The first thing you see at this clattering, kid-packed Cleveland Park pizzeria is the line of pies waiting to be picked up from the kitchen counter. But good as they are, the Neapolitan-style pizzas aren’t the main reason to love this place. We enjoy cobbling together a meal of stellar small plates, salads, and cheese and charcuterie boards.
Look to the specials for interesting spins on seasonal veggies, usually simple but always bright with flavor. We’re thankful that some favorites–deviled eggs topped with piquant green sauce, an orange salad dotted with olives, gorgeously fried prosciutto croquettes–never leave the menu. Save room for dessert, especially the excellent house-made ice creams.
What to get: Anchovies with butter and bread; goat cheese with fig spread; Norcia pizza with salami, grilled peppers, and Grana Padano cheese; Vongole pizza with in-shell cockles and capers; cannoli; weekend doughnuts (our favorite in the area).
Open Monday for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Moderate.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
