To my mind, few food items inspire the same kind of loyalty in people as pizza. When you find a great spot, you end up eating there religiously. People argue why their place is better than alternatives X or Y. And, if you frequent a restaurant, you become a regular... part of a community. Sure, people take ownership of other kinds of restaurants. But for pizza, it just seems to make more sense.
When Elyse and I visited We (as Spike and co. have taken to calling it), we immediately knew that we'd have to spread ourselves out. We, The Pizza offers 12 different pies... and that's before you even consider the wings, pasta, sandwiches and homemade Italian sodas. We decided on four different slices (sausage and peppers, cheese, spinach and artichoke, mushroom) and two different sodas (sour cherry and pineapple). The sodas were great, but they definitely weren't the stars of the show.
Before we go any further, a confession: I judge every pizza joint by how it handles a plain, cheese pizza. Without any exotic ingredients or zany combinations to hide behind, cheese pizza gives a truly accurate depiction of what kind of clout any given pizzeria truly has. Spike did not disappoint. The crust was baked perfectly. The blend of cheeses was balanced and delicious. And don't even get me started on the seasoning. After my first bite, I knew I'd be back for more.
That only set me up for the other flavors. While the sausage and peppers pizza was fairly bland and non-distinct, the final two slices sent me into the stratosphere. The Forest Shroomin Pie -made with wild forest mushrooms, truffles, mozzarella and thyme - was unbelievable. This is what people should mean when they say mushroom pizza, rather than a normal pie topped with a few measly fungi. But as good as the Shroomin Pie was, nothing could prepare me for the spinach and artichoke slice. It was a revelation; rich, creamy and had a tremendous amount of flavor cohesion. Even after a few weeks, I still don't feel as though I've had enough time to truly put it into words. But suffice it to say, Elyse and I will be back soon. On our walk home that evening, we talked about making We the Pizza our pizza place. Or, in her words, "God help us when they start delivering."
image: capitolbites flickr
Gotta try the Buffalo Chicken pizza! It is by far the most unique/insanely delicious pizza I have had in the District... tastes just like you are eating hot wings, in a good way. So glad that We, The Pizza moved in just a couple blocks away from my place... but this could be dangerous. ;)
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