Take it from Pizza Studio co-CEO Ron Biskin, "This isn't your grandma's pizza." Pizza Studio's much-anticipated foray into the nation's capital gets underway tomorrow with the grand opening of its Dupont Circle location at 1333 New Hampshire Avenue, NW. Biskin and his team hosted a special media preview earlier today, providing an opportunity to see his "pizza artists" in action. If today's performance was any indication, Dupont Circle (and potentially all of Washington, DC) could be in for a special treat.
Pizza Studio boasts, "You create it, we make it." That's all fine and dandy; but in a city flush with fast pizza options, I
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| Firecracker Crust with Sausage, Red Onions & Red Peppers |
Neither do I (well... most of the time.) The numbers are good; but if the pies don't taste good, who cares? We received samples of three of nine Studio Masterpieces... Basic MARGHERITA (on traditional crust) BUFFALO CHICKEN (on Firecracker crust) and GARDEN (on Whole Grain & Flax Seed crust.) All three were tasty; but I couldn't get past how delicious the Buffalo Chicken was. Credit Spicy Buffalo Sauce for all the fun/heat. All three pies sported freshly grated mozzarella (no non-grated fresh mozzarella however, a minor complaint.) They also have a MOROCCAN pie with its own special crust, crumbled feta, roasted zucchini and (drumroll please) Jamaican jerk seasoning. Yum.
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| Co-CEO Ron Biskin shows off all five crusts |
After a brief Pizza Studio 101 from Biskin; we got to make our own pies (fear not, the aforementioned pizza artists did all the work.) I stuck to
Mine arrived piping hot (in just under five minutes, and on the heels of a dozen+ other orders.) Pies are round with thin (really thin) crispy crust. The tomato blend sauce is rich; and all ingredients perfectly proportional. My only complaint? A lack of salt (or crushed red pepper flakes, available by the fountain soda dispenser.) Otherwise, it's nothing short of a home run. The Firecracker crust is indeed spicy: Ditto for the spicy pork sausage, although I'd be tempted to amp it up even further next time with sliced jalapeños.
Decor is industrial chic, with loads of seating (including a few booths) and a pair of individual restrooms (double score!) There's also exposed brick, and ceramic tile flooring... not to mention three "Starving Artist Walls," one of several clever community tie-ins that also includes "Feeding America," which helps supply free meals for over 37 million hungry Americans. Click here to join Pizza Studio's FREE Rewards Program. It packs a powerful 1-2 punch. You get one point for every dollar you spend. Earn 100, and you get a free pizza. Even better, Pizza Studio donates a meal to Feeding America for every 20 points you rack up.
Interest peaked? Stop by tomorrow to get a FREE pie between 11 AM and 2 PM; and 5-8 PM. Talk about numbers. Let's see: Six hours, two minutes per pie + Dupont Circle = Lots and lots of pizza. There will also be random giveaways too, including free pizza every week for a year (sign up on-site for the loyalty program, to be eligible.) Who knows, we might just run into each other. Can you save me a spot in line? Something tells me they're gonna be very, very long...
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| Choose Your Crust |
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| Margherita Pizza |
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| Buffalo Chicken Pizza |
