Sunday, March 10, 2013

Fresh Med: Tasty Pizza American Style


Fresh Med is my favorite local spot to grab lunch. Always friendly, open late (until 10 PM, 9 on Sundays) and close-by (less than half a block) Fresh Med delivers a little piece of the Mediterranean to happy customers in Cleveland Park seven days a week. I usually order their Gyro Sandwich (one of the best in town) but today I wanted pizza. I'd hardly call it Mediterranean, but it's pretty darn good.

The 3313 Connecticut Avenue, NW eatery offers pizza in two sizes (medium and large.) I went with the 12" medium, which works out to six slices: That's just enough for two people. A base pizza starts at $9.95 with each topping an additional $1.50 (You can order a 3-topping medium online for just $11.95.) The cheese was nice and gooey with a zesty tomato sauce underneath. The crust was perfect... not too thin, not too thick and most importantly not doughy. The sausage (or at least the amount of) was disappointing. Three slices had only two small pieces and a fourth had just one: Not cool. I know them well enough (the owner is awesome, and the entire staff rocks) to say something next time, but I imagine anyone would have felt a little slighted to see so few toppings.

Despite its sausage shortcomings, Fresh Med's pizza makes a welcome addition to an area that remains underrepresented in pizza pie options. I don't blame you for choosing more decidedly Mediterranean options... just don't forget the pizza altogether: It may surprise you!

Atmosphere: B (It gets a bit crowded on the weekends... especially with nice weather.)
Service: A+ (Best food service on the block.)
Crust: B
Toppings: C+ (Nice cheese and sauce, but sausage disappoints.)
Value: B- (Pricier than Vace, but a nice change of pace.)
Overall: B