The Eternal Optimist

A new, Neapolitan pizza place opened in Silver Spring a few weeks ago. I had read many reviews of it and finally had a chance to check it out Friday night.

The service was a bit disappointing. We sat at the bar, and our waitress was working really hard, but she just seemed to have too many people to care for (tables in addition to the bar).

The pizza, however, was great. I had the pizza ‘a capriciosa, which included tomato, mozzarella, sauteed mushrooms, ham, marinated artichokes, black olives and fresh basil. I really liked the crust, thin but a little chewy with a crisp outside. And I had never had artichokes on the pizza, but they worked well. I’m excited to try the quattro formaggi white pizza as well. Perhaps I will finally find something out here to replace my favorite quattro formaggi pizza from The Stable in St. Louis.

According to what I remember from the menu (I couldn’t find this info online), the pizzas are made in the traditional Neapolitan style to get the approval as official Naples pizza.

The menu also includes a number of salads, calzones, paninis and more. Plus, tiramisu, Nutella pizza and gelato for dessert — and espresso options, if you enjoy those.

My dad might be happy to know the retaurant has Peroni on tap (and in bottles) and also bottles of another Italian beer, Moretti. I had a glass of wine off the wine list, which includes a number of Italian wines. (They even have a Sangiovese, so perhaps I know where I’m taking my parents next time they visit.)

I really like the atmosphere of the place, too, except that the shape of the building makes it feel pretty crowded. It’s a narrow strip with a bar along one side and tables along the other side, plus more tables in the back and on the outside patio. Perhaps if I went on a weeknight it would feel less cramped and have speedier service. (I’m hoping the staff figures out how to speed up the service at all times; otherwise, I fear for its future.)

I took advantage of the excellent weather today to walk around downtown Silver Spring. First, I visited City Place. It’s an outdoor eating and shopping area that contains most of the chain restaurants around here. I checked out the farmers’ market, which began this weekend, but it wasn’t much compared to the Soulard Market.

Then, I explored Georgia Avenue. I found a couple bars people had mentioned. I also found tons of restaurants of every type: Indian, Thai, Mexican, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, Cuban, Jamaican, Italian, diner and more.

What a view
Last night, I met up with a college friend for her birthday happy hour. After we left the bar, we went to the roof of a building where her friends work. It’s right off the National Mall and had excellent views of the Capitol and Washington monument.