On Capitol Hill, two French chefs make the rounds

A customer doesn't even need to see a menu to know what Capitol Hill's new hot spot is all about. The metal platters doubling as sconces and the wooden paddles dressing up the pale blue walls all point to one thing at Seventh Hill Pizza: pie.

Permit me to elaborate: pizza that brings to mind some of the city's best, at least in the joint's first few weeks.

The titles of the dozen or so crisp rounds will resonate with locals. The thin crusts, fragrant with the suggestion of smoke, make swell supports for combinations such as goat cheese, tapenade and mushrooms (a.k.a. Eastern Market) and sausage, oregano and pecorino cheese (Navy Yard). Folds of pink prosciutto and pieces of roasted red pepper -- my favorite of the bunch right now -- add to the charm of a pie billed as Seventh Street. The selections come in eight- and 12-inch sizes. Non-pizza specials are flagged on a chalkboard paddle; they might include carrot-cumin soup or a vegetable-stuffed panino.

Spot anything familiar behind the counter? Diners might recognize chef Stephane Lezla and Christophe Raynal from Montmartre, the cozy French restaurant next door. The men own and attend to both businesses. They also have done an admirable job of erasing any trace of what used to be Ben & Jerry's. (The aroma of burning hickory logs helps.)

The trim dining room, with just 20 stools inside, was designed with carryout in mind, says manager Tammy Barszcz. But a lot of patrons seem to like watching the show of pizza being flipped in the air, feet from their faces, or catching whatever happens to be on the TV screen hanging over the bar: So far, Barszcz reports, 75 percent of the business has been for consumption on the spot.

327 Seventh St. SE. 202-544-1911; http://www.seventhhill.com. Eight-inch pizzas, $9.95-$10.95.