Good to Go
For Carryout, Seven Pizzas That Can Take the Trip
Vace's cheese pie has a thin, yeasty crust and tangy, flavorful sauce.
(Photos By Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post)
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008; Page F03
Some pies don't travel well. There is nothing worse than a soggy, saturated crust that is impossible to pick up without having the wedge fall apart into an oily mess.
With that in mind, I undertook a quest for pizzas that can survive a trip home in respectable shape. I found seven pies that passed the travel test.
(Only one of the places I visited, Pie-tanza, has a wood-fired oven and serves a classic margherita. At the others, I ordered a traditional cheese pie with pepperoni on half.)
Church Street Pizzeria, 115 Church St., Vienna, 703-938-1155
This New York-style pie has a superb thin and chewy crust, a successful ratio of mozzarella cheese to mellow sauce and a generous serving of thinly sliced pepperoni. Opened in spring 2007, Church Street is owned by Marty Volk, who also runs the nearby 48-year-old Vienna Inn, famous for chili dogs and cheap draft beer. A 16-inch cheese pizza is $10.75. Toppings are $1.50 each.
Ledo Restaurant, 2420 University Blvd., Adelphi, 301-422-8622, http:/
Ledo Pizza, 7435 Georgia Ave. NW, 202-726-5336, and many other locations, http:/
The Marcos and Beall families opened the landmark Ledo Restaurant in Adelphi in 1955. In 1994, the families ceased working together. The Marcos clan continues on in Adelphi. The Bealls went big-time, founding the Ledo Pizza chain, which now has more than 80 locations on the East Coast.
Both produce distinctive rectangular pies using provolone and extra-thick slices of pepperoni. Both pies have their charms. The chain's sauce is agreeably sweet, and the crust is dense and biscuitlike. The original has a more robust sauce and a flaky pastry crust.
At Ledo Restaurant: A 10-by-14-inch medium cheese pizza is $8.99; toppings are $1 each. At Ledo Pizza: A 10-by-14-inch medium cheese pizza is $7.99; toppings are $1.25 each.
Pie-tanza, 2503B N. Harrison St., Arlington, 703-237-0200; 1216 W. Broad St., Falls Church, 703-237- 0977, http:/
This pretty margherita pie has a cracker-style crust topped with a fragrant sauce, fresh mozzarella and a confetti of fresh basil. Owners Karen Waltman and Ed McKee, former managers at Cafe Deluxe, opened the Arlington location in spring 2005 and the new Falls Church restaurant in April. A 12-inch cheese pizza is $9.59. Toppings are $1.39 each. Our 12-inch margherita was $11.69.
Tony's New York Pizza, 9108 Mathis Ave., Manassas, 703-330-8109; 11674 Sudley Manor Dr., Manassas, 703-257-7877; 10314 Bristow Center Dr., Bristow, 703-367-0022; http:/
The D'Agostino family ladles a mild tomato sauce and lays a thick layer of mozzarella atop a soft, thin, yielding crust. The pepperoni is spicier than most and generously distributed. The original location, on Mathis Avenue, opened in 1989. A 14-inch medium cheese pizza is $9. Toppings on a medium pie are $1.75 each.
Trattoria e Pizzeria da Enrico, Kings Contrivance Village Center, 8630 Guilford Rd., Columbia, 410-381-1255
Trattoria Amore, 4725 Dorsey Hall Dr., Ellicott City, 410-740-9903
Brothers Giovanni and Carlo Morra have two Italian restaurants noted for good New York-style pizza. Their pies have a pleasantly chewy crust, two types of mozzarella and a fine balance of spices in the slightly sweet sauce. The Morras' Columbia restaurant opened in 1989 and the Ellicott City location in 2001. A 14-inch medium cheese pizza is $8.99 in Columbia, $9.25 in Ellicott City. Toppings on a medium pie are $1.80 each.
Vace Italian Delicatessen, 3315 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-363-1999; 4705 Miller Ave., Bethesda, 301-654-6367; http:/
For 31 years the Calcagno family has made Vace a destination for house-made pasta and pizza. And what a pie this is, with a thin, yeasty crust, a deeply flavored, zingy sauce and just enough mozzarella to bind the whole business together. A 14-inch medium cheese pizza is $8. Toppings are $1 each.
