2 Amy's

[JPW]

2. What do you do to your baby to keep him quiet throughout your meal? (If it's legal, of course.) This is not the first time you mention it, so if there is a patent method in play here, there's big bucks to be made by sharing it, at a reasonable price, with scream-averse parents worldwide. 

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At this age, it really only takes stuffing the baby as full of milk as possible and driving around the block a few times.

Another part of it is just plain blind luck.

Peanut's starting to get old enough that she actually stays awake for more than an hour at one time. Dinner out is getting to be more difficult, but she still tends to stay calm as long as it is not too loud.

[iamthestretch]

He's right. Food and good fortune, mainly. We are particularly lucky that King Baby generally retires from 11 a.m. to around 2 p.m. and that no edicts are issued during this period. This allows the courtiers time for a humble midday repast. His Majesty is quite well travelled for a stripling of but a month, having so far slumbered blissfully through meals at 2 Amys, Bangkok 54, Colorado Kitchen, Restaurant Eve, Mandalay, Houstons, Red Dog Cafe and Jaleo.

On the subject of kids, and bringing this back to 2 Amys, I noticed today that they've almost run out of space in the back to store the literally dozens of highchairs and boosters they need for the kiddie lunch crowd. Soon, they may have to change their name to Franco E. Formaggi's.

Edited February 10, 2005 by iamthestretch (log)

[morela]

On the subject of kids, and bringing this back to 2 Amys, I noticed today that they've almost run out of space in the back to store the literally dozens of highchairs and boosters they need for the kiddie lunch crowd. Soon, they may have to change their name to Franco E. Formaggi's.

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These kids just don't get it.

When I was little they fed me Shakey's Pizza or popped McCain Ellio's in the oven (if ever). I was just barely aware that school lunch pizza wasn't very good.

[Tweaked]

Ellio's frozen pizza, that brings back memories

[HORSEPLAY]

On the subject of kids, and bringing this back to 2 Amys, I noticed today that they've almost run out of space in the back to store the literally dozens of highchairs and boosters they need for the kiddie lunch crowd. Soon, they may have to change their name to Franco E. Formaggi's.

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These kids just don't get it.

When I was little they fed me Shakey's Pizza or popped McCain Ellio's in the oven (if ever). I was just barely aware that school lunch pizza wasn't very good.

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It was a steady diet of hot pocket pepperoni pizza. I didn't even get real pizza. I was so deprived.

[rhodegirl]

Many thanks, iamthestretch, for reviving this thread. It reminds me to sing the praises of 2 Amy’s for a recent dinner my husband and I enjoyed there.

We decided to forego pizza and order antipasti. Since we couldn’t decide among the five choices they had that night, we ordered all of them:

chickpea and prosciutto salad;

caponata crostini;

house-made smoked buffalo mozzarella with eggplant served with roasted red pepper sauce;

pork rillettes with baby arugula;

rabbit stuffed with escarole and pinenuts, wrapped in pancetta, served with dried fruit compote.

We also couldn’t resist ordering the branzino filet with bay leaf, garlic, olives and lemon served with polenta.

You know those dinners when each dish you try, you look at each other and say ‘damn this is good’. This was one of those nights. It was like a mini-trip to Italy, with a side visit to France for the pork rillettes.

I know people have posted about inconsistencies at 2 Amy’s. We had similar experiences a couple of times last summer, and, in fact, stopped going for a while. But in the past couple of months, they have won us back. We’ve gone four or five times, mostly for pizza, and every time the food has been excellent. The night of the antipasti was the highlight. So if you haven’t been since last summer, I’d recommend giving it another shot.

It is an incredibly popular, lively place, so expect to wait for a table. We’ve found it’s best to be Zen about it, order wine as soon as possible and just go with the flow. (Best bet, if at all possible, is to ask for one of the tables in the bar area, which is dubbed ‘Serenity Now’ on the blackboard listing the night’s antipasti selections – remember that episode, Seinfeld fans?*)

*please do not answer this completely rhetorical question, not meant in any way to start a non-food related discussion.

Edited February 11, 2005 by rhodegirl (log)

[ozgirl06]

I had my first dining experience at 2 Amys last Saturday night and it lived up to the positive reviews that had been posted here.

My friend and I went in with a zen mode - realizing all too well that when we arrived at 7:20pm, we'd be waiting for a table for a while. It was about an hour's wait, but that wasn't enough to deter us. Even the bar area was packed with other waiting patrons who didn't want to stand outside in the cold. So, we headed across the street to the Zebra lounge for a beer.

We sat along the wall at the high tables in the bar area -- a great location in a cramped space - no bumping into or being bumped by passers by. We asked our server if the place was always this crowded. She replied not usually, but 2 Amys had just been mentioned in a USAToday article as one of the top 13 pizza places in the USA.

We started with the roasted olives - or as I described it, " heaven in a gratin dish" -- moved on to escarole salad with egg and then pizza with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil. The salad was not overly dressed nor the eggs overcooked and the pizza "did not suck". The crust seemed saltier than other crusts I've eaten - but I really enjoyed it.

Here some of the USAToday article:

"13 piemakers 'transcend' all others

In his new book Pizza: A Slice of Heaven (Universe; $24.95), Ed Levine writes about pizza from every part of the country and abroad, drawing upon recommendations from other food writers and his own sampling of more than 1,000 slices.

After a year's research, he identified 13 pizzerias in the USA that he says make " a transcendent pizza that could cause grown men and women to moan with pleasure in public without embarrassment."

And from that list he crowns six "Keepers of the Flame" who have "mastered Neapolitan and Neapolitan-American pizza-making traditions and techniques, and in some cases improved upon them."

His choices for a superior pie :

Keepers of the Flame

* Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; 602-258-8300.

* Una Pizza Napoletana, New York; 212-477-9950.

* Di Fara Pizza, Brooklyn, N.Y.; 718-258-1367.

* Nick's Pizza, three New York locations, including Manhattan; 212-987-5700.

* Sally's Apizza, New Haven, Conn.; 203-624-5271.

* Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano, four New York locations, including Brooklyn, 718-372-8606.

The rest

* Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven, Conn.; 203-865-5762.

* The Spot, New Haven, Conn.; 203-865-7602.

* Al Forno, Providence, R.I.; 401-273-9760.

* Franny's, Brooklyn, N.Y.; 718-230-0221.

* Regina Margherita, Pittsburgh; 412-761-1077.

* King Umberto's, Elmont, N.Y.; 516-352-8391.

* 2 Amys, Washington, D.C.; 202-885-5700. "

[Joe H]

Two Amys is excellent. Having said this there is absolutely no way that it even approaches Pepe's or The Spot or DeLorenzo's Tomato pies in Trenton which he did not mention. Or Modern, also in New Haven, not mentioned. Or Santarpio's in Boston's West End, not mentioned. Curiously, there's a Patsy's in Phoenix yet he mentions Pizzaria Bianca. And fails to include either Grimaldi's in Brooklyn or Patsy's in Harlem.... or Wells Brothers in Racine. Someone in Dayton and someone leaving Imo's in St. Louis (who grew up with provel cheese) would have an opinion on this, too.

For all of MY opinions and all of HIS opinions it still comes down to what an individual thinks of a particular place. Two Amy's has a lot in common with Brandi in Naples and Il Pizzaiola in Florence; yet I like New Haven better. In fact, to throw all of my credibility to the wind, I like the ORIGINAL Ledo's in Hyattsville better than Two Amy's. But I grew up with it. Maybe, even the Pizza Pantry on Walter Reed Drive in Arlington, too.

Besides, the best thing at Two Amy's is NOT their pizza. It is their coffee, caramel, chocolate chip ice cream made in house with pasteurized cream.

[hjshorter]

Besides, the best thing at Two Amy's is NOT their pizza.  It is their coffee, caramel, chocolate chip ice cream made in house with pasteurized cream.

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That sounds delicious.

[Marzapane]

Someone in Dayton and someone leaving Imo's in St. Louis (who grew up with provel cheese) would have an opinion on this, too.

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With all due respect to Imo's, that is the most disgusting excuse for pizza I have ever tasted in my life. I live in St Louis for several years and never got the attraction of a cracker topped with sugary tomato sauce and processed provolone cheese (think white velveeta). I shudder even now to think of it... maybe you have to be born there to love it.

I digress though.. Having moved to DC less than 2 years ago I had been frustrated for quite some time at not being able to find an affordable restaurant that was more than mediocre (before anyone reacts to this comment, please note that my options are limited since I am vegetarian and that I emphasize the word affordable-- I'm open to suggestions though). Thanks to eGullet, I learned about 2Amy's a few weeks ago and took a trip there with my Florentine boyfriend. We've been there twice in the last two weeks, and 2Amys has made me regain my faith in DC food.

I won't go into the minutiae of the menu because everyone else has done a good job with that, but I do want to say that this is the best pizza I've ever had outside of Italy. I should note that I lived for half my life in Italy (Florence, with many trips to Naples for pizza!). They've done a great job of recreating the atmosphere and type of service one would experience in an Italian pizzeria. By my comment about the service, I mean that it is very matter of fact-- they take your order, they bring you your food and they don't kiss your a**. I think that the food just speaks for itself, and the most important thing in my book is that they bring you your pizza fresh from the oven, which they did both times.

My one complaint is that the wine list is exclusively Southern Italian wines-- I wouldn't mind a few Tuscan ones on there too.

[bilrus]

Someone in Dayton and someone leaving Imo's in St. Louis (who grew up with provel cheese) would have an opinion on this, too.

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With all due respect to Imo's, that is the most disgusting excuse for pizza I have ever tasted in my life. I live in St Louis for several years and never got the attraction of a cracker topped with sugary tomato sauce and processed provolone cheese (think white velveeta). I shudder even now to think of it... maybe you have to be born there to love it.

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Definitely true - I was born and raised in St. Louis and love the stuff - although there are local independents that make a better St. Louis style pizza than Imo's. I even order the fixin's from their website to make it here at home. But it is hard to explain the appeal to others.

That said - it is a completely different items from what is served at 2 Amy's. Which is also quite different (more authentic? - I hate to use that word. Maybe more Italian) than the New York style pizzas it is being compared to.

Edited March 4, 2005 by bilrus (log)

[iamthestretch]

Downside of recent USA Today write-up: 20 minute wait for table at lunch today. Nearby streets choked with Virginia license plates.

Upside of waiting: Fried dough "pancakes" with lamb meatballs and spicy sauce. Wild boar sausage pizza.

Edited March 4, 2005 by iamthestretch (log)

[mdt]

Downside of recent USA Today write-up: 20 minute wait for table at lunch today. Nearby streets choked with Virginia license plates.

Upside of waiting: Fried dough "pancakes" with lamb meatballs and spicy sauce. Wild boar sausage pizza.

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And what is wrong with VA license places?

There specials are pretty tasty, but I am partial to their wild mushroom pizzas when they have them.

[Joe H]

I have friends who have travelled all over the world and for the same reason that I like the original Ledo's in Hyattsville, they like St. Louis pizza-we/they/Bilrus grew up with it. I also know that despite my "liking" Ledo's in Hyattsville it is NOT the best pizza in or around D. C. just as they know that, say, Imo's (or another) is not the best on earth. There is a comfort, of sorts, with "hometown food" and St. Louis pizza/Dayton pizza/Old Forge pizza/Hyattsville Ledo's/Caserta's in Providence, Giordano's & Nancy's & Eduardo's (Chicago stuffed) etc., etc. represent this.

Still, Two Amy's tastes exactly like what I've had in Naples. With the pressed tin ceiling and black and white tile it LOOKS exactly like Sostanza in Florence which doesn't have pizza but does have arguably Italy's best bisteca. I am still personally convinced that both Sally's Apizza and Pepe's-two blocks apart on the same street in New Haven-are the best pizza on earth. Modern, a few blocks away, may be the third best. This is a phenminal blog for pizza and will tell you everything you could ever want to know:

http://www.sliceny.com/archives/pizzerias_...icut/new_haven/

When you scroll down look closely at the coal oven at Pepe's. Sally's is also a coal oven pie but Pepe's oven is DEEP, very deep. Look at the length of the handle they use. This is awesome stuff that only exists in a handful of places in the world anymore!

Still, we are indeed fortunate to have Two Amy's. Now we are not debating whether DC has decent pizza; rather we are debating whether the BEST pizza is in Italy or elsewhere in the U. S.

Edited March 4, 2005 by Joe H (log)

[Marzapane]

Still, we are indeed fortunate to have Two Amy's.  Now we are not debating whether DC has decent pizza; rather we are debating whether the BEST pizza is in Italy or elsewhere in the U. S.

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Looks like I'll need to take a trip up to New Haven and then get back to you. I am willing to travel great distances for pizza that is purportedly the best in the world.

This discussion also brings up an important point-- that you cannot compare all pizzas. You really need to group them into subcategories-- Chicago, StL, NYC, Neapolitan, etc. I actually know many Italians who do not like the thicker, softer crust of the neapolitan style pizza, but prefer the thin crispy crust that predominates in the north. I think Chicago pizza is awesome for its sheer cheesiness, but would never group it in the same category as any other kind of pizza.

However, I am most partial to the neapolitan style, so until I try better, 2Amy's is decisively the best I've tried this side of the Atlantic.

[jparrott]

Oven roasted olives. Porcini pizza. Doooooooughnuts. Mmmmm.

But at the end of the day, it's still all about the sparkling Aglianico.

Geekily yours,

JHP

[bookluvingbabe]

Last night (and the previous Monday) at Two Amy's--

Very crowded; large groups of people looking at us eagerly as we wind down our meal.

Me: The lamb meatballs and fontina stuffed pizza. Who knew meatballs could actually have flavor?????

Plus enough left over for lunch (which is still sitting at home--totally spaced on it this morning...)

Mr. BLB: The Two Amy's Pizza with proscuttio (sp?) and onions.

I snagged a slice or two and it was pretty darn good.

Last week we had the deviled eggs--I thought they were awesome.

This week we skipped starters but ended with the cookie plate. Good but not Ann's cookies. Of course, I freely admit that I don't usually think a dessert is a dessert unless it has chocolate in it.

We did have one celeb chef spotting last night but I resisted the urge to gack!

Two Amy's isn't quite in our neighborhood but it is close enough to become a regular in our dining rotation.

Jennifer

[JennyUptown]

In spite of last night's storm, 2 Amys was still packed last night. Still, in the end it was worth the wait. Although I had always "liked" the place, last night some of the food made my opinion creep past the like level a notch or two.

My friend and I started with the aforementioned lamb meatballs with sauce served atop a fried pizzelle ($6.95). What a great dish. The pizzelle reminded me of a savory version of the pizza fritta I'd grown up eating at church picnics. Just a disk of fried dough, it's bent into a bowl-like shape and the meatballs and their sauce are cradled inside. The meatballs were nicely packed - not too firm - and there was a bit of spice in there. Everything about this appetizer was enjoyable.

We also had some prosciutto di san daniele ($8) from the sliced meat menu. We'd seen people eating some at the "Serenity Now" bar as we waited (only about 20 minutes) for our table. Jamon di serrano, speck, bresaola, capicola, boar caciatorini are also offered ($8 per serving; you can also get a "grand piatto di salume" for $15).

For our pizzas, I had a pizza margherita (love the mozzaarella di bufala!) with salami and pepperoni. The crust was the best I'd ever had at 2 Amys and I really love the salami (pepperoni was good, but probably overkill). My friend had the Santa Brigida which comes with tomato, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and what looks to me like a ridiculous amount of arugula. Even after removing about 2/3 of the stuff, the pizza still looks salad-topped. By my friend seemed to like it.

I was sad that the ice cream flavors Joe H mentioned weren't offered (they had mint chocolate chip for sure; I think the others were chocolate and vanilla, but don't quote me). Instead we had a dessert special of vanilla bean panna cotta, garnished with honey and a sliver of awesome shortbread. We really enjoyed this. We also had two cannoli which I ate, but am not sure I loved. I found the lemony taste in the filling overpowering and found the pastry shell slightly sour. But like I said, we ate both of them.

As for the service, it's pretty variable. There have been several other visits when the service lapses had me shaking my head. Last night, a Saturday, I guess I was feeling friendly and that seemed to come right back at me. Everyone from the harried hostess to the busy bartender was cheerful and responsive. All of our food and drinks arrived just as ordered, and our server never disappeared.

[jparrott]

Arugula (incorporated or piled) makes a great pizza topping.

What did you drink?

(How do they open so many bottles of Gragnano without sputtering?!?!)

[iamthestretch]

Maybe I'll have to start ordering Gragnano, as the bad news is they can't get La Chouffe in any more. Some kind of customs hassle. Do have Moretti on tap now, which is at least Italian, if a bit bland, and have just added Paulaner Weissbier. I'm not entirely sure about hefe weizen with pizza, but am of course willing to give it a go in the interests of science.

[jparrott]

Dude, it's all about the sparkling Aglianico.

And the markup is quite reasonable, actually.

[JennyUptown]

What did you drink? 

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Something white and unspectacular...shoot, I can't even recall.

Edited April 4, 2005 by JennyUptown (log)

[jparrott]

What did you drink? 

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Something white and unspectacular...shoot, I can't even recall.

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Unfortunate. The list has some real gems, including the aforementioned sparkling aglianico and a very nice rose.

[JPW]

Maybe I'll have to start ordering Gragnano, as the bad news is they can't get La Chouffe in any more. Some kind of customs hassle. Do have Moretti on tap now, which is at least Italian, if a bit bland, and have just added Paulaner Weissbier. I'm not entirely sure about hefe weizen with pizza, but am of course willing to give it a go in the interests of science.

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Hefeweizen with pizza?

Do you have a death wish?

Oh God, won't someone think of the children?

Please think of the children!!!!!

[JennyUptown]

What did you drink? 

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Something white and unspectacular...shoot, I can't even recall.

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Unfortunate. The list has some real gems, including the aforementioned sparkling aglianico and a very nice rose.

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There was quite a throng around the bar and I really didn't have any time to ponder my choice. I wish I had revisited this topic before going!