Pete's a Pizza

So, ever since he was elected, restaurants have been experiencing the "Obama effect." If he endorses a place, or manages to sneak in for a burger, BOOM, it's the most popular place on the planet.

Last fall, Obama announced that his favorite pizza in DC was Pete's a Pizza, New Haven style pizza. Madness ensued. At one point, we considered going in...ummm...maybe November? No dice. We would have had to wait forever (we hit up Pho 14 instead...mmm...) . Now that the hype has died down some, I figured it was time to try it out. I mean, it had to at least be decent, right?


I went with Kim and Martin. We ordered a margherita pie and a really nice salad. The atmosphere was kind of weird overall--like, really nice and hip stuff--fancy beers, coffees, gelatos, a boylans fountain soda, but in a five guys-esque setting. Like...it had all of the makings of a nice place without actually being nice. The tables were shared, but not in a way that made it more fun. Just more casual and crowded. But...fancy beers, coffees, gelatos, and a boylans fountain are all things that I like a lot, so I would go back for these things.

The salad was fantastic: spinach, pine nuts, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes, and olives. Yum! The pizza was also good...but not the best I've had in DC. Shocking, I know. It...it just didn't seem like a margherita. Like, there was regular cheese there too. It was kinda greasy. Now, the big bragging rights of the establishment is their crust...they claim it's crisp and chewy and thin. It was crisp. It was chewy. It was...not thin enough for me. I could have had it thinner. Don't get me wrong, it was a really tasty pizza, but not...not the best. Matchbox was better, so far.

The company was great though, and I think we all enjoyed our meal. It was fun to hang out with Kim and Martin and have a tasty meal.