In the summer of 2003, Chef Ed Hanson opened a pizzeria on the western edge of a neighborhood that had just renamed itself Penn Quarter. Four years later, Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza, named for Hanson’s young daughter, remains a rarity in downtown Washington: it is an independently owned–and not the least bit pretentious–place to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. Located at 901 F Street, Ella’s features neither a unifying decorative theme (Matchbox)…

This post is by DCist Food contributor Mike Roscoe Sushi restaurants are everywhere. When you feel the need to indulge your appetite for fresh, clean, simple food, chances are there’s a sushi bar not too far away. So how to distinguish between them? Some feature pan-Asian fare where you can mix Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisines to suit your mood, while others go high-class and offer extravagantly priced omakase tasting menus and expense-account-level sakes. But…

From DCist food contributor Melissa McCart Chances are, if you’ve ordered wine at Tallula, Café Atlantico or Two Amys, you may have been served in a stemless glass. Better known as Reidel’s “O” line, the tumblers “are for kitchen entertaining,” said Maximilian Riedel, 29 year-old CEO of Riedel Crystal in the October issue of Food and Wine. The glasses come in several varieties: Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet/Merlot, Pinot/Nebbiolo, Savignon Blanc/Reisling, Sake, spirits and fortified wines. Despite…

Sometimes you just need pizza. And even though Pizza Hut’s bipartisan pizza deal may seem tempting, you know that sometimes only wood-fired will do. This weekend, we found ourselves at Two Amys (3715 Macomb St. NW in Cathedral Heights) not once, but twice. (Once for dining pleasure, the second as a reward for helping a friend move out of his apartment. Yes, we’re pizza gluttons.) But we can’t help than notice that some local ratings…