pupatella Posted September 30, 2007 Posted September 30, 2007 Team, We have been reading this forum for a long time and found it very helpful in enhancing our dining experience. Now, me and my partner Enzo Algarme have opened our own food establishment and want to invite you guys to check it out. Enzo, who is from Naples, Italy, worked in the kitchen of the renown "Il Pizzaiolo del Presidente" (certified by Verace Pizza Napoletana) in Naples, where he learned how to make authentic Neapolitan specialties, which we are now making here, in Arlington, Virginia. Some things, like the Neapolitan Fried Calzone, you can't find anywhere else in this area. We also make Palle di Riso (crunchy rice balls stuffed with peas, veggie crumble and cheese), Panzarotti - potato croquettes stuffed with mozzarella, Neapolitan-style pizza (we do not have a wood-burning oven, but use the same recipe and the ingredients as pizzerias in Naples). The food we serve is the authentic Neapolitan STREET food, just like you find on the streets of Naples. Our food establishment is a STREET CART, not a restaurant, so the prices are more than reasonable. We have been open for about 1 week in the neighbourhood of Ballston, in Arlington, VA just outside the Metro station, at the corner of Stuart and 9th streets. We are only open Mon-Fri for breakfast and lunch right now, from 8 to 3:30, but soon will be open until 8pm. Come to give us a shot! Anastasiya and Enzo pupatella.com myspace.com/pupatella1pizza
ol_ironstomach Posted September 30, 2007 Posted September 30, 2007 Welcome Anastasiya and Enzo, and good luck! I hope you're prepared for the inevitable onslaught of pizza reconnaissance patrols
cheezepowder Posted September 30, 2007 Posted September 30, 2007 Thanks for the info. I'm glad to hear you'll soon be staying open until 8pm - let us know when that happens. I don't work nearby so I couldn't make it during the day but I would definitely come by after work.
DPop Posted October 1, 2007 Posted October 1, 2007 I've passed you several times and like the idea you are presenting. Looks like I'll have to give it a try some time this week!
Scott Johnston Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Great looking cart! Lunch starts at 11:15 AM. Anyone who has nutella and crossants on a breakfast menu is OK in my book!
DPop Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Great call to keep it open until 8PM in the near future, but are there any thoughts on opening earlier for breakfast? I'm not complaining, 8AM seems more than reasonable, but there is a significant amount of people hopping on that metro between 6:30 and 8:00 that would probably love the idea of grabbing a croissant to take with them to work. Or, maybe that's just me....
New Foodie Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 Great looking cart! Lunch starts at 11:15 AM. Anyone who has nutella and crossants on a breakfast menu is OK in my book! Now THAT makes me wish I commuted from Ballston in the morning. I heart Nutella.
nashman1975 Posted November 12, 2007 Posted November 12, 2007 Just stopped by on the holiday day. Good pizza (meatball with buff mozz) and 5 little profiteroles draped with nutella. $11. Great deal. Only wish they were open late as I don't work in Ballston, only live there. Nashman
Joshua Grinnell Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 Excellent pizza, though it comes steaming out of the oven so it's more of a "buy and take back to the office to infuriate the bag lunchers" sort of thing. I ate all the prosciutto off of mine while I waited for it to cool. The buffalo moz was very tangy and the grilled eggplant was perfectly done. It will have to be a sick day/day off place, though, as I second or third the working far away problem. Lucky NSF/DARPA folks get it, I suppose. It's also amazing how much is crammed into that cart. It's like getting pizza cooked on the space shuttle.
1000yregg Posted November 13, 2007 Posted November 13, 2007 I went there last week before the Bourdain talk at Lisner - here is my blog post (with pictures)! I enjoyed the fried stuffed rice balls. I also tried the fried calzone and a nutella pizza. Anastasiya was nice enough to add pear onto the pizza.
cheezepowder Posted November 14, 2007 Posted November 14, 2007 Does anyone know if/when the cart will start staying open til 8pm? Pupatella, if you're reading?
pupatella Posted November 15, 2007 Author Posted November 15, 2007 Thank you all for your feedback and complements. I am so happy you guys enjoyed the food! We'd love to be open till 8pm, but right now we can't physically do it, as we need to do all the prep work in the evenings. I am waiting for the cart to become more popular and generate more cash flow so that we could afford to hire somebody to help us do all the prep and then we will be open for dinner as well. Thanks again for your support, guys! Pupatella.
Baccala Posted December 7, 2007 Posted December 7, 2007 Had a chance to have lunch here today and was impressed with what they were doing. I order the Margarita and while I was waiting I was offered a sample of the roasted pepper soup. The soup was perfect on this cold day, nice flavor. I was the first pizza order of the day and had to wait a bit, but it was worth it. The crust was decent as was the ingredients. The only recommendation I would make would be to hit it with a little salt at the end. Well worth the trip. Unfortunately I am usually no where near here for lunch.
DanielK Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Part of my New Years resolution was to bring my lunch to work more often. Between that, and the nasty, wet, cold Jan/Feb, I haven't had the desire to wander from my new office in Ballston to the Pupatella cart, a quick 4 block jaunt. Damnit, so much for the diet. I could eat here every day. I tried it for the first time on Friday, and here it is Tuesday, and I'm already back for seconds. On Friday, I came late, hoping I'd miss the lunch rush. Well, I did, but I also missed the lunch INGREDIENTS. There was dough, sauce, and toppings, but Anastasiya had just run out of cheese! So much for the Margherita, but I was hungry, so I asked her just to throw together a non-cheese pie. She made me the special - roasted potato, rosemary, caramelized onions, and BACON. And OMG that crust - crispy, chewy, but not a cracker - fantastic. I hardly missed the cheese! She didn't charge me for the toppings as an apology for the lack of cheese, and in fact couldn't break my $20, so I even got a further discount to the $4 I was carrying instead of $5. Today I decided to head out early, and got there at 11:45. Just a couple of people waiting, and this time I got my Margherita. Crust was still excellent, and nicely browned. Cheese had just the right amount of snap, and the sauce was tangy but not sweet. Nice, sharp basil. It survived the 10 minute walk back to the office with aplomb, and I was the envy of the break room. No salad, so I had to settle for fried rice balls. Yum - those went down on the walk back. Today's total was a ridiculous $12. ($5 pizza, $4 rice balls, $1 to repay her for last time, and $2 in the tip jar). I'm hooked! Anastasiya, I'll see you next week!
pupatella Posted March 14, 2008 Author Posted March 14, 2008 Thanks Daniel! I'm glad you liked the pizza. Stop by any time - I have enough cheese :-)
silentbob Posted March 19, 2008 Posted March 19, 2008 We are only open Mon-Fri for breakfast and lunch right now, from 8 to 3:30, but soon will be open until 8pm. I visited the website, which says that closing time is 4:00. My hope was that showing up a little after 2:30 yesterday would not be too late, but apparently it was. Is this the case every day, or was yesterday an exception? I was really looking forward to trying the margherita and croquettes!
DanielK Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Sausage, grilled by Enzo, layered on the Margherita with nearly carmelized onions. Steak sandwich, also grilled outside the cart. It's a wonder I'm able to resist coming more than once a week...
Anna Blume Posted June 4, 2008 Posted June 4, 2008 Missed the arancini on Monday, just before closing, but split a Margherita. Really good! Very friendly. I hope the business thrives and that we get to hear about a new restaurant some time in the near future.
cheezepowder Posted June 5, 2008 Posted June 5, 2008 They have fried to order doughnuts in the morning for $2 each. I had a tasty nutella doughnut (a hole-less doughnut sliced crosswise like a hamburger bun, spread with nutella, and reassembled like a sandwich.)
vickie Posted June 13, 2008 Posted June 13, 2008 I stopped by today after hitting the Farmers' market. Took the calculated risk of taking my Margherita home and it held up quite well. The crust was still pretty crispy by the time I got home. Enzo and Anastasiya were really friendly.
Bobby927 Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 I, too, finally sampled your menu when I checked out the farmers' market a few weeks ago. What a brilliant idea you've brought to Arlington! I am now a huge fan. You've definitely elevated "street" food to a whole new level by bringing a piece of Italy and Europe to your little spot in Ballston. More power to you, and based on what I've seen in recent days, you just may need help sooner rather than later during that lunch hour peak.
pizza man Posted June 26, 2008 Posted June 26, 2008 Just got back from lunch at the Pupatella food cart. I gotta say, they are making some good food over there! The arancini were great, very close to the real deal, al dente, little spicy, peas, and soy meat. The soy meat was pretty convincing as the real thing, although, if I am not mistaken, in Naples it is usually stuffed with saucy ground pig organs, (YUM!). Anyway, great food and nice people. I will be back! p.s. considering the oven, the margherita with buffalo was pretty darn good too. I've had worse at local pizzerie.
DonRocks Posted June 27, 2008 Posted June 27, 2008 p.s. considering the oven, the margherita with buffalo was pretty darn good too. I've had worse at local pizzerie. The question is: Have you had better pizza in North Arlington? I haven't, and that includes Italian Store and Pie-tanza. The $6 Margherita ($3 upcharge for buffalo mozzarella) is remarkable given the oven, and the grilled steak sandwich ($6) with mozzarella and grilled onions was very good, too. Given that Pupatella has chosen to compete with Potbelly, Cosi, and Ruby Tuesday - all less than a block away - this great food cart is on my short list of the most significant and important lunch spots in all of Washington, DC. The quality and attention to detail here are remarkable. Minor nitpick: I asked how long my food would be, and was told 10-15 minutes, whereas it took 32 (I wasn't timing; I just happened to feed the parking meter after ordering). Mind you, this food is well-worth the wait, but people may want to avoid the prime-time lunch crush - Pupatella is open 8-4. I sent another chef there today, and am curious to know what he thinks... Cheers, Rocks. P.S. They apparently post their menu online every day!
DanielK Posted June 27, 2008 Posted June 27, 2008 Minor nitpick: I asked how long my food would be, and was told 10-15 minutes, whereas it took 32 (I wasn't timing; I just happened to feed the parking meter after ordering). I've only ever seen a wait that long on Friday, when the Ballston Farmer's Market occupies the same square. Never waited longer than 10-15 minutes any other day of the week.
DonRocks Posted June 27, 2008 Posted June 27, 2008 I've only ever seen a wait that long on Friday, when the Ballston Farmer's Market occupies the same square. Never waited longer than 10-15 minutes any other day of the week. Yes, the farmer's market was there today. Also, they may be getting slammed by the recent Post Article.
pupatella Posted June 27, 2008 Author Posted June 27, 2008 Don, Daniel and Edan - Thank you guys for the support and your nice words. It means a lot to us coming from you. Don - sorry for the wait. We became extremely busy ever since that article in the Post came out, and Friday is our busiest day. But you're right - we should bemore realistic about the wait time with the customers. I would not recommend coming later than 1:30 though - we now to sell out of pizza by then. We are working on increasing our output, but for right now - we are just trying to hang on and keep up with all this. Let's just say, wow, we really didn't anticipate such demand. Daniel - we missed you today! Edan - we never had rice balls with the pig insides in Naples, we usually had ground beef or pork. Or wait....we THINK it was ground pork...Ha! Anyway, we are going to start making them with ground pork as well (in addition to the veg version), at least until we can find us some ground pork organs! Pupatella
DanielK Posted June 28, 2008 Posted June 28, 2008 Daniel - we missed you today! I was in a meeting, and "the gang" left without me. And they didn't even bring me back a margherita!
silentbob Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Finally made it here last month. Line was long (it was a day or two after the Post article) but totally worth the wait. I ordered the four-cheese pizza (gorgonzola, mozzarella, parmesan, goat) and the spinach salad with goat cheese, tomatoes, and grilled sausage. The pizza was an awesome blend of sweet, salty, and bitter. A slightly saltier crust and some pepper on the pie would have made it perfect IMO.
goodeats Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 After a trip to the doctor's, I could not resist visiting the Pupatella cart since the office was so close and I don't really get a chance otherwise to visit their location and the Ballston Farmer's market. I ordered a I-want-to-sock-my-bronchial-infected-coworker-for-getting-me-sick pie (it was really the Margherita) and found comfort after the first bite. There are rarer comforts than fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, the first bite blending the piping hot tomato sauce with the cheese and the sting of the basil, followed by its warmth trailing down your throat, and this pizza definitely falls within that category. Their crust reminds me of the really good, freshly baked pitas from Zaytinya in the good days -- soft, chewy and warm. At around 1:30pm, there was a line of 10 people waiting for their orders, but as stated above, my pizza was worth the wait.
dcs Posted October 10, 2008 Posted October 10, 2008 This week's special pizza #2 was fantastic: PIZZA WITH PROSCIUTTO, ARUGULA, AND PARMESAN. It was the pizza margherita, first cooked, with the prosciutto, arugula, and parmesan added after, then drizzled with olive oil. No one flavor was overpowering. The prosciutto was delicate and easily bitten through (i.e., did not pull the whole slice of meat off the pizza with each bite). A fine lunch, indeed. If they have this next week, dive right in.
DonRocks Posted November 17, 2008 Posted November 17, 2008 This week's special pizza #2 was fantastic: PIZZA WITH PROSCIUTTO, ARUGULA, AND PARMESAN. As is this weeks special pizza #1: Roasted Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Capers ($8). I love Pupatella's pizza! Cheers, Rocks.
DonRocks Posted December 3, 2008 Posted December 3, 2008 This week's special pizza is a crust spread with a very interesting, yellowish, creamy pesto (I couldn't quite figure out the secret ingredient) and topped with kalamata olives, surprisingly decent fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella ($8). Cheers Rocks.
DanielK Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 How early do they start serving lunch? I've been by as early as a few minutes after 11, and they were already cranking out pizza. I don't know if they turn the oven off or shut the cart down between breakfast and lunch - the website just says 8a-2:30p.
ATM Posted May 4, 2009 Posted May 4, 2009 I can't express how much I love the pizza at Pupatella. At the risk of causing a stir, I feel it is the best pizza in the area. Obviously everyone has their specific criteria of what makes a great pizza, but here's what I love about it: thin, crispy, charred crust, simple crushed San Marazano tomato sauce, a few large blobs of fresh mozzarella cheese, finished off with several fresh basil leaves, olive oil and salt. They have other toppings you can add, but I like keeping it simple. The one thing to keep in mind about the cart is that it closes on random days. You should always check their website (click) to be sure it's open before you go.
jwhite Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 The one thing to keep in mind about the cart is that it closes on random days. You should always check their website (click) to be sure it's open before you go. It looks like they've cut back to Thursdays and Fridays. I'm not sure if that's a temporary thing or a more permanent change. Previously it had been around just about every non-rainy day and thy appeared to get good crowds throughout the week. It's a shame, they just fired up the grill for those sausage sandwiches.
ATM Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 I emailed the owners, Enzo and Anastasiya, via their website to ask about their updated hours. They sent me this reply, "We are running a reduced temporary schedule right now because we are expecting a baby any day now. Keep checking our website to see when we will be open. We will also be closed today, 5/15/09, because we have a wedding we are going to."
DanielK Posted June 12, 2009 Posted June 12, 2009 I wish Pupatella (the italian cart with good thin crust pizza) would stay open a little later, it is really good. Since it's just the two of them, and they're there for breakfast, I don't think that's in the cards. Anastasia told me that they still have several hours of prep work for the next day once they roll out each night.
ktmoomau Posted June 12, 2009 Posted June 12, 2009 Since it's just the two of them, and they're there for breakfast, I don't think that's in the cards. Anastasia told me that they still have several hours of prep work for the next day once they roll out each night. I know... but it is the best pizza in the neighborhood and I am not normally home for lunch. Sigh.
goodeats Posted October 22, 2009 Posted October 22, 2009 It looks like they've cut back to Thursdays and Fridays. I'm not sure if that's a temporary thing or a more permanent change. This is still the case, as I didn't realize it and tried to visit the little red cart today. There are two competing burrito carts there now, it appears. This is all a drive-by, so poor vision does not help matters.
FunnyJohn Posted October 22, 2009 Posted October 22, 2009 This is still the case, as I didn't realize it and tried to visit the little red cart today. There are two competing burrito carts there now, it appears. This is all a drive-by, so poor vision does not help matters. They recently had a bambino, so have curtailed their operations. There is a new "sandwich" cart that (according to its signage) offers burritos and burgers, and a Nan cart too sometimes.
cheezepowder Posted January 30, 2010 Posted January 30, 2010 I saw from their blog that they have a location for their restaurant! It'll be at 5104 Wilson Blvd. (looks like that used to be El Sabroso restaurant.) More details in their blog. Congratulations!
kturkey88 Posted January 30, 2010 Posted January 30, 2010 Oh I SO hope they try to make that fried calzone! I wonder if the cart will stay when the restaurant opens..? Sounds like we have some time before it becomes an issue but I really hope it does for those of us who work around there. Looks a little too far to walk to over a lunch break..
beachgirl54 Posted March 24, 2010 Posted March 24, 2010 Anyone have a status report? The blog hasn't been updated in a while - I drive by every day and haven't seen trucks outside regularly. I'm so excited for this place to open but hope it hasn't been derailed! I saw from their blog that they have a location for their restaurant! It'll be at 5104 Wilson Blvd. (looks like that used to be El Sabroso restaurant.) More details in their blog. Congratulations!
FunnyJohn Posted March 24, 2010 Posted March 24, 2010 Anyone have a status report? The blog hasn't been updated in a while - I drive by every day and haven't seen trucks outside regularly. I'm so excited for this place to open but hope it hasn't been derailed! I asked Enzo the other day how things are going with his brick and mortar establishment, and although he didn't have a target date, he said they were running into the types of delays that come with opening in the Peoples Republic of Arlington, i.e. permits and related issues. He was still hopeful that it will be soon.
ktmoomau Posted March 24, 2010 Posted March 24, 2010 Well I am wishing them all my best because I love the cart, it is the best pizza in our neighborhood, and the arrancini is mmm mm good.
beachgirl54 Posted March 26, 2010 Posted March 26, 2010 Good news - drove by yesterday and there were trucks and other equipment outside and inside so it looks like things are now moving along again. My mouth is watering . . . Well I am wishing them all my best because I love the cart, it is the best pizza in our neighborhood, and the arrancini is mmm mm good.
ATM Posted April 17, 2010 Posted April 17, 2010 I got a pizza yesterday--delicious as always--and asked Enzo how things were going with the restaurant. He said things are finally moving along and that he expects to open some time next month. He also said that they would bring back the pizza cart once things are settled at the restaurant.
DanielK Posted April 17, 2010 Posted April 17, 2010 So no nuttin' until the restaurant is up and running? Their website is rather useless. They used to update it a couple of times a week, but there's just the two of them, and with a baby around and starting a new restaurant, I can see how updating the website might fall down on the list of priorities.
cheezepowder Posted April 17, 2010 Posted April 17, 2010 So no nuttin' until the restaurant is up and running? Their website is rather useless. They used to update it a couple of times a week, but there's just the two of them, and with a baby around and starting a new restaurant, I can see how updating the website might fall down on the list of priorities. Yeah, it sounds like they're pretty busy. They're writing about the restaurant on their blog, and their last entry says that they're doing alot of the construction themselves because of the expense.
Cooter Posted May 14, 2010 Posted May 14, 2010 When I walked by the store yesterday, there was a fire in the pizza oven. Also, there is a menu posted on the website that I don't think was there before. Can't be long now! Hooray!
ktmoomau Posted May 14, 2010 Posted May 14, 2010 Their blog says its likely the end of next week, I am so excited too!
DanielK Posted May 14, 2010 Posted May 14, 2010 Final inspection is scheduled for early next week - they hope to open late next week.
thetrain Posted May 20, 2010 Posted May 20, 2010 They've started serving pizzas from the new oven at the cart and will be opening on Saturday.
ATM Posted May 20, 2010 Posted May 20, 2010 They've started serving pizzas from the new oven at the cart and will be opening on Saturday. Where is the cart? Outside of the restaurant?
thetrain Posted May 20, 2010 Posted May 20, 2010 Where is the cart? Outside of the restaurant? The red pizza cart in Ballston - by the cosi a half block from the metro station.
beachgirl54 Posted May 21, 2010 Posted May 21, 2010 The sign is up! I can't wait! Final inspection is scheduled for early next week - they hope to open late next week.
DanielK Posted May 22, 2010 Posted May 22, 2010 Banner on the website says OPEN NOW, but I would call first.
jwhite Posted May 22, 2010 Posted May 22, 2010 Banner on the website says OPEN NOW, but I would call first. It is open but not serving the complete menu. We had the salami, goat cheese, and olive special and a plain cheese for the kids. Both were excellent and the kids preferred the salami and goat cheese (of course).
DanielK Posted May 22, 2010 Posted May 22, 2010 It is open but not serving the complete menu. We had the salami, goat cheese, and olive special and a plain cheese for the kids. Both were excellent and the kids preferred the salami and goat cheese (of course). Say hi next time. We tried: the real margherita: buffalo mozzarella, basil & olive oil grilled sausage, grilled onions, mozzarella prosciotto, arugula, parmesan white pizza with mozzarella & ricotta arancino Brilliant stuff - instantly on my top 5 area pizzas. Congrats, Enzo and Anastasiya!
danfishe Posted May 23, 2010 Posted May 23, 2010 Agree. Had 2 red pizzas with various toppings. Great stuff and soupy in the middle just like in Italy. It has been a few years since I've been in Naples but Pupatella equals my memory of Da Michele and Cibo. There are definite logistics issues to be worked out with ordering and timing but worth a trip from anywhere in the area (though a very small space so probably best to go in the off hours).
ATM Posted May 23, 2010 Posted May 23, 2010 Yes, there are definitely service/process issues to work out, but they were working very hard to keep order. Anastasia said they were slammed earlier in the day and ran out of pizza dough, so we ordered the gnocchi and arancino and my daughter had some gelato. Our order got lost so Enzo gave us a pizza while we were waiting for our other food--very nice gesture. The pizza was delicious as always, but it is not as crispy as the pizzas they serve from the cart. They had an explanation in the FAQ portion of their website. The gnocchi was excellent. It was soft, yet still held its shape, and was served with bits of fresh mozzarella, basil and sauce. Large portion for $7. I couldn't eat it all. The arancino was huge--a little smaller than a tennis ball--and filled with flavorful meat, peas and cheese. The website says it has beef, but it tasted more like bacon. Good stuff! I nabbed a taste of my daughter's mix of chocolate and pistachio gelato and it tasted fresh and was served at the right temperture (not too cold). They had about 10 or so flavors: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, mango, chocolate hazelnut, pistachio, blackberry, raspberry (can't recall all of them). Our whole meal cost less than $17. I really hope they do well. We'll certainly be back.
u-bet! Posted May 24, 2010 Posted May 24, 2010 It is open but not serving the complete menu. We had the salami, goat cheese, and olive special and a plain cheese for the kids. Both were excellent and the kids preferred the salami and goat cheese (of course). Beer? Wine? I tried to check the website, but our "Smartfilter" here at work flags it as pornographic.
DanielK Posted May 24, 2010 Posted May 24, 2010 Beer? Wine? I tried to check the website, but our "Smartfilter" here at work flags it as pornographic. There were a couple of beers in the cooler. The website mentions that they have a small but relevant wine list, but I didn't notice whether they had the wines in stock yet.
Bags Posted May 24, 2010 Posted May 24, 2010 There were a couple of beers in the cooler. The website mentions that they have a small but relevant wine list, but I didn't notice whether they had the wines in stock yet. On Saturday evening, the only beer they were offering was Heineken, but I was told they'd be expanding the offerings in the coming weeks. As for wine, there were three bottles sitting on display. I didn't pay attention to what they all were though, because I locked in on the first one I saw-- Grotta del Sole Gragnano, that perfect pizza wine. Fizzy, red, chilled. As for the food, the pizzas and arugula salad were excellent.
DannyNoonan Posted May 24, 2010 Posted May 24, 2010 On Saturday evening, the only beer they were offering was Heineken, but I was told they'd be expanding the offerings in the coming weeks. As for wine, there were three bottles sitting on display. I didn't pay attention to what they all were though, because I locked in on the first one I saw-- Grotta del Sole Gragnano, that perfect pizza wine. Fizzy, red, chilled. As for the food, the pizzas and arugula salad were excellent. Ah, my favorite wine from the 2 Amy's list. Now another reason to try this place.
eatdrinkmore Posted May 24, 2010 Posted May 24, 2010 I headed over to Pupatella on Saturday, and the people in front of us in line got the last pizza. It was opening day, and they were far busier than they expected so they ran out of pizza dough, I was more upset for my wife who has not had their pizza before and had to watch everyone in line enjoy their delicious Neapolitan pizza. It turned out to be a blessing. Since they were out of pizza, we got a salad w/ Arugula, prosciutto, Parmesan and a lemony dressing, a risotto ball the size of a fist, and the gnocchi. I am really glad they ran out of pizza because I would have never tried the other menu offerings since I like their sandwiches and pizza so much. The gnocchi was fantastic, simple flavors, well executed. I highly recommend it, plus its a huge portion of deliciousness for the cost. Since they were out of pizza we got a free glass of the fizzy italian red wine mentioned above. Very refreshing, and complemented the meal. I really liked the design of the place and I am happy they did not go the route of fake stucco walls, and ivy every where you look. I am looking forward to heading back and trying the pizza and gelato.
pupatella Posted May 26, 2010 Author Posted May 26, 2010 We wanted to thank everybody for coming and enjoying our pizza. We felt so lucky and fortunate that you came to the restaurant last couple of days. It is a scary thing to open a restaurant and you guys give us confidence that everything will be alright. Enzo & Anastasiya
V.H. Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 We stopped by tonight around 7pm and there were a couple of families there but overall it was pretty quiet. The sign at the register said cash only today and I didn't feel like finding an ATM so we were only able to buy a single pepperoni pizza. There was a nice char on the bottom of the pizza and the flavor was really fresh. Definitely a good option for the summer months when we can't stand cranking the oven to 500 degrees at home for pizza. I'm looking forward to getting back and trying more of the menu since everything coming out of that oven looked great.
TheMoonwalker Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 Congrats on your opening! I'm just giong to copy and paste my 4-star Yelp review to the end of this message. If you guys get some time, I'd love to talk to you about your journey from cart to restaurant! I'm so excited that these guys opened up a restaurant. I had been wanting to try their cart forever but was also drawn away because of the long wait. I got there around 11:30 today to avoid the lunch rush and I'm very glad I did - the one rush followed right behind us and then faded (so I'd suggest coming in at 11:30 or 12:30 while the store is still relatively new and unknown. Between the 5 of us, we had: 1 pizza with mushrooms, onions, sausage 1 pizza with mozzarella, spinach, pepperoni 1 deep fried calzone with mozzarella, basil, grilled sausage 1 deep fried calzone with gouda, basil, ham 1 sandwich with salmon and other stuff (that they ended up turning into a pizza because they said the bread was too doughy?) 1 arancino 5 free scoops of gelato thanks to the advertised special on Yelp! :-) I'll admit that I'm not a fan of Neopolitan pizza, but I can certainly appreciate their work. The freshness of the ingredients really shines through in their pizzas, and it's especially apparent in the mushrooms, sausage, and onions As for the calzones, I've never had ham on anything that I've particularly enjoyed until today. The ham in their deep fried calzones was especially tender and flavorful! The arancino is extremely rich and filling. You might be able to eat one of these and be completely satisfied since it feels like you're eating a heart attack. Definitely get this one to share if you're going to do it! I'm no expert on gelato, but one of the girls at lunch said it was great stuff, and I'd have to agree. The hazelnut is pretty awesome, but it dominates the palate so much I could barely taste any of my friends' scoops. I was okay with that though. However, there were some issues which I will attribute to their recent opening: - I know they just got a new awesome oven from Naples, so maybe they're not too used to it and dealing with a big lunch rush at the same time: the tops of the pizza were perfectly done, but the bottoms were still kinda flimsy a times so that your pizza would be pretty floppy when you tried to pick it up. Maybe this is also due to how fresh the ingredients were, as fresh ingredients do tend to contain more water. - And maybe this is just because of the Neopolitan style, but I was a little disappointed in the calzones we tried. It was too doughy. (And the dough itself is interesting, it smells and tastes like a chinese donut.) And as we were sharing all our spoils among 5 people, we tried to cut the calzones into pieces for everyone. As soon as we did this, the watery sauce began leaking out of the calzone making everything soggy. I've never seen the innards of a calzone so watery. - The watery sauce from the calzone caused a problem with the plates on which your eat-in orders are served. It's just a piece of cardboard the size of the pizzas they sell. Since this was a completely flat piece of small cardboard, it really caused a mess. - The order/pickup system is a bit confusing. At first, they called out an order number which I guess must have been on the receipt? After that, they just started calling out what the order was. It would help if this was more standardized/apparent - Table cleanup was almost straight forward: there's a trashcan at the front of the restaurant by the door, but we had no idea what to do with our silverware! We ended up putting all of our utensils in a water cup and that became the receptacle for utensils for us and the rest of the restaurant. There seems to be a good amount of seating here. A table for 6 and a table for 8 in the back, a few 2-top tables, and a bunch of bar-level seating. I'll be back to check out the sandwiches - those always looked so good to me. Congrats to these guys for going from cart to restaurant!
dcs Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 I got there around 11:30 today to avoid the lunch rush and I'm very glad I did - the one rush followed right behind us and then faded (so I'd suggest coming in at 11:30 or 12:30 while the store is still relatively new and unknown. Say hi next time. You are correct that there are still some kinks to be worked out here. That said, the pizza was very good and still a reasonable $7 for a margherita. Regarding perceived moistness, you might be interested in the following excerpt from the Pupatella FAQ: Why is my pizza wet in the middle? Fresh, high-quality mozzarella cheese used in our pizzas has higher water content then “brick” mozzarella used by majority of American pizzerias. Our mozzarella comes from a farm shaped in balls and packed in water, rather than in dry “bricks”. Therefore higher water content makes for wetter pizza. Elsewhere, if you are eating a pizza from a wood-fired oven and your pizza is not slightly wet, they are not using fresh mozzarella. I thought Neapolitan pizza is supposed to be crispy. No. Real Neapolitan pizza, baked in the real Neapolitan oven in blistering fire, cannot be crispy. The resulting product must be soft, pillowy, fleshy, and light. What are those black spots on my pizza? Did you burn it? No. Due to the high temperature of the wood-fired oven, Neapolitan pizzas develop what is known as “leopard spots”. They are small spots (about size of a dime) on the crust and are a distinct characteristic of true Neapolitan pizza. Can you leave my pizza in the oven for an extra minute to make my pizza extra crispy please? Our wood-burning oven burns at temperature of nearly 1,000 degrees. Pizzas are baked in 1 minute. If we leave your pizza there for another minute, it will be severely burnt. Why pizza made at the restaurant is not as crispy as pizza from your pizza truck? Pizza made at the truck is made in a gas oven with a longer baking time. Thus, crust dries more and is more crispy. Pizza from our wood-burning oven is NOT supposed to be crispy. Traditional Neapolitan pizzas are soft and pliable, not crunchy or crispy.
chaofun Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 I stopped by last night right at closing to grab a quick, to go, real Margherita. Even though I came in at closing they were happy to make the pizza. Man was it good.... I think it rivals 2 Amys. I am happy to see another really good pizza joint in the Ballston-Clarendon area (the other being American Flatbread). I also love that they have Mexican Coca-Cola. I am slightly addicted to the stuff after visiting Mexico.
marketfan Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 I stopped by last night right at closing to grab a quick, to go, real Margherita. Even though I came in at closing they were happy to make the pizza. Man was it good.... I think it rivals 2 Amys. I am happy to see another really good pizza joint in the Ballston-Clarendon area (the other being American Flatbread). I also love that they have Mexican Coca-Cola. I am slightly addicted to the stuff after visiting Mexico. I agree. I was just there for a late lunch. Excellent crust! And I was fascinated by the stretching technique. They put the topping on a small disk of dough and stretch it to get it on the peel and then stretch it to about twice the size rather than seasoning the completed disk. So it is a two step process: shape to a small disk, season with toppings, move to peel, stretch to twice the size, load into oven.
tentimesodds Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Just went for the first time, and since I've never been to their cart (wish I worked in Ballston...) it was my first Pupatella pizza. I will say this--it is not enough to say that this is the best pizza in Arlington. It's really fantastic. I think everyone above has discussed all the flavor and texture elements that you need to know, but just go get a pizza and you'll know what they mean. We had a margherita, margherita with pepperoni, two Mexican cokes, a glass of fizzy wine, and two gelatos (chocolate and chocolate hazelnut) for around $37. The operation is clearly new, and as such none of the following are gripes, as they are to be expected when opening a new restaurant. I was going to comment that they need to get A/C and an ice maker, but lo and behold the power was actually out when we went, as it came on right as we were leaving. So clearly just a case of bad luck and not their fault. That said, the restaurant had no ice for the drinks from the drink cooler (which were of course now warm due to the power outage), no plastic utensils for to go orders, and one lonely Heineken as the beer selection. These would be easy areas to improve that were only lacking because of the unfortunate circumstances. It appears as if the gnocchi (which I was going to get) is no longer on the menu, which is a shame because I love gnocchi. Perhaps it could be a special once a week or month, like is done at Piola. It would not surprise me if this restaurant becomes incredibly crowded as word spreads. It's really quite good, and I am thankful to its owners for opening it.
Merry Mary Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Note on the arancino - the menu says "stuffed with mozzarella, peas & beef (or no beef)". No beef, to me, means no beef - and no fake beef. I ordered one with no beef, and when I cut into it, beef. Or rather fake beef, that tastes like bad sweet bacon. I thought I was ordering "stuffed with mozzarella & peas". Pupatella, can you clarify on the menu? I have heard of this same issue when you order them at the cart.
joesasfy Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Ate lunch there today. No air conditionng, the drinks were barely cold, no ice, no salads, but the best pizza in Arlington ....by far! Good gelato too!
ktmoomau Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Can anyone confirm if there is any outdoor seating or not?
chaofun Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Can anyone confirm if there is any outdoor seating or not? No outdoor seating that I saw.
stupidusername Posted May 29, 2010 Posted May 29, 2010 The pizza here is quite delicious. While I might normally prefer a crispy crust, this style was really good. I also had the arancini, which was great. Very tasty. I took my pizza home and it traveled (not very far) just fine. This pizza is very well-suited for reheating in a skillet, where it heats up and transforms into a crispy crust pizza. Get an extra and save it for breakfast.
beachgirl54 Posted May 29, 2010 Posted May 29, 2010 I have now eaten there twice this week, both times with my one year old son. He loves the pizza (margarita - it's his first foray) and the rice balls. And so do I - today, I tried the spicy salami, olives and goat cheese pizza. No leftovers. Yes, there are some kinks to be worked out but the owners couldn't be nicer and I love the simple decor. And I can walk there with the stroller . . . think that counts as exercise enough to work off a gelato??
Rovers2000 Posted June 3, 2010 Posted June 3, 2010 Had dinner here tonight and while I thought the pizza was good, I wasn't blown away like many others seem to be. Had the pizza with sausage, grilled onions, and mozzarella and the +1 had the special white pizza with mortadella which was draped over the finished pie. We also split an arancino which I thought maybe was too big as the mozzarella inside seemed to have a bit of melting to do still when I cut into it, that said, the flavor was good and the outside crisp. I'd categorize the pies as good and I would certainly stop by if in the area, I just wouldn't make a special trip. On a separate note, I sincerely hope that their AC issue is temporary as it was quite warm in there tonight (and would be brutal for the chef's in front of the oven if it was warmer than the 84 degrees it was this evening).
KMango Posted June 5, 2010 Posted June 5, 2010 Just polished off my first prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, and Parmesan takeout pie from the friendly folks at Pupatella. In Summary: Oh, hell yeah. The ROPES (random observations on the passing environment & scene): Gleaming, inviting, whimsical decor More tables than expected AC? We don't need no stinkin' AC Olive oil poured from a copper vessel; watch for this, it's beautiful I think the oven winked at me, picture proof enclosed. I'll wink back on my next trip.
DonRocks Posted June 5, 2010 Posted June 5, 2010 Just polished off my first prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, and Parmesan takeout pie from the friendly folks at Pupatella. Say hi next time.
pupatella Posted June 6, 2010 Author Posted June 6, 2010 Oh my, what a difficult day we had today. We want to apologize to everyone that came for the A/C problem. Waiting in line for 1/2 hour with no A/C is no fun at all. Thank you everybody for your patience. On the plus side, we're training to make doughnuts - ask for them soon! They'll be better than what we had in the food cart. P.S. Had a loud complaint from a barefoot customer about the service....Yes, you know who you are, I know you read this forum. Dude, next time you decide to complain about the service in a restaurant, please put some shoes on.
DonRocks Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 P.S. Had a loud complaint from a barefoot customer about the service....Yes, you know who you are, I know you read this forum. Dude, next time you decide to complain about the service in a restaurant, please put some shoes on. Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry. My damned cobbler failed me - the bastard said it would be another three days. I was starving and needed sustenance. Two Chefs Pizza refused service; I had nowhere else to turn. I really did enjoy the crust. And that fizzy-assed red thing you were pouring by the glass, too! YDD, Fred Flintstone
Michael Landrum Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 Dude, next time you decide to complain about the service in a restaurant, please put some shoes on. Culprits captured on tape. Sorry about the rough day. They get better. If it's any consolation, A/C is the bane of my existence too. A/C to restaurateurs is like gravity to drunks...always out there just waiting to fuck up your day. Keep up the good work!
beachgirl54 Posted June 7, 2010 Posted June 7, 2010 Boo on barefoot guy! Good luck with the AC - Jeremy and I will see you tomorrow night for our weekly fix! Oh my, what a difficult day we had today. We want to apologize to everyone that came for the A/C problem. Waiting in line for 1/2 hour with no A/C is no fun at all. Thank you everybody for your patience. On the plus side, we're training to make doughnuts - ask for them soon! They'll be better than what we had in the food cart. P.S. Had a loud complaint from a barefoot customer about the service....Yes, you know who you are, I know you read this forum. Dude, next time you decide to complain about the service in a restaurant, please put some shoes on.
Bob Wells Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 Boo on barefoot guy! Good luck with the AC - Jeremy and I will see you tomorrow night for our weekly fix! Hey beachgirl! It's been a while. Looks like you've made some lifestyle changes since we last saw you, based on your profile pic. LOL Remember the twins? They'll be six next month! We'll be down at the beach in August. I saw a negative review on Yelp that sounds like it could have come from barefoot guy. Still, this response from a Pupatella rep was probably a wee bit too harsh: "We are sorry that you did not enjoy your visit. The AC and ice issues will be fixed within the next few days. As far as the food goes, you obviously have no idea how Neapolitan pizza/calzones should be. They are wet because we use fresh mozzarella that comes packed in water, not the low-quality dry one that you obviously prefer. I also doubt that Mario's uses the top of the line ingredients that we purchase. But based on your review you obviously can't taste the difference." Politely directing him to your FAQs might have been a better way to go, since he did take the time to write a long review instead of just saying "This place sucks." Just sayin... I wish we lived closer to Pupatella (and Orso, in my former employer's building) but at least we have American Flatbread out here in the boonies.
TheMoonwalker Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 I saw a negative review on Yelp that sounds like it could have come from barefoot guy. Still, this response from a Pupatella rep was probably a wee bit too harsh: "We are sorry that you did not enjoy your visit. The AC and ice issues will be fixed within the next few days. As far as the food goes, you obviously have no idea how Neapolitan pizza/calzones should be. They are wet because we use fresh mozzarella that comes packed in water, not the low-quality dry one that you obviously prefer. I also doubt that Mario's uses the top of the line ingredients that we purchase. But based on your review you obviously can't taste the difference." Politely directing him to your FAQs might have been a better way to go, since he did take the time to write a long review instead of just saying "This place sucks." Just sayin... I love the reply to that guy on Yelp. That guy sucks SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad. His reviews are short and extremely unhelpful, just like I and many others have told him on the Talk threads: http://www.yelp.com/topic/arlington-to-all-you-restaurant-owners-contacting-me-after-the-fact (I am Steve L if you're wondering) Edit, sorry to go off-topic :-) The FAQ on www.pupatella.com is helpful :-)
KMango Posted June 23, 2010 Posted June 23, 2010 Pupatella destroyed my dreams. All day today, I fantasized about the prosciutto, arugula, and Parmesan blessing available in pizza form at Pupatella. I blasted right through my normal lunch time, knowing an immensely satisfying meal would greet me in the early evening. And my dream started to come true. I strolled in and out of Pupatella in no time flat, lucky to find few competing diners in line. Once I arrived home, I polished off half an arancino and dove immediately into my coveted meal. And that’s when my dreams shattered in the form of gli occhi più grandi dello stomaco. Although immensely delicious, even half a stuffed arancino makes for an immensely hearty starter. If you need to stretch a pizza or two across multiple people, order a few of these fried spheres to split and share. Because then, like me, you’ll find an abundance of leftover pizza at the end of your meal. And you’ll weep. Because you really, really wanted to have more slices and simply did not have the room. Dream: Denied.
DonRocks Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 I got carryout from Pupatella last night, and they knocked it out of the park. This week's special pizza is inspired by Chris Bianco - how could I not? White Pizza with Red Onion, Rosemary, Pistachios, and Parmesan ($10) Then a custom-built Pizza ($7) with Tomato Sauce (free), Fresh Mozzerella ($1.50), Roasted Mushrooms ($1 for porcini, portobello, and button), Garlic (free), and Beef Pepperoni ($1) for a total of $10.50. Finally, a Sausage Panini ($8) with grilled sausage, sautéed onions, and fresh mozzerella. All three were fantastic while being very different from each other - the panini in particular is going on my regular rotation. This is the best carryout pizza I've had in years. My first visit here (a month ago) was good; this visit was sensational. Bravo! Cheers, Rocks P.S. And yes I know panini is plural, but I use it in the singular, too.
DanielK Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 This is the best carryout pizza I've had in years. From the Orso topic, a month ago: I had three pizzas tonight at Pizzeria Orso, and the third-best pizza of the evening was the third-best pizza I've had in the past two and a half years. So, the obvious question - how would the Pupatella pies have stacked up against Orso's if they hadn't been takeout?
Rhone1998 Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 I found the reheating instructions on the take out boxes from Pupatella to be right on target: heat up a pizza stone in a very hot oven, and throw the pizza on it for 2 min. Worked like a charm.
KMango Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 ...This week's special pizza is inspired by Chris Bianco - how could I not? White Pizza with Red Onion, Rosemary, Pistachios, and Parmesan ($10)... I had that same pizza two days ago, and I just about died from the awesome. Does that make me a zombie? (here's hoping so) (braaaaaaaaains)
ktmoomau Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 I want to give Pupatella a few more tries before I really make a final decision, but I think the pizza I had today was very good, but it lacked the finesse of the pizzas at Orso. The crust wasn't as much of a highlight, but there were more toppings, but for people who don't care as much about the bread itself they will probably like Pupatella better because the toppings really shined and were put together well. I had their specialty pizza with their homemade sausage which was great sausage, but the pizza had too much cheese for me, it had so much it was gloopy. But that is something that I am not sure is typical which is why I would like a couple more tries before I make a final decision. I will say it is nicely priced for big portions. And the eggplant arrancini where really good, crispy with great flavor. But I like the crust at Orso better after my first attempt. But will definitely be back to try more as there was a lot about it I really liked, especially that sausage. And their sandwiches looked really good too.
thetrain Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 [T]he pizza I had today was very good, but it lacked the finesse of the pizzas at Orso. The crust wasn't as much of a highlight, but there were more toppings, but for people who don't care as much about the bread itself they will probably like Pupatella better because the toppings really shined and were put together well. Agreed on the crust. Crust is denser at Pupatella (still good though - just prefer orso's).
ktmoomau Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 Although you can eat Pupatella's cold the next day... I decided to try a bite before heating the oven and the sausage pizza cold was really good cold so I ate it that way. I didn't expect this, but was pleasantly surprised.
Amy Brandwein Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 Although you can eat Pupatella's cold the next day... I decided to try a bite before heating the oven and the sausage pizza cold was really good cold so I ate it that way. I didn't expect this, but was pleasantly surprised. Stopped by today and had a great pizza + yummy gelato - thank you Pupatella!
beachgirl54 Posted July 17, 2010 Posted July 17, 2010 Stopped in today for lunch - excellent roasted tomato, artichoke heart and fontina pizza that I split with my one year old. Pleased to see that he likes artichoke hearts - we're in the test-all-foods phase now. And a rice ball for him too - disappeared quickly. Still so, so happy to have this choice right by my house.
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