wonder if something similar occurred at another restaurant - running out of an item - if the resulting emotion would be equal to the anger that might arise at Bebo. Perhaps if it were any other restaurant that does not have the track record of Bebo, maybe something else would have been ordered instead.

Arguably, it was over an extended period of time, and it is evident that there is a failure in the chain of communication from the pizzaolo or fornaio to the waitstaff. They should have informed the servers that the dough was running low. Hard to say whether or not that happened, but it seems that he did not find out until right when he told you that they were completely out. As for the slightly tactless response, that might be chalked up to his "broken English" and he may not quite know how to politely convey that they are out. Hard to say, but I guess that's not really the point of what I am trying to post about.

While I think I understand what you're saying, I don't think that there is any way in this case that my expectation that something might go wrong at Bebo could have caused the lack of dough that night... I played that game with myself as I was leaving, the "if I was at another restaurant, would I feel the same way?" and the answer in this case was Yes - Because the point of this meal was that we wanted pizza. I had billed it to my friends as a pizza place, that's what we went there to eat, and that's what we were denied. We couldn't order anything else because the vegetarian didn't want/couldn't eat anything else. If I had been alone, I probably would have gotten pasta or something else. The only difference I can see between going to Bebo and/or 2Amy's or Paradiso (which I like!), is that I would not have thought something might go wrong at those places. Had those restaurants run out of pizza in this situation, I would have been just as perturbed and mystified. But to your point, I would not have thought, oh boy, another misfire in a long line of lapses in 2Amy's/Paradiso's service record. I would have thought of it as a one-time thing. Also, the kicker for me is that my friends knew nothing of the potential for something to go wrong here, and they had the same reaction as I did. That's why I asked them afterwards if the restaurant should have done something differently.

If anything, in my head, knowing of all the service issues and the great potential for it to happen to us, and still choosing to take my friends to Bebo was me giving Bebo the benefit of the doubt. Also, I wasn't that irritated with the waiter himself as I was with the failure in the system - it very much appeared that he had just found out about the lack of dough the instant before he told us. He had ample opportunity to tell us they were out of pizza before hand, and absolutely knew we intended to order pizza, "broken english" or not, as we discussed it multiple times. This is why I sought out the General Manager.

I don't think I'm as angry as much as I am disappointed with Bebo - I wish they could get their act together, because I really do want to enjoy Chef Donna's pizza at some point. FWIW, I asked for the special Smoked Mozz pizza because of the raves it got on this Board - I was not sure of what all the ingredients were, just that it had the smoked mozz and onions. I do not consider it to be a complicated task for either a wait staff and/or kitchen to know of off-menu items that are ordered from time to time. I wasn't making it up. Most of the time I come to boards like DR just for this reason - to find out the hidden gems on and off the menu, just like this pizza.

[youngfood]

While I think I understand what you're saying, I don't think that there is any way in this case that my expectation that something might go wrong at Bebo could have caused the lack of dough that night... I played that game with myself as I was leaving, the "if I was at another restaurant, would I feel the same way?" and the answer in this case was Yes - Because the point of this meal was that we wanted pizza. ...

...

FWIW, I asked for the special Smoked Mozz pizza because of the raves it got on this Board - I was not sure of what all the ingredients were, just that it had the smoked mozz and onions. I do not consider it to be a complicated task for either a wait staff and/or kitchen to know of off-menu items that are ordered from time to time. I wasn't making it up. Most of the time I come to boards like DR just for this reason - to find out the hidden gems on and off the menu, just like this pizza.

Seems totally fair to me. I've been thinking about going there solely to try the pizza myself and would be pretty disappointed if this happened to me. As to the famed "Smoked Mozz" pizza, I don't think anyone ever fully explained what was on it, but I thought there was more to it than just mozz and onions and I'm sure several people have tried to order the same way eating out did. You'd think they might have adjusted to that by now. BTW, what is supposed to be on that pizza?

[eating out]

you got it

Okay a clarification - Hanger or being hangry is more like great hunger -> anger = hanger. It's the experience of becoming irritated or angry solely based on being very hungry. Thus, hangry or having hanger issues before eating. The hanger goes away once you stuff your face

[DonRocks]

This attitude is somthing that comes down from the top

Which begs the question: Who is the top? I wouldn't be so sure it's Roberto, although quite honestly I don't know.

[hmmboy]

Well, the pizza at Bebo is what I would consider a menu afterthought. Yes it plays an important role in their menu, but they have a far more extensive menu outside of that as compared to 2 Amy's or Comet. The option of a bowl of pasta is not nearly the same thing as deviled eggs and some charcuterie.

To this point, I had an awesome bowl of Pasta Fagioli at Bebo for lunch Monday - among the very best I've ever had. I'd return just for that.

[Dave Pressley]

Okay a clarification - Hanger or being hangry is more like great hunger -> anger = hanger. It's the experience of becoming irritated or angry solely based on being very hungry. Thus, hangry or having hanger issues before eating. The hanger goes away once you stuff your face

I just quoted this to my wife. We now have diagnosed her as having Hanger Management Issues.

[DonRocks]

agree, I was not drawing any conclusions as to who. I would expect however that he is, or should be aware, of the comments and take corrective action.

I assure you he's aware of the comments.

Whether or not he's in a position to take corrective action (i.e., has managerial control), I just don't know.

[zoramargolis]

I just quoted this to my wife. We now have diagnosed her as having Hanger Management Issues.

Like Mommy Dearest--"NO WIRE HANGERS!" ?

[eating out]

Like Mommy Dearest--"NO WIRE HANGERS!" ?

LOL! Seriously, she must have been starving.

[Waitman]

Minor irony given Eating Out's experience: showed up Friday night about 10:30 (website says that they serve until 11) and pizza was the only thing they were serving. We decided to hit Jaleo instead.

[lackadaisi]

Minor irony given Eating Out's experience: showed up Friday night about 10:30 (website says that they serve until 11) and pizza was the only thing they were serving. We decided to hit Jaleo instead.

We showed up at just about the same time, and we weren't told about such a limitation. But, we both wanted pizza. And, it was good (although a little moist in the middle). Although I am not generally a huge smoked mozzerella fan, I tried the smoked mozzeralla and onion combo that everyone keeps raving about, and it was amazing!

Service was very good the whole time. Maybe we would have thought differently if we had tried to order non-pizza items...

[dcruz]

After reading many of the comments on this board about the service at Bebo, I wanted to mention that I had a great experience tonight. I sat at the bar with my cousin early in the night; shared an excellent pizza (the Salciccia e Broccoli) and a very good canneloni. The staff checked on us repeatedly and were friendly through the night. At one point, a member of the staff checked on us and observed that my cousin seemed not to love the wine that she had ordered (though she had no complaints). He chatted with her about her tastes and brought us a free replacement glass of Squinzano, which she absolutely loved. I had a great time at Bebo tonight and will certainly return.

[TomA]

Had an interesting (and positive) experience at the Bebo bar two Sundays ago...my wife and I stopped by the bar at about 1:30 to get a pizza and some pasta...evidently, the bar was rented out to a party for the Redskins/Eagles and Giants/Dallas gamewatch (no soccer today!). The bartender let us sit anyway and order several pizzas (which were fine, a bit wet from excess olive oil applied , but otherwise very good). We were then given a nice bar snack "on the house" as well as the "loaded" cider which the party was imbiding in...he finished us off, literally and figuratively, with two shots of rum! Bebo gets some deserved and oftne undeserved scrutiny on this and other boards, but our experience as semi-regulars has always been positive.....again, for the $$, Bebo can be excellent if you go to the bar and relax! Don't be in a hurry and perhaps don't have expectations of disaster or perfection and you can have a pretty good to outstanding meal.

[youngfood]

RD was manning the oven and he made us his special smoked Mozz pizza..."bianca neuva (sp)" for $14....it was as Joe H billed....superb crust and a nice balance between ricotta, smoked mozz and garlic. Certainly one of the top pies in the area IMHO..

I finally got around to trying the pizzas at Bebo last weekend. Of course, I had to try the much touted "smoked mozz." The bartender (who was perfectly nice) looked at my like I was nuts when I attempted to order it, but the chef was manning the pizza oven and so we were in luck. Others here have described it as having onions, but ours did not. As described above, it was smoked mozz, ricotta, garlic, and a mix of dried herbs - mostly basil/oregano (I think) and a touch of rosemary. The combination of smoked mozz with ricotta is really stellar - the creamy ricotta cuts right through the potentially overpoweringly rich smoked mozz flavor to produce a really fantastic balance. It wasn't the best pizza I ever had (Pepe's white clams reigns supreme), but it was good enough to convince me to return to Bebo in spite of some other service mishaps that would keep me from ever suggesting the place for a first date or special occasion. The sausage & broccoli rabe combination is very good as well, though its tough to hold up to the smoked mozz & ricotta punch.

[mdt]

I finally got around to trying the pizzas at Bebo last weekend. Of course, I had to try the much touted "smoked mozz." The bartender (who was perfectly nice) looked at my like I was nuts when I attempted to order it, but the chef was manning the pizza oven and so we were in luck. Others here have described it as having onions, but ours did not. As described above, it was smoked mozz, ricotta, garlic, and a mix of dried herbs - mostly basil/oregano (I think) and a touch of rosemary. The combination of smoked mozz with ricotta is really stellar - the creamy ricotta cuts right through the potentially overpoweringly rich smoked mozz flavor to produce a really fantastic balance. It wasn't the best pizza I ever had (Pepe's white clams reigns supreme), but it was good enough to convince me to return to Bebo in spite of some other service mishaps that would keep me from ever suggesting the place for a first date or special occasion. The sausage & broccoli rabe combination is very good as well, though its tough to hold up to the smoked mozz & ricotta punch.

Once again, why is this so hard to order? What are people asking for? All the items are available on the build your own list. Glad it was good though. I wished that I enjoyed smoked mozz more as the pizza is very good, just not to my taste.

[youngfood]

Once again, why is this so hard to order? What are people asking for? All the items are available on the build your own list. Glad it was good though. I wished that I enjoyed smoked mozz more as the pizza is very good, just not to my taste.

Why make things complicated? There is no need to ask for the "special" smoked mozzarella pizza. It can be created from the list of toppings on the menu, $2.50 for the smoked mozzarella and $1.50 for the onions.

Well, at least in part because it has been misdescribed, not described (despite a number of folks asking what is actually on it), or described differently than what I was served last weekend. If I had ordered smoked mozz & onions, it would not have been the same. Ricotta was a critical ingredient and there were no onions, was garlic, and may have been some other spices that were on the pie that may or may not be on a pie which is ordered ingredient by ingredient. That said, I think ordering smoked mozz, ricotta, and garlic would likely do the trick.

[DonRocks]

This thread has become almost transcendental. I was certain that someone, somewhere, posted about having a smoked mozzerella pizza at Bebo. Now, however, I'm questioning if that posting ever actually occurred, and whether the pizza itself ever existed outside of legend.

I want to have sex with Paris Hilton. Or do I? I no longer remember.

ETA: I just put my shirt on inside out AND backwards (seriously).

Edited December 6, 2007 by DonRocks

[Joe H]

I started the smoked mozz thread. And, it is smoked mozz and ricotta with a touch of tomato sauce. I don't know about onions, etc. The real consideration is that the first night that I had it (In September or October) Roberto had it as a special for the week. He was just working on some different pies and this was a combination that he tried which he thought worked well. I thought it was fantastic! and posted something similar to that on here. The problem, over time, is that a number of people have asked for it and several people in the bar/in the dining room have no idea what anyone is talking about. Roberto KNOWS the pie, however and, for anyone going to Bebo, ask for the smoked mozz with ricotta and tomato sauce. The rest should be self explanatory to whoever makes it.

Now, to change the topic: I just made a reservation for Chef Vola's in Atlantic City, arguably along with Rao's, the hardest reservation in the United States. I was asked if I had ever been before? Then, after answering yes, I was asked with WHO? With WHO? Can you believe that? With WHO? I lied and said a name from the Sopranos, "Vincent but I'm not sure how to spell his last name." They knew him! They knew him! They knew Vincent and "nobody knows how to spell his last name!" Oh my God!

There's an essay coming from this dinner.

Anyway, Bebo has never asked this when someone made a reservation. They never will. Getting the right pizza should be a snap as opposed to make a reservation at Rao's or Chef Vola's! You don't have to be anybody's God Father to have a pizza at Bebo!

[Dave Pressley]

You don't have to be anybody's God Father to have a pizza at Bebo!

No...but you need the patience of a Saint.

[Sam]

I went for lunch the other day and found it fine. I wasn't blown away by the pizza but thought it was good, albeit a bit oily with the extra olive oil drizzled on top. I don't think it will be on my rotation of favorite pizza places, but I would be more than happy to go again. What I found odd was the service. Our waiter was good-prompt, checked in occassionally, etc. My lunch companion ordered the gnocchi special (the gnocchi were great!!-nice and light) and I got the pizza. His dish come out in under 5 minutes (no exaggertion) whereas my pizza came out in 15. the waiter explained mine would be longer because it was being cooked in a different area. Can't the kitchen get its timing right even if the two are located in different areas?

I did not have the bad waiter service experience I was expecting based on this thread. Kitchen service on the other hand was poor.

[Dave Pressley]

My lunch companion ordered the gnocchi special (the gnocchi were great!!-nice and light) and I got the pizza. His dish come out in under 5 minutes (no exaggertion) whereas my pizza came out in 15. the waiter explained mine would be longer because it was being cooked in a different area. Can't the kitchen get its timing right even if the two are located in different areas?

Same thing happened to my table last week. Fettucini arrived in three minutes. The waiter asked a few minutes later if he could hold the plate back in the kitchen until the pizza and calzone were done. He did just that and brought the pasta back out with the oven-cooked items about 7-10 minutes later. The pasta had clearly sat under a heat lamp and wasn't even re-tossed and re-plated. The parmesan cheese that had previously been dusted on the rim was now crusted on the plate and slightly browned. The top of the pasta had also formed a solid crust on top. Not too appetizing, to say the least.

All of the food was decent. The crust on my pizza had an excellent chew and the toppings were top quality, but the sauce was too salty (and I LOVE salt). My friend with the calzone said the same thing. The pasta, after getting through the heat lamped crust, was procliamed to be pretty spot on.

Service-wise, everything went OK, except for 5-6 different people trying to clear my buddy's plate while he was still eating. That was actually pretty comical after the first two times! It also took quite a bit of time for us to get our check and to get the credit card receipt back after the waiter took the card.

Overall, not a bad trip but certainly not a good one. I would certainly go back, but not with anyone I needed to make a good impression on.

[TomA]

Piizza Perfection at Bebo!! My wife at a leisurely lunch this Saturday at the Bebo bar..after a few less than perfect pizzas our last visit (a bit wet in the middle due to excess olive oil and sauce but stiill very tasty), we got two pies...an olive and eggplant and marinara with pancetta...these were a perfect balance of sauce, a little oil and cheese (on the eggplant and olive)...the toppings and sauce were vivid as usual but there was no wetness and the crust was perfecly blistered, crisp and chewy. These may have been the first 10.0 pies we have had at Bebo and when they are perfect, they may be the best in the area. We also had a perfectly nice salad of endive, frittata andf arugala to start...service was excellent (place was not busy, however).. if Bebo's pizza makers can avoid over saucing and "oiling", there product can be incredible. generally. I find Bebo, warts and all, to be quite good for the money and an asset to the NOVA scene. Even when they misstep. you are not going to drop alot of $$ at Bebo, and when they do hit it out of the park, it really is a great value (just check Sietsma's review of the new Italian place in Reston as comparison).

[Baccala]

Went to Bebo tonight and, surprisingly, the service was fine. We started with the margarita pizza which was one of the best I've had in years. I had the bucatini with a flavorable sauce of tomato and cauliflower. The only disappointment was my wife's lasagenette—bland, bland, bland. It smelled delicious but totally lacked flavor. She tried adding Parmesan, then resorted to table salt but couldn't rescue the dish. Too bad, because it was really good on our first visit. But we'll go back.

[TomA]

More spectacular pizza from Bebo at lunch today...we had two Marinaras, one with basil and olives..again. perfect crust and vivid sauce...no wetness..one of the secrets we have learned is to always get the pie precut before serving...also Chef Donna informed us that the change in seasons had required a reformulation in the dough...the results the past two weeks bear this out...perfect cooking also..blistering without too much char and that crispy, yet chewy texture. Service at the bar was fine, although we were there off peak :(1:30PM).

[Baccala]

The wife and relatives and I had dinner here this past Sat and had an excellent dinner. For apps we had the meatballs Pizza Margarita. The pizza was great; good char to the crust, excellent light sauce. The meatballs were good, not great; the sauce on the other hand was perfect. The meatballs had good flavor and taste, but they broke apart, and were not binded well. For dinner I had the Parpadelle with Cornish hen. A nice combination of fresh pasta with a light broth and tender pieces of hen. My wife had the Cannelloni, which was excellent, light shell perfectly filled with meats and topped with a nice red sauce and not too much cheese. It is not uncommon to see Cannelloni overstuffed with way too much cheese.

The service was a good and a little strange at some points. We ordered a $40 bottle of wine and they came back 15 minutes later and said they do not have it and offered another bottle, but the waiter did not know the price, when he returned he told us it was $65, we asked for a different bottle. About 1/2 into the service the waiter returned to tell us that one of the pasta specials was no longer available, which is fine but they were telling us when our food for the other 3 guests was arriving. They made it right and explained the nature of the freshness of the pasta and the fact they only make a specific number of portions. My issues is with the timing. I would think they would know at the point the ticket is dropped, not when it is being sent to the tables. Overall the food was excellent and the service spotty.

[ctay122]

I arranged my boss's retirement dinner at Bebo this evening. There were 18 of us and we were in the private room and ordered off the full menu with separate checks. Our service from Salvio was wonderful and the food was delicious. I and several others had the skewered quail with Roberto's homemade sausage, my husband had the pork chop, others had the meatballs and garlic bread, and several had the pizzas and calzones. We weren't rushed at any time and although we made reservations for 6 and it was well past 645 when we got around to ordering, we never felt any pressure to rush through our dinner and had a wonderful evening. Hats off to Roberto, Laura and Salvio for making it a memorable evening. Everyone enjoyed the meal and it for many it was their first time at Bebo. I couldn't have been more pleased as people thought I did a great job arranging things but ultimately the quality of the meal and service made the evening a big success.

[DonRocks]

A friend of mine flew in from Beijing last night, and called me from the airport, wanting to get some dinner.

"What about Bebo?"

"See you there in twenty minutes!"

I was running late, and when I walked in, Amy Brandwein was flipping pizza dough. I spotted my dining colleague, and when I walked back to the table, I noticed he was talking with Roberto, a friend of his - so much for staying under the radar.

But you can't fake salumi, and Bebo's remains some of the best I've ever had. The pizzas were very good, and a pappardelle with sweetbreads was one of the most thrilling pasta dishes I've had in recent memory. The only miss for me was the gnocchi, which was a bit bland in its sauce, but combined with the housemade sausage, it worked beautifully.

Since our table got special attention last night, I don't want to say much more about the meal, and you should feel free to take this post with a grain of salt.

That said, I wish I could return to Bebo this evening, and if I wasn't trying to mix up my restaurant visits, I would. It's unfussy, expertly prepared comfort food that I find myself craving, time and time again.

Just before leaving last night, I was sitting at the bar with some other friends. Amy was sitting a few seats down, unwinding with a glass of wine after a long evening in the kitchen. I walked up to her, leaned down, and said, "You're doing some of the best work in town right now." And I meant it.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[TomA]

I agree with Don. living in Crystal City makes you appreciate this place more and more, especially once you become a regular or semi-regular. The pizzas have been better than ever the past few months, once the winter formula has kicked in. They are no longer given excess doses of olive oil as they has earlier this fall a few times..also we always get them precut by the bartender. The spaghetti pomodoro is the best plate of plain ole' pasta in town, also. Also don't forget the pizza marinara for the lighter side...it seems that service, while still quirky, is settling in a bit.