New York
Andy’s Pizza
2001 International Dr., McLean
It all started with a ball of Trader Joe’s pizza dough. Over nearly a decade, Andy Brown has refined his recipe from semihomemade to a from-scratch crust that ferments for 72 hours before it’s baked in a hot stone oven. This location, inside the Tysons Galleria, is the flagship, but Andy’s is quickly mushrooming around DC, and Brown even hints that there will be more in NoVA soon. With its pliable crust, tangy tomatoes, and high-quality cheese, this is our favorite pizza in the DMV. The judges at the World Pizza Championships agree: Andy’s won gold last year.
Also check out:
Rai’s Pizza
21430 Cedar Dr., Ste. 128, Sterling
Chosen for: Its light, crisp crust
Teddy’s Brooklyn Style Pizza
9 E. Federal St., Middleburg
Chosen for: Its enviable balance of flavors
Tony’s NY Pizza
8801 Centreville Rd., Manassas
Chosen for: A rich history of turning out the real deal since 1989
Wiseguy Pizza
1735 N. Lynn St., Arlington; 710 12th St. South, Arlington
Chosen for: Its range of toppings, including Korean chicken and paneer tikka
Neapolitan
Crust Pizzeria Napoletana
8415 Old Courthouse Rd., Vienna; 360 Elden St., Herndon
When Kevin Ejtemai visited the Amalfi Coast on his honeymoon, he became enraptured with airy-crusted pies prepared in ultra-hot wood-burning ovens. He wanted to bring the experience to his fellow Americans and do it right. Our most beloved pie he produces is the Pizza alla Crust, a simply topped Margherita that’s folded on one side into an unusually light calzone. The whole thing is covered in blistered bubbles, just as it should be.
Also check out:
Pupatella
5104 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 1621 S. Walter Reed Dr., Arlington; 1821 Wiehle Ave., Reston
Chosen for: Quality despite its prevalence, including upcoming spots in Fairfax, Leesburg, and West Springfield
Pizzeria Orso
400 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church
Chosen for: Seasonal, cheffy toppings composed by 2941 toque Bertrand Chemel
Sicilian
Rubino’s Pizzeria
44170 Ashbrook Market Pl., Ashburn; 43170 Southern Walk Plz., Ste. 110, Ashburn; 2415 B-9 Centreville Rd., Herndon
Brothers Stephen, John, and David Rubino are behind some very tantalizing New York–style pizza in Northern Virginia. But we’re partial to their thick-crust Sicilian pizza. We like to order a whole pie, share it with a friend, and take home the leftovers for days of quick meals. A 16-inch rectangle can easily feed four or five hungry eaters, and will only cost you $17.99. But be warned: The doughy crust, with its ample layer of browned cheese, is enough to convince anyone to reach for a second slice.
Also check out:
We, The Pizza
4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 2100 Crystal Dr., Arlington
Chosen for: Vegan and spicy versions
Detroit
Little Beast
12100 Sunset Hills Rd., Ste. R6, Reston
The hippest variety of pizza right now isn’t widely represented in NoVA yet, but that’s OK when the options we have are so darn appealing. Our favorite of these is a family-friendly spot in Reston covered in murals of colorful monsters. The pizza, from executive chef Naomi Gallego, famous for her pastries from DC restaurants like Le Diplomate, is flaky, crisp-edged, and utterly scarf-able. The buttery crust is fermented for 48 hours and covered in cheese all the way to the square corners. The sauce is on top in “racing stripes,” but we promise it will be enough for even the greediest tomato lover.
Also check out:
Piece Out Del Ray
2419 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Chosen for: The Trip to Buffalo, topped with Buffalo-sauced chicken, Gorgonzola, and caramelized onions
Emmy Squared
124 King St., Alexandria
Chosen for: The ability to make almost every pie gluten-free, a delicious rarity
Craft pizza
Knead Wine
5 W. Washington St., Middleburg
Co-owner Jarad Slipp has a piece of paper to prove that he’s a certified Italian master chef, but the real evidence is in his unique pizzas. “It’s my style,” says Slipp, a former estate manager at RdV Vineyards and certified master sommelier, of the pies he compares to a sturdier version of Neapolitan pizza. It makes perfect sense that his business combines carefully selected bottles of wine intended to pair with his high-end baked rounds, named for his favorite guitarists, from Eddie Van Halen to Django Reinhardt.
Also check out:
Fire Works Pizza
2350 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 201 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg; 21475 Epicerie Plz., Ste. 100, Sterling
Chosen for: An emphasis on ingredients from the area, including local lamb sausage on the Black Sheep
Stracci Pizza
106 Hume Ave., Alexandria
Chosen for: Hand-pulled stracciatella cheese and seasonal ingredients atop Roman-style pizzas
The Best of the Rest
Connecticut
Colony Grill
2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington
Yes, the NYC suburb of Stamford, Connecticut, can claim its own style in this hot-oil-drizzled pizza. The crust is thin and chewy, making it easy to demolish a whole pie yourself, despite the heat.
Deep-Dish
Rocco’s Italian Restaurant
1357 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean
The Juliano family opened this local haunt in 1977. The homey pizzas include one described as Chicago-style, but the cheese-and-meat-filled thick crust gave us welcome nostalgia for childhood Pizza Hut meals.
Indian
Pizza 360
21760 Beaumeade Cir., Ste. 130, Ashburn
The chewy-crusted pies are worthy of note on their own. But we’re preoccupied with the complex flavors of the butter chicken pizza, topped with rich, tangy sauce, chicken, onions, peppers, jalapeños, and fresh cilantro.
Giant Slices
Benny Vitali’s
722 Caroline St., Fredericksburg
Really hungry for a slice? We mean really hungry. This New York–style pizzeria is famous for its 28-inch pies. A single slice is equal in scale to a smaller pizza, so it’s easy to fill up with just one—or half of one.
This story originally ran in our April issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
