The Fab Forno Smackdown: Firing up the Pizza Debate
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| Clockwise from top left: Comet Ping Pong, Red Rocks, 2 Amys, Bebo |
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My friend and popular food board moderator, Don Rockwell, suggested that we visit these four spots in one evening to get a snapshot view of the pizzas, and try to bring some clarity to the debate. To level the playing field we ordered plain cheese and tomato pizzas at each, eating immediately so each had its opportunity to shine. We took into consideration the quality and flavor of the crust, the tomato sauce, and the cheese.
2 Amys
Our evening started off at 2 Amys. Earlier in the week Tim Carman had written an article about Red Rocks' Edan MacQuaid's tenure at 2 Amys. There were arguments about the temperature of the pizza ovens, and that 2 Amys' was not hot enough to meet Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) rules. Based on our visit that night, I found this to be the case. The pizza ($9) was doughy and undercooked on the edges, despite the nice char on the bottom. It is possible, however, to ask for a well done crust with better results, but should not be necessary. The soft blotches of mozzarella did a lot to save the pizza, imparting a buttery flavor to the crust, while the tomato sauce was light and cheery. Being the first pizza of the evening we did manage to finish the entire thing.
Bebo Trattoria
Next up was Bebo Trattoria. It took Roberto Donna nearly nine months to get the pizza oven at Bebo up to Arlington County code. Was all the work worth it? Walking in, we observed that Roberto Donna was not there to man the pizza oven. As the server put down our pizza ($13), we both knew immediately that we were in for disappointment. There was only one word to describe the pizza at Bebo: flat. Not only did the pizza crust look and taste as if an elephant had stepped on the dough before it was baked, but the cheese and the tomato sauce were bland. The entire thing was forgettable. At $13, it was the most expensive of the pizzas and our least favorite. We ended up taking home more than half of the pizza.
Red Rocks
By the time we arrived at Red Rocks, I was definitely burned out on pizza. The idea of another tomato and cheese was stomach-turning. But as I sat on the patio and looked at the beautiful, charred crusts surrounding us, I started to revive. The pizza ($8.50) arrived, a little less charred than those of other customers, but beautifully browned nonetheless. Crisp on the outside with dots of char, soft and fully cooked on the inside, it was a textbook pizza crust. However, there were little errant strands of cheddar cheese sprinkled around the edges that did not fit with the delicate flavors of the tomato sauce and mozzarella. Nonetheless, this was a solid little pizza, even without Edan MacQuaid manning the oven. I suspect that with him around, it would be an even better pizza. Despite our renewed spirits, we were looking ahead and walked out with half the pizza in a box.
Comet Ping Pong
We closed out the evening at Comet Ping Pong. The general word on the street is that Comet can be hit or miss - some nights you get the best pizza you've ever had, especially when Carole Greenwood is there, or you can end up with a dusty pile of burnt, crackery crusts. A cursory glance toward the kitchen told us that Carole wasn't there; we were preparing for the worst. I was surprised that after trying to pack in the three pizzas, Comet was a revelatory moment. The instant the pizza ($7.50) made contact with my mouth I knew I had a winner. The rich tomato sauce made from Toigo organic tomatoes had an amazingly deep flavor without excessive stringency that is so frequently found in tomato sauce. The mozzarella was cut in small cubes and strewn all over the pizza rather than the slices off a log that we saw at the other joints. This allowed for a heavy layer of cheese on top of the pizza. The crust, made of Italian pizza flour cut with organic whole wheat flour, yields a naturally brown crust and denser flavor. After a long night of cheese and tomato, we finished the whole thing.
As Don and I sat back to discuss, we bandied back and forth about the best crust (him - Comet, me - Red Rocks), best sauce (Comet), best cheese (him - Comet and then 2 Amys, me - 2 Amys). If we ranked based on the rating of components, we might have come out with a different order. But we realized that regardless of how amazing the individual components might be, what matters is how those pieces work together. The pizzas that provided the best overall taste experience were:
1. Comet Ping Pong
2. Red Rocks
3. 2 Amys
4. Bebo Trattoria
In the end, this was a snapshot of one evening. Many of the key players were not manning often temperamental pizza ovens, so our findings should not be considered conclusive. But one thing is clear: the pizza scene in D.C. is definitely heating up.
2 Amys
3715 Macomb St. NW
202.885.5700
Metro: Cleveland Park
Bebo Trattoria
2250-B Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA
Metro: Crystal City
703.412.5077
Red Rocks
1036 Park Rd. NW
202.506.1402
Metro: Georgia Ave.-Petworth, Columbia Heights
Comet Ping Pong
5037 Connecticut Ave. NW
202.364.0404
Metro: Van Ness-UDC