Shift Your Pizza Paradigm

Pizzeria Paradiso
Dupont Circle- Washington, DC

When our friend and pizza-obsessive (we'll call him "Sam") heard we'd be making the food rounds in DC, he sent this article. Based on a careful analysis of which pizzamaking philosophy most closely matched our mood that day (and happened to be closest by) we chose Pizzeria Paradiso.

note: pictures are a little fuzzy b/c I felt awkward shooting w/ flash inside the restaurant.

vegan (veggie pizza minus the cheese)

Definitely NOT vegan: Salami, black olives, mozzarella

To someone who's had their taste buds numbed by chain-store pizza for long enough, it might seem odd to pay $14 for a personal pizza or to even think of pizza as something artisanal. The difference is immediately apparent once you dig in to the pizza at Paradiso. To coopt a popular slogan, better pizza does definitely come from "better ingredients"- fresh balls of mozzarella (not shredded) that melt unevenly over real diced tomatoes (not tomato sauce), fresh veggies, and quality meats. It doesn't taste or feel like junk food. I think the ultimate testament to the fact that this was no ordinary pizza was how enthusiastically we finished off the (plentiful) crust once the middle of the pie had been eaten. With a little olive oil, the crust made a pretty good side dish in its own right.