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| Sausage & Peppers Pizza |
"Welcome to Pizza Studio!"
It's not quite on par with New York City, but the nation's capital is certainly no slouch when it comes to pizza. Look around, and there's no shortage of fast casual options (especially around Dupont Circle.) In order to stand out/survive/thrive, you have to find a niche. Pizza Studio has value... as in unsurpassed, second-to-none, etc.. $7.99 for an 11" pie with unlimited toppings? You have our permission to scream out your approval: Lord knows, we already did.
Everyone receives a hearty greeting, the moment they step inside Pizza Studio's spacious domain. It's from a distance; but it shows me, they're paying attention (and that's always a good sign of even better things to come.) This is only my second visit (they opened back in late April) but the restaurant still looks brand new and sparkling clean. Service is still impressive too... across the line and in the dining room. Pair that with affordable, generous-sized pizzas, and you literally have the recipe for culinary success.
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| White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie |
I placed an order for one of Pizza Studio's five "Studio Masterpieces," Sausage & Peppers... with a couple of changes. Subbing red bell peppers and sliced jalapeños for green bell mushrooms and sliced mushrooms went off without a hitch (or raised eyebrow.) In fact, the employees appeared eager to make me happy (without knowing I was there to review them. Score!) By the time I got to the cashier, I was already happy. By the time she finished with me, I was practically ecstatic. How come? Let's start with an unadvertised Pizza and Drink discount ($1.99) bushels of enthusiasm over their Loyalty Program (free pizza on your birthday!) and as happy a demeanor, as you're likely to find from anyone at 11:30 in the morning.
Pizzas cook fast (literally 2-3 minutes) and are delivered to your table. They serve Pepsi, not Coke... and make sure not to miss their $.99 cookies, strategically located in front of the cash register. In terms of pizza quality, prepare to be impressed. Crusts are very thin (I went with TRADITIONAL, this time out) but very crispy. The oven eclipses 600°, so toppings are nice and hot, and folding is highly recommended (ditch the knife and fork.) Said toppings are unlimited; but I would have preferred a few more of each, especially the sausage (chicken and spicy) which is very, very tasty. Jalapeño slices make a world of difference... so much so, I'll start adding them to my homemade pies as well. If thin crust is your deal, you'd be hard pressed to find a better pizza (especially in terms of value.)
My cookie felt hard, but turned out to be soft, chewy and delicious. White chocolate certainly helps, but Pizza Studio deserves a standing ovation for their generous application of macadamia nuts... one of the pricier cookie ingredients available. At $.99, it's an absolute steal.
Atmosphere is tremendous. As mentioned earlier, it's spotless all about; and the music ("No You Girls" by Franz Ferdinand and Vampire Weekend's "M79") is hip/cool and relaxing. After lunch, the friendly cashier stopped by, asked me how my meal was (she even remembered my first name!) and took away my (now empty) plate. That's Impressive with a capital I. It's hard to imagine a better, faster, tastier lunch option... and it costs less than a tenner. Game, set, match... Pizza Studio.
Atmosphere: B+ (Very spacious & comfortable... although a tad dark inside.)
Crust: B- (A bit too thin for me, but very crispy!)
Toppings: B (Great sausage & jalapeño slices.)
Value: A (All pizzas cost $7.99... with unlimited toppings!)
Service: A- (Outstanding, and worth coming back for.)
Overall: B+ (One of the best fast casual pizza parlors in the DMV.)
