2 Amys (DC - Cleveland Park)

Since moving to DC, I had heard the buzz about this being, "the best pizza in DC," but having moved here from Manhattan, where great pizza can be had on most street corners for $2.50 a slice, I somehow never managed to make 2 Amys a priority.

I finally broke down last night and stopped by for some take out pizza on my way home. As I had been warned, it looked like the opening night of a big movie - cars double parked out front, crowds lining the sidewalk - everything but a red carpet. Just 15 minutes after placing my order, I was on my way with a D.O.C. Margherita pizza and a somewhat lesser-born daily special comprised of chanterelle mushrooms, toasted pine nuts, tomato paste and grana (as in grana padano, the cheese).

[N.B. 2 Amys has gone through the trouble of being certified by the Verace Pizza Napoletana, which alone can declare whether or not a Neapolitan pizza is denominazione di orgine controllata (or D.O.C.). As such, they offer both D.O.C. and non-conforming pizzas.]

I know better than to get into an argument here about deep dish versus thin crust versus Sicilian, versus brick oven, versus New York style pizza - everyone has their preferences. All I am saying is that for what they are (Neapolitan pizza), the two pies I picked up from 2 Amys were perfect.

The light, chewy crusts stood on their own, rather than just being a conduit for tomato sauce and cheese. With respect to toppings, the Margherita was a classic interpretation with a little bit of tomato sauce, several large medallions of mozzarella and wilted basil leaves - a very capable standard bearer. The special pizza (chanterelles, tomato paste, pine nuts and grana) was a surprise hit. A wonderful combination of textures and flavors - a melody where the earthy chanterelles played the middle notes to the alto of the grana and the tenor of the pine nuts.

At $26 for two people, this was a bit grander than your average take out pizza night, but then again, last I checked, Domino’s doesn't deliver chanterelles and grana.