When I was a kid, pizza was the only take-out my family ever ordered. As I reflect on it, it makes sense. Pizza is very easily transportable and retains all of its warmth, tastiness, and texture by the time it arrives to you. Luckily for us, several new pizza shops have opened up around the DC metro area and beyond offering delicious carry-out and delivery options. Even more exciting is that these venues offer different styles of pizza, so when you are sick of one kind, you can try a different one and have a totally different experience! Here are our picks for pizza delivery and take-out in DC:
Ema Rossi: The Traditional Napoli Pizza
Located in Rockville, MD, Ema Rossi may be a bit out of the way but the pizzas at Ema Rossi are totally worth it for pizza in the DC area. Made in a traditional Napoli style, the pizza dough at Ema Rossi is comprised of just non-GMO double zero flour imported from Naples, pure mineral water, sea salt, and live yeast. Light, airy, and browned in all the right spots, these pizzas will take you on a virtual trip to Italy. The venue offers over a dozen pizzas with different toppings; my favorite options are the funghi pizza, with wild mushrooms, fontina cheese, and a decadent truffle-balsamic glaze, and the verdone pizza, with pesto, mozzarella, and basil, which is ideal for those who don’t love a traditional tomato sauce. The melanzana, a pie covered in nutty Gruyere cheese stewed eggplant, capers, onions, and oregano is also especially divine. It has a meaty feel to it while still being entirely vegetarian. In addition to pizza, there are plenty of appetizers and some pasta dishes as well, but I highly recommend sampling these pizza pies first!
Ghostline-Little Beast: The Detroit Style Pizza
Ghostline is a modern new food court concept, where you order from a menu offering bites from several mini kitchens. There is ramen from Uzu Ramen, egg sandwiches from the Egg Man, and Detroit style pizza from Little Beast. So what exactly is Detroit style pizza? It’s all the rage these days. Rectangular shaped, with a dense crust and heaps of cheese and tomato sauce. It is both crispy and chewy on the inside. At Little Beast, you can have yours several different ways: there is the classic version, one with veggies and ricotta cheese, and even one with burrata
Colony Grill: The New England Style Pizza
Colony grill, a popular Connecticut chain just opened up in Arlington, Virginia, bringing its extremely thin-crust pizza to our area. Because it is so thin, the pizza is super crunchy. Colony Grill is famous not only for the style of pizza but because of its hot oil pizza invention. Basically, the chefs at Colony Grill came up with a hot oil topping that they drizzle onto their cheese pizza. The result is a heady, serrano pepper flavor-infused pizza that will warm you from the inside out. Along with the hot oil, Colony Grill offers classic pizza toppings like veggies and extra cheese. Enjoy yours with a cold beer.
Juliana’s Pizza: The New York Style Pizza
Juliana’s Pizza, with its Brooklyn roots, is considered by some one of the best pizzas in NYC. With a doughy crust, chunky tomato sauce and heaps of fresh mozzarella, this pizza is seriously irresistible. Thankfully you don’t have to go all the way to NYC for a slice since now you can order it in the DC area via FreshDirect. It arrives parbaked, so you just have to complete the baking process by putting it in the over for five minutes. It comes out with a warm crunchy crust and bubbling cheese – you won’t be able to eat it fast enough! Choose from a few different options including a classic margherita or a white pizza smothered in garlic and mozzarella. I highly recommend getting one of each!
