Pizza Fusion in Downtown DM

Fong's Pizza
Des Moines

Thai chicken pizza with peanut sauce, carrot, celery, onion, and cilantro

cheese egg rolls with mozzarella

Fong's is a downtown institution of sorts for the young, hip and boozy.  Housed in an old chinese restaurant, traditional and fusion pizzas (think thai chicken and crab rangoon) are the specialty with an array of exotic drinks in novelty glasses.

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.

Calzone Paradise: An Ode

Everyone needs a dish in their hometown that they absolutely have to have when they find themselves back home. For me, that honor goes to the calzone from Sam's Pizza. Back in high school, my coworkers at the movie theaters (back when there were theaters downtown- watch how I date myself with that) turned me on to Sam's. When I'm old and bitter, the taste of a calzone will evoke all sorts of wonderful memories of my youth, like the critic in the movie "Ratatouille".

Where to start? My variety of choice is spinach and pepperoni. I've tried other kinds and none seems to compare. As you can see toward the bottom of the frame in the picture, when baked correctly, the crust gets flaky and crispy. Sam's is not fine dining so the quality isn't always consistent (when someone in the kitchen doesn't know what they're doing it can come out doughy). A dusting of garlic salt (and probably butter- who're we kidding?) add flavor to the top. Excellent tangy marinara (I always have to get an extra container) adds the final touch. The 'zone is cut perfectly to allow dipping. Pure addictive goodness.