| Address | 3715 Macomb St., Washington, DC 20016 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 885-5700 |
| Fax | (202) 885-5790 |
Meh. Overrated. Outer crust was mostly burnt black, and the base crust was under baked. Staff was polite, and friendly/hlpful, but I've had better pizza dozens of times.
We were seated just past noon. The pizzas ordered by my friends were delivered at 12:30. The appetizer was delivered five minutes later. My sandwich wasn't ready. Manager told me at 12:45 my order was on the grill WITHOUT APOLOGY. My order was delivered at 1:01 without an apology.
And there was a dead fly on the windowsill behind us.
The manager still hasn't called me back.
The “Little Things” portion of the menu was my favorite part of the dining experience. The potato and prosciutto croquettes and bruschetta were far better than I could have imagined for a tiny pizza joint. The wait gets exceptionally long very early, so if you are looking to avoid an hour long wait, plan on an early dinner. While the wait is very long, the waiters are extremely nice and move quickly, but never make you feel rushed to free up the table. The only negative I can say about 2 Amy’s is that they do not offer a potato pizza, or potato as a topping.
As the son of an Italian chef who has a wood burning, brick oven in his back yard for the sole purpose of turning out Neapolitan pizzas, I can say only one thing about 2 Amys: it's fantastic. I've been there a number of times now, and every pie I've tried has been delicious. Particular favorites have been the Abruzzese, a pizza topped with meatballs, parsley, garlic, and a generous dusting of pecorino that lends a sharp, salty taste that's irresistable, as well as the basic Two Amys, with its clean flavors of tomato and fresh mozzarella. A customized white pizza with garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, and olive oil was also delicious. Lastly, don't miss the Suppli a Telefono, fried balls of risotto stuffed with fresh mozzarella; they're not as good as the ones you'll find on the streets of Rome, but they're close, and it doesn't take an 8 hour flight to get them. Couple these flavors with their reasonable prices, and 2 Amys becomes hard to beat when heading out for dinner, especially on a budget. The only thing to keep in mind is the wait time: they're packed most every night, with lines out on the street, but it's worth the wait.
2 Amys offers authentic DOC pizzas as well as some more creative variations on Neapolitan classics. While the pizza here is better than most, the star of the menu is the “little things” which can be ordered as appetizers or a tapas style main course. My husband and I usually opt for the later, especially on a Friday night when we just want something to nosh on. The bar at 2 Amys is reminiscent of a quaint Italian tavern- nothing over the top ,just a variety of savory antipasti including artisan curried salamis and imported Italian cheeses. I would suggest dining at 2 Amys after a week spent down the work rabbit hole- it’s the perfect place to resurface, relax and converse.
I wanted so much to like 2 Amy's, but I orderd the Puttanesca pie which was soupy and tasted of nothing but fish (yes, I know it has anchovy but that shouldn't be the predominant taste). The wine I ordered was tasty, but meager. I tried to make up for the fish pie by getting a canolli for dessert, but even that was overwhelmingly flavored with orange zest and tasted too bitter to me. So sad, so disappointing.
People want things simple. That’s not just me opining – it’s the collective assumption of the entire marketing, branding and public relations industry. Look around – some of the most successful brands (IKEA, Apple) are the ones whose simple, easy-to-use products promise a life that’s easier, better and more enjoyable.
But is a life made simpler tastier? When chefs uncomplicate their dishes, free them of added frills and sauces and front the ingredients in an attempt to craft the iPod of cuisine, do they succeed?
At 2 Amy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria, the answer is most often yes.
Known for it’s certified Neapolitan pizzas with thin, chewy crusts and topped only with the allowed essentials – Italian plum tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, olive oil and fresh basil or dried oregano – 2 Amy’s excels at tasteful simplicity. And that extends to their non-pizza offerings too.
Take their anchovies with bread and butter. That’s just it – slices of crusty, rustic Italian bread, deliciously oily anchovies and creamed butter. Put them together and you’ve got the perfect combination of fat, salt and crunch.
Another simplistic winner is the mixed greens salad where again there are no embellishments to the menu’s description. The salad is comprised mainly of slightly bitter baby arugula and frisee tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing with a hint of lemon. Perfection.
Part of the reason why 2 Amy’s line of simple “little things” and salads succeed is that they rely on fresh from the farm ingredients. Just one look at their bar, which is usually topped with the day’s specials – baby radishes chilling on ice, fava bean crostini or an array of cured meats – and you begin to understand that the simplicity is merely a veneer masking a highly discriminating and attentive ingredient-selection process. Which in turn increases the volatility of their product. If the ingredients aren’t great, neither is the dish.
The heirloom tomatoes and sheep’s ricotta, for example, fell flat one night when the tomatoes lacked flavor. And an orange, red onion, olive and chive salad missed the mark when the oranges weren’t sweet enough to counter the salty olive and pungent onion.
But more often than not, 2 Amy’s delivers. And they’ve smartly chosen a wine list that while simple in its shortness, provides a satisfyingly complex counterpoint in taste. A perfect example is the De Angelis Lacryma Christi. Lacryma Christis (literally “tears of Christ”) by definition come from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. And while some truly taste volcanic – like earth, smoke and tobacco – the De Angelis smells and drinks as if it came out of a flower bed. With strong fruit and mineral notes, it is equally delicate and refined – with subtle hints of rose and violets – and makes an excellent complement to a simple Margherita pizza. The Cusumano, a Sicilian Nero D’Avola, is a fruit forward, bold wine that also matches well to pizza.
In short, and to keep it simple, 2 Amy’s proves that the most basic of dishes are also the most beautiful. Steve Jobs would be proud.
worth the hype. After living in DC almost 9 years I finally had my first 2 Amys experience over the weekend. The pizza was definitely some of the best in the city, and came in less than 10 minutes. I was surprised by how large the restaurant is, and we lucked out to be in the upstairs back room which seemed a little more cozy. I wanted to try many different things on the menu and will be back to taste them all! It is a little pricier ($8-$13 for a personal pizza or 2 not very hungry people), but the quality of the ingredients, amazing crust and taste of the food was worth it.
As many others will note, the service here can sometimes come with an atitude. But like most places of work, there's always some staff that can't handle large crowds without getting flustered. Aside from this X factor, 2 Amy's offers the best pizza I have encountered in DC. While not quite on the level of Lombardi's in NYC, it is very close--an overall 8 out of 10 on the pizza scales. Some great appetizers to be had as well, such as the Supli a telefono.
We ordered an Etna pizza, which we enjoyed. But given the wait, the intolerable crowd, the lack of parking, and the poor pizza value, I doubt we would ever return.
Without a doubt the best pizza in the city. Although there's almost always a long wait for a table, the wait is worth it. Try the "stuffed pizze" which are essentially a calzone.
Always a great, great meal.
2 Amys is the best! Totally worth the wait. The bar can get crowded but is a relatively comfortable place to wait, and they have a really good selection of wines by the glass and beers. Plus, you can get really good, rustic Italian appetizers while you wait. The pizza is definitely worth the wait, and the appetizer of fried risotto croquettes is totally worth the calories.
Its a nice change of pace if you want good authentic pizza.... but if you're really hungry, the pizza is not going to satisfy ya. Its VERY loud, which is a bit annoying, and they definetely need proper waiting space.
Our waitress clearly could have cared less that we were there. Perhaps she wanted to be elsewhere, and she let it show. We ordered an appetizer of olives, which were great. Less than 10 minutes later our pizza arrived, brought by another servier. More than 5 minutes passed before our waitress returned, and we had to ask her for forks and to CUT the pizza. The crowd was flowing, and we were not surprised to see familiar faces even on Sunday afternoon. It was a good meal, but it could have been better.
2Amys serves some of the best gourmet pizza in town. It is even better than Pizzeria Paradiso and Coppi's -- although both of these places are also quite good. The ingredients are fresh and the portion size is large. The style is traditional, since 2Amys is a member of the Verace Pizza Napoletano organization and serves D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) pizza. The salads and other appetizers are good, too. Most of the salads are large, so you can share them. Check out the polpettini (meatballs) appetizer. They're good. The atmosphere is simple and warm, if a bit loud on busy nights. There is outdoor seating out back in good weather. My biggest complaint is the increasing number of screaming kids. When the place first opened, it seemed like a hip, sophisticated pizza joint. Now, at least half the restaurant is full of suburban families. My advice is to go later at night to avoid the screaming kids. The service is good, but you may have to wait 20 minutes for a table if the place is busy. There is a small bar out back, but hanging out there while waiting for your table is a gamble, since if the place is packed, the tiny bar is likely to be packed too.
Noisy, long waits, crowds. Food is wonderful. Pizzas are made with some of the finest ingredients. Salads are inventive. Ice creams were luscious. The waits are worth it, weekend lunches are considerablely less packed.
In addition to great pizza, they have a good and affordable selections of wines by the glass!
The service here is usually bad, so just deal. Don't go during the peak hours and it will be much less painful. The pizza is SO GOOD. And the salads are great to. And they have LaCheuff on tap.
Tip: The noise is a factor. If you want to have a conversation with someone in your party, make sure you are sitting next to them...at least until the food arrives. After that, only the occasional grunt is necessary.
Exceptionally good, true, pizzas. Enormous portions. Fresh ingredients. Nice atmosphere. Service was a bit slow but accomodating.
pizza that can make a new yorker happy, the pies at two amys are the best things that have been in my mouth since i moved to dc 2 years ago
Honestly the best pizza in the city. Their appetizers and salads are excellent as well. Reasonably priced, fairly good service and worth the wait. Go on a weeknight for a slightly smaller crowd or call ahead and get carry-out.
Wine list was short but good, with affordable options. Pizza is good, but not all it was hyped up to be. Menu lacks a good assortment of salads and appetizers, considering the pizzas are not enough for a meal. There is a small patio out back, which was nice. However the interior seating is very cramped and very loud.
It's hard to quibble with the quality at 2 Amys - our pizzas and appetizers were delicious. The noisiness of the room, however, put a damper on the enjoyment. Meanwhile, our waitress appeared annoyed at our decision not to order wine (it was a Sunday night, Saturday's margaritas were still with us) turned her attitude inside out. She bumped my friend's chair so many times it was hard not to take it personally. I know the place is busy and we didn't expect to linger over our dinner, but the staff (hostess included) really could learn a thing or two about making customers feel welcomed.
Two Amys has by far the best Pizza in town. As Europeans who have been living in this country for years, we found this restaurant to be the most authentic neapolitan pizza place. The wine selection is also very attractive. These wines are very good value. Try a rose with a pizza at two Amys and it feels you are on the Amalfi Coast! The restaurant is always very busy. We tend to go after 9:30pm and the wait is much more manageable. Plus, there is a small bar area in the back to taste a glass of wine while you wait for your table. A wonderful value.
I was told this was the best pizza restuarant in D.C....I would have to agree that the pizza was great. The pizzas are made in a brick oven with very fine ingredients. However, we got an Italian salad that neither of us could eat (it was too bitter). Also, when we arrived, we put our name on the list to be seated and waited. When we went to check on where we were on the list, we noticed that we had been crossed off the list! If you have patience, this pizza is definetly worth waiting for!
Two Amys' food is the most authentic Italian I have ever experienced at a pizza restaurant. The place gets so crowded that sometimes you are squished into a tiny table and the servers are a little overwhelmed, but the rest of the staff pitches in. Overall, the food is outstanding, the pizza crust is perfection, and the value is very good.
2 Amys is the perfect mix between neighborhood staple and "drive out of your way to get to" restaurant. I love all the appetizers and the endive salad is a particular favorite. In my opinion, if you don't try the "Santa Brigida," you haven't had the best at 2Amys.
In true Italian style, the ambiance of Amys exudes a family centered food establishment. On the evening we were there, the place was teeming with families with children. A few screeches from less behaved toddlers echoing on the tiled floors and walls were not frowned upon by the staff or other patrons.
The antipasti and pizzas are excellent. Ranks up there with the rest of the city's restaurants that make pizza the traditional DOC way.
Make reservations or come early, Two Amys is no longer a neighborhood secret.
Unfortunately, there is no real waiting area, so people were standing extremely close to the table we were sitting at. Also, it is VERY child friendly, so it can be VERY loud at times with crying babies.
2 Amys promises simple, oven-baked Neaopolitan pizza along with interesting appetizers and a well-priced wine list. The pizzas truly are among the best in town, but don't expect anything fancy. The menu requires some explanation by wait staff, but the simplicity of the pies and the freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves. The mixed greens salad, neapolitan pizza, and Norcia pizza were superlative. The service, however, requires some work. The pizza came out 2 minutes after our appetizers, the wine was forgotten (PS - in selecting wines we were told that Pinot Grigio is not served because only Italian wines are on the menu!), and the espresso must have been delivered to another table. Atmosphere issues (ie noise, no space for waitstaff to walk, hostess hovering) will hopefully be overcome one day by good service so more people will wish to return. I resolve to return, but for take-out.
2 Amys makes excellent pizza, lovely crust and very fresh ingredients toppings. There is great selection of southern Italian vines. Delicious appetizers are served in very small portions. Desserts are somewhat disappointments, which is surprising for such lovely Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is charming and people watching is fun! I was there 2 times for lunch and late dinner and will be back!
