Matchbox

[Nick]

Pat Manley just flew down to DC to build another of his wood-fired ovens at a place that's to be (is?) named the Matchbox. He thought the focus is to be pizza, but since "restaurant" is in the name, maybe it's more. (There's a name for a restaurant - "More Than Pizza".)

Anyhow, if they're hiring Pat to fly down your way to build their oven, they must be serious so I thought I'd post it. Pat doesn't know anymore about DC than I do, so no clue as to the neighborhood.

If it's any help, the address I'm shipping the damper to (for the oven) is -

Matchbox Restaurant

713 H St NW

Washington DC 20001

Here's a link to a winery that Pat built an outdoor oven for -

Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge (CA)

[Steve Klc]

The neighborhood is hot. Very hot.

I've heard rumors of a place--dedicated chef, pizza, impeccable ingredients, all ice creams made in house--this might be it. Thanks for the lead Nick.

[vengroff]

Matchbox is pretty cool. They've done an incredible job with their long tall but very narrow space. It's divided into three levels, with lost of custom woodwork and a lovely little hand-powered dumbwaiter to bring drinks up from the bar. They have a good selection of American micro and macro-brews, and a few English imports. I really appreciate a place that has Newcastle Brown Ale on tap. I'll be back for that alone. It also strikes me as a great bar to catch a game. I was getting handshakes and pats on the back from strangers just for showing up in a Red Sox jacket.

Upstairs in the restaurant, they are still going through teething pains. The service is alternately spotty and overattentive, but given time they should be able to work it out. They do a good job with their pizza, which I'll say a few words about later, but the real must-have dish is the amazing mini-burgers.

These 2" angus beef burgers come 3, 6, or 9 to an order, for $6, $9, or $12. They're an ideal starter for the table, and they'd made a great snack at the downstairs bar. The exteriors of the thin patties are crisp charred, but the centers remain delightfully pink. We didn't specify a particular level of doneness--this was the default. They are served on beautiful buttery little toasted brioche buns with a slice of pickle. These burgers are what White Castles dream of growing up to be. A dollop of ketchup completes them. Dijon mustard would also be great. Next time I'll ask if they have some. Don't bother with the onion straws that come with burgers. They make for a nice presentation, but they are entirely too salty and covered with a totaly superfluous sprinkling of dusty parmesean cheese. They must be trying to make the point that this is still a pizza place.

The pizza comes from a custom brick oven wedged into the back of the main floor. They've put together some very nice combinations, like spicy meatballs with bacon, and a nice veggie with roasted red peppers and mushrooms. The crust was thin, as advertised, and just shy of charred on the bottom. Absent are the big bubbles that ruin so many other thin crust pizzas. I would have liked it to stay in the oven maybe a minute more to get a fuller crisp crunch, but other than that I think they did a bang up job.

Aside from the pizza, there are some salads and a few entrees. The spinach salad was overdressed, leaving a pool in the bottom of the plate, but that's a minor offense that can easily be corrected. If you're in the Chinatown area, I'd recommend stopping in.

[Steve Klc]

Darren, the mini-hamburgers at the weeks-old, beautifully-designed Matchbox on 7th & H St are definitely worth checking out. They're delicious, actually cooked medium-rare, served unadorned with a pickle slice on a toasted mini-brioche bun and draped with fried onion strands. Do bother with these. Salt, parsley, parmesan sprinkled on top of all. Nine bucks for a plate of six. Sietsema was all over this, mentioning it in his Dish recently and so were you.

And yes, Graig the chef will give you a little ramekin of a fragrant Maille dijon mustard if you ask, we did and it was worth it. We were dipping our leftover pieces of bun into the mustard after scooping up all the little bits on the plate. There's much more promise to Matchbox than being a merely good pizza place--I loved those onion straws, perfectly seasoned. Our server, gracious and cute as a button, asked if it was OK if the burgers were cooked medium-rare and we said, well, of course! She came over from Bistro Bis and I wish DC had more servers with her skills and attitude. The draft beers that we appreciated, much like you with Newcastle, were Chimay and Rogue Dead Guy Ale.

After the burgers we had the Fire & Smoke pizza (various peppers and roasted things like onions and tomatoes, gouda cheese and fresh basil) and the Chicken Pesto pizza, and followed the pizzas with the pear, arugula and goat cheese salad--all of which were quite good. The pizza crust reminds me a bit of Bertucci's (at its best) somewhat sweet with some semolina maybe in the dough; our crusts were pretty crisped and charred and good. (More important to me than trying to pigeonhole its style or disparage whether this is or is not pizza according to some subjective definition--it is pizza and it is at least very good.) Next time I'm ordering the spicy meatball or Matchbox Meat combo--those came out all around us and looked and smelled fantastic. "Bertucci-style crust with better toppings and flavors" was how I described it as I was eating it. Very good for its aim, price and style, with the bonus of being served in a stylish setting.

The chef came down to see if we liked the mustard, turns out he cooked at Bistro Bis as well and it showed, not only in the pizzas but also in his non-pizza apps and dishes--they're cooked upstairs and on that top dining room level you can see him expediting and see into the kitchen. Every little touch of his with seasoning or spicing worked, elevating this charming place past just mundane American pub grub into accessible food with a little charm. Chalk another one up for Penn Quarter, assuming Penn Quarter extends this far north. In any event, it should, for Matchbox has nothing in common with all the other crappy underwhelming restaurants remaining in our faux-Chinatown. Though it is still new and may have a few front of the house service kinks to work out, it's a good restaurant already and could evolve into a very good one. I can't say it's consistent after just one visit, but I can say I wish it were in my neighborhood. And I wish I got our server's name so I can ask for her section when we return. There's also one incredible table in the restaurant--a great banquette booth on the second floor in the back, facing out.

It's already busy, kinks are being worked out, it should be ready and as consistent as it is capable of being by the time Sietsema gets around to actually reviewing it. He did them a favor by mentioning it briefly, they can gear up.

[vengroff]

The spicy meatball did look like a good choice.

The other thing I forgot to mention is dessert. They didn't have anything beyond some ice cream when I was there, but promised that a dessert menu would appear soon. Any scoop in this Steve?

[Nick]

Ain't the internet (and egullet) something? I saw Vengroff's post, and since I did the steel work for the Matchbox oven, I called Pat Manley who built the oven. (We're in Maine.) Pat will check this out - he didn't know about egullet - and then perhaps email the people at the Matchbox to let them know about this. And then, in turn, someone at the Matchbox will check in here?

Ain't the internet something else?

Glad to hear that people like what's happening at the Matchbox. Anyplace that Pat builds an oven the food generally ends up being pretty good.

[Steve Klc]

Dessert wasn't yet a priority, Darren. No printed dessert menu. No espresso machine yet. In addition to some outsourced ice creams I think Graig did a bread pudding last night. We didn't have the heart to order it.

The only scoop I got last night from Graig is there will be another wood-burning brick oven pizza place opening soon nearby in Penn's Quarter--called Ella's. You heard or read anything about this place? Apparently Wayne Combs, an ex-chef of Jaleo, is consulting.

[Malawry]

Steve, I ate at Matchbox last night too. Small world!

I hung out at the bar and had a happy hour martini while waiting for my husband and our friend. They make all sorts of infused vodkas: watermelon, mango, pineapple, etc. I enjoyed the Chinatown martini, which included the watermelon vodka, sour mix, and some Sprite. Sugared rim. Very very sweet. The martini menu is unusually long, one of the longest I've seen. The bar is quite friendly and I hope to return and eat miniburgers there for lunch again sometime soon.

We shared mini burgers (is it possible to not order these things?), Erin had a small house salad, and then we split the Matchbox Meat and the Fire pizza Steve mentioned. The burgers are excellent, larger than I thought they would be (3-4 bites maybe?). Erin liked the tumble of onion straws while I was all over the brioche buns.

The pizza is good, but not in the stellar category. Maybe Vengroff's right and it just needs more time in the oven. I think I expected more yeasty, chewy aspects to the crust. I found I was much more into the toppings than the crust, though. The sauce on the fire pizza had a nice bite to it, tamed by the slightly smoky gouda cheese. I thought the basil leaves on top were a nice touch, but Erin thought they were a little too...grassy. The meat pizza was much better, especially because it includes big chunks of the wonderful housemade meatballs and plenty of red sauce and cheese.

Graig was kind enough to give me a peek at their kitchen. I'm curious as to how they are organizing things for both prep and service, since they have a kitchen on the top floor, storage along the back stairs, the pizza station on the ground floor, and apparently a walk-in behind the bar. People who work there must lose a lot of weight despite all those burgers and pizzas!

I loved the little matchbox covers embedded in the tables. My parents collect matchbox covers; perhaps I will take them there next time they are in town.

[mr food]

How the wine list-price, quality, thoughtful selection? do they allow corkage?

[jparrott]

Wanted to go yesterday. Closed. No hours posted on the door. No website. Grrrr.

Had to drown my sorrows in the excellent dry rose being poured at Zaytinya--and a plate of the spit-roasted lamb they're doing at Sunday lunch now.

[vengroff]

The only scoop I got last night from Graig is there will be another wood-burning brick oven pizza place opening soon nearby in Penn's Quarter--called Ella's.  You heard or read anything about this place?  Apparently Wayne Combs, an ex-chef of Jaleo, is consulting.

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza will be at 9th and F or so. Just a block down from Zaytinya. That's all I know.

Sounds like two people had the same idea about that area needing a decent place for pizza.

[vengroff]

Wanted to go yesterday.  Closed.  No hours posted on the door.  No website.  Grrrr.

Well, not much of a web site yet, but it's under construction at http://www.matchboxdc.com/.

[Steve Klc]

Mr. Food: "How the wine list-price, quality, thoughtful selection? do they allow corkage?"

List was ok--mostly entry-level accessible inexpensive bottles, under 30 bucks, many around 22 or 23, some eclectic choices. I considered the Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare, around $11 retail on the list for 22 I think? I think most people will drink beer and their typical patrons will not ask about corkage.

[Nick]

Sounds like two people had the same idea about that area needing a decent place for pizza.

Well, it's really four people, but someone else should make that announcement.

[Malawry]

It probably helps that both Steve and I work around there.

[Al_Dente]

Went last night and had the Prosciutto White Pizza. I sat at the end of the bar closest to the pizza oven and watched them carefully assemble a few. 890 degrees in that oven!

The crust was perfectly crisped, and the dried herb mixture they sprinkled on really stood out-- not like other places where they tend to just be green flecks with no taste. Nice blistering action on the cheese without creating giant bubbles.

Next time I'll try those tasty looking mini-burgers...

[PCircles]

We are going to MatchBox on the 19th - all these reviews make me wish we were going sooner!

[Fearless leader]

I am happy to read all the good things that you all have to say about Matchbox.

I built them their pizza oven, but as so often happens when I do a oven so far from home (Maine), I only get to hear the reviews, and rarely get to sample the food. Like this oven I built in California some years ago...

http://www.fitzpatrickwinery.com/woodoven.html

Originally Matchbox wanted a coal fired pizza oven because they thought that a wood fired oven would not get hot enough, but I only build wood fired ovens, and they decided to go with wood.

Rumor has it that there may be some more Matchboxes in the DC area in the not too distant future.

If you are in Portland, ME, check out the well known Fore Street Restaurant, and the wood fired oven/grill I built there.

If you get even farther north to Rockland, ME, be sure to check out Cafe Miranda, and Primo, both with woodfired ovens that I built. The food is fantastic at both.

Miranda is celebrating 10 years on June 9th.

I can't wait to try those little burgers that you all talk about....

Fearless

[Steve Klc]

Pat--would be willing to share with us how they found you? If you haven't ever told the story of how you go about building an oven "on the road" somewhere--like on a website you could link to or in an article that was written about you and your work--perhaps you'd be willing to talk a little about the process here? Were there any special zoning or logistical problems which DC presented?

[Fat Guy]

I would have liked it to stay in the oven maybe a minute more to get a fuller crisp crunch

This seems to be endemic in most pizzerias I've been to outside the New York metro area. What's the deal? Is there some sort of American palate bias against any bread product with a hint of char on it? I notice this at regular bakeries too -- for example you rarely see nice, dark, tricolor crust at most American bakeries, and also bagels are almost universally undercooked. As they say in the oven-building community: "You can build someone an oven but it won't teach 'em to cook."

[vengroff]

Is there some sort of American palate bias against any bread product with a hint of char on it? I notice this at regular bakeries too -- for example you rarely see nice, dark, tricolor crust at most American bakeries, and also bagels are almost universally undercooked.

Gotta make up for all those well-done steaks somehow...

[Fearless leader]

Steve

I believe that they first found me at our Masonry Heater Association web site.

I am a active and founding member of the MHA http://www.mha-net.org/

You might be interested in a outdoor pizza workshop I gave at one of our annual MHA meeting in NC http://mha-net.org/msb/html/bakeov17.htm

There are a number of oven builders in the US, and after they talked to all of us, they chose me to build their oven.

I will travel most anywhere to build or study bakeovens. I have studied masonry heaters and bakeovens in Finland & Sweden a few times.

The process of building ovens away is fairly straight forward. Once I have designed it to my clients needs, I order refractory materials (firebrick, refractory cement, etc) from one of many refractory dealers nation wide for delivery to the job.

All the other materials, brick, sand, cement, etc are bought locally, and tools like a brick cutting saw rented by my client.

Usually my client(s) perform the duties of a tender, mixing mud, hauling bricks, etc.

It is also the responsibility of my client to provide me with a place to stay, in Matchbox's case, they put me up at the Red Roof Inn a few blocks from Matchbox.

Most of my work is in Maine, but once a year or so I travel out of state to build an oven or heater.

I had no problems with the powers that be in DC, but generally it is the clients duty to have details taken care of with local code/zoning people.

I enjoyed working in DC, but as usual, I spend most of my time working, and not seeing the sights.

I did try to reach you when I was in DC building the Matchbox oven (Nick gave me your phone # in NY), but I never got past your answering machine.

Maybe next time.

[Rachel Perlow]

This place sounds good, we'll have to check it out on our next trip to DC.

Wanted to go yesterday.  Closed.  No hours posted on the door.  No website.  Grrrr.

Well, not much of a web site yet, but it's under construction at http://www.matchboxdc.com/.

From said website: "Open Monday through Saturday at 11:30 AM - Closed Sunday"

Also, their address: 713 H St Nw, Washington, D.C. 20001-3733, 202.289.4441

[vengroff]

Tom Sietsema weighs in on Matchbox.

[vengroff]

Just reviving this thread to say that I was in the other night and the crust is now really excellent. It's very crisp, much like how Ella's does it around the corner. The portabella and artichoke topping was great; those mushrooms were really meaty.

Miniburgers came out medium, instead of medium-rare like the usually are. Still very tasty, though, especially with a dollop of mustard. I'm not sure if they've changed the default, but I'll be sure to ask for medium-rare next time. The onion straws were spot on--not much could have been better to eat with a beer.