Thursday, June 27, 2013

zpizza Food Review

Pure Pepperoni

What exactly is organic anyhow? I know it's supposed to be good for me; and I know it's more expensive than non-organic. But pizza? Does it make that big a difference? The fine folks at zpizza like to think so... to the tune of a few dozen locations throughout the world (including Dubai & Vietnam.) I decided to try out their Silver Spring location for myself, and test my organic detection skills in the process.

I didn't have much time to play around: I was on my way to a screening of The Lone Ranger across the street at the Regal Majestic, and it was starting to drizzle (no umbrella!) Thankfully, I didn't have long to wait for a slice of Pure Pepperoni (I was tempted to go with the Napoli, but garlic sauce + tight quarters in a movie theater = bad idea) that cost only $3.18 including tax. The guy at the counter was very nice, and took time to run down the ingredients of two other options, before I settled on Pure Pepperoni with no preservatives, no added nitrite, MSG-free and less fat. Yikes, I hope it still tastes good.


Good news: It does. There wasn't much sauce, but z's mozzarella (from Wisconsin) had more than enough great flavor to make up for it. Its fire-baked crust was thin & good, but not very crispy. As for Pure Pepperoni? zpizza made a believer out of me: It's really, really good. There was just enough grease to make it interesting (and no need for red pepper flakes.)

It was surprisingly empty for 7:00 on a Wednesday night. A total of three other people were dining in, but the restaurant still managed to seem alive (good music.) Tables were clean; but I picked one near an incredibly powerful fan... I lost three napkins to Category 2 winds, and I swear my plate moved a couple of inches. The men's bathroom was nice & tidy (not to mention individual with a lock.) The same guy at the register said good-bye and wished me a good evening. Mission accomplished. Happy customer.

Atmosphere: B (Clean and spacious)
Crust: B- (Good crust, but I prefer mine crispy)
Toppings: B+ (Pure Pepperoni people... try it!)
Service: B
Value: B
Overall: B (I'm not influenced by the fact that it's organic; but it's good pizza any way you slice it.)