Gino's East

Gino's East has maintained its reputation as one of Chicago’s most loved pizzerias since 1966. From the California tomatoes in the sauce to the sausage made in Chicago, you can eat happily knowing that your deep dish is made with the best ingredients. Deep dish pizza is a "Chicago thing", so naturally we stopped here for an early dinner.  Luckily, it was not crowded at all and got a table right away.  

Pirilo Pizza

Pirilo Pizza is a popular pizza restaurant in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico that serves traditional Italian fare with a Puerto Rican twist.  Reservations are available online, however this place tends to get super crowded with both tourists and locals, so be prepared to wait nonetheless.

Declaration

Declaration restaurant in DC’s Shaw neighborhood offers high quality gourmet pizza with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The menu also includes several hand tossed salads, freshly made pastas and mussels right out of the brick hearth oven. Distinctive sandwiches and signature desserts are also available. Closest Metro is U Street.

Little Coco's

*Sponsored Post
Little Coco's is an Italian restaurant featuring unique pizzas, fresh homemade pastas, and dishes both inspired by the regional cooking of Italy and enhanced with locally sourced ingredients. Little Coco's is the project of owner Jackie Greenbaum, owner Gordon Banks, and executive chef Adam Harvey. Little Coco's is also part of Goodbar Management Group, which owns and operates El Chucho, Slash Run, Bar Charley and Quarry House Tavern.  Closest Metro is Petworth.

All-Purpose

All-Purpose located in downtown DC brings antipasti, beverages, and deck oven-fired pizza from the fine folks who brought you Red Hen and Boundary Stone.  Closest Metro is Convention Center.

Pizzeria Vetri

*Sponsored Post
Pizzeria Vetri comes to DC from Philadelphia's famed Chef and James Beard Award Winner, Marc Vetri, and celebrates the art of authentic pizza making by using a 650 degree wood-fired oven to cook their pizzas in just 3 minutes.  Closest Metro is U Street.

Ghibellina

Ghibellina is simply described as a Tuscan gastro-pub in the Logan Cirlce area from the team behind one of my all time favorite restaurants in DC, Acqua al 2.  The name is derived from the street, Via Ghibellina, where partners Chef Ari and Ralph Lee shared an apartment. Closest Metro is McPherson Square.

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza

*Sponsored Post
Ella's Wood Fired Pizza, named for the owner's daughter, is a popular Penn Quarter favorite influenced by the Neopolitan tradition, and a love of good food. Their philosophy is straightforward: to use the freshest, best quality ingredients, prepare the food simply and properly, and to serve it with joy. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

Pizza Making Class @ Graffiato

Did you know October is National Pizza Month? In its honor, I took a pizza making class at Graffiato led by Chef de Cuisine, Jose Adorno.  Classes were offered every Sunday this month and my dear friend, Lucinda, was in town so I thought this would be a perfect way to spend the night and catch up with her.  Plus, she and her husband are big Mike Isabella fans, so she was just as thrilled to dine here. 

Sorbillo Pizzeria

***Special Post by Keith***
With Naples being what many consider the birthplace of pizza we had to grab one last pie before we left Italy. In fact this was one of the main reasons we spent our last day in the city. Deciding exactly which place to go is a little overwhelming with an almost unlimited array of choices. Our decision came down to two places, Antica Pizza Port’Alba and Gino Sorbillo. Both have great reviews and were near our hotel. After spending the morning in the museum and checking out the shops along Via Trebunali the skies opened up on us with an unexpected hail storm. Unfortunately neither restaurant was open yet so we hid out in a welcoming church. While dodging the storm we did some more research and realized we were luckily right near Gino Sorbillo.

Panificio Michelangelo Bobb

Keith and I flew to Naples, Italy for vacation, and immediately after landing, we picked up a rental car and headed straight to Panificio Michelangelo Bobb.  This local pizza place had decent reviews online and was noted for it's authentic baked thick crust pizza.  We had high expectations, and despite our jet lag were ready to devour some delicious pizza.

John's of Bleecker Street

John's of Bleecker Street was founded in 1929 by Italian immigrant John Sasso on Sullivan Street, in the heart of Greenwich Village. After losing his lease on Sullivan Street, John Sasso dismantled his original coal fired brick oven and moved it to 278 Bleecker Street where he continued to run and grow his business and refine his pizza recipe to perfection. No Slices. No Reservations. Cash Only. Dine In or Take Out.

At Home: Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Pizza

For my first Blue Apron experiment...At Home, I tackled the Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Pizza.  This recipe uses fall produce and a silky béchamel sauce to put a gourmet spin on the traditional pie. The goat cheese is from Vermont Creamery located in Websterville, VT, and is creamy with a crumbly texture and slightly tart flavor that cuts the sweetness of caramelized fennel and butternut squash. Any way you slice it, this meal is a delicious, warming autumn favorite perfect for vegetarians.

Blaze Pizza

*Sponsored Post     ***Special Guest Post***
Blaze Pizza is a 'build-your-own' artisanal pizza chain with its newest location in the Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.  It is not in the food court - rather, it is located near one of the entrances (around the corner from the Redskins team store) and directly across from an espresso bar. The best way to describe Blaze is that it is Chipotle for pizza, except without the long lines.  The interactive ordering format allows guests to customize one of the menu's signature pizzas or create one of their own.  As October is “National Pizza Month”, on October 2, Blaze will offer free whole pizzas, no strings attached, to celebrate its recently opened restaurant.

Bergami's

*Sponsored Post 
With several years under his belt, and experience in almost every aspect of the pizza market; chef and owner Mark Bergami began designing Bergami’s with a goal to serve artistically crafted pizzas, salads, and coffee drinks.  Closest Metro is Rhode Island Avenue.

Etto

Etto is a modest restaurant in the Logan Circle neighborhood of DC specializing in small plates, house-cured meats, and brick oven pizzas.  Amy Morgan and Peter Pastan teamed up with David Rosner and Tad Curtz of the Garden District to open what already feels like a long-time staple of the neighborhood.  Closest Metro is U Street.

Pizza, Parts, & Service

Pizza, Parts, & Service is brought to us by the Taylor Gourmet team in the former Steak & Ice location on H St NE.  Whole pizzas and pizzas by the slice are offered with toppings ranging from the traditional (pepperoni) to the New York-friendly (meatball) to the more unusual (broccoli rabe). There are also garlic knots, wings, calzones and salads - all of which can also be delivered if within the radius marked off by the US Capitol to the DC Armory between New York Avenue and East Capitol Street. Closest Metro is Union Station.

Stoneground Kitchen

Stoneground Kitchen is located downtown in a second-story loft overlooking the architecturally acclaimed Salt Lake City Public Library.  The website describes: "Since opening in 2000, owner Bob McCarthy has been cooking up a dining experience that’s warm, welcoming and firmly planted in his Irish-Italian roots. He takes a simple approach to serving delicious food: always fresh and house-made."  The menu features rustic Italian recipes, thin crust pizzas, and fresh pastas.

From Scratch

From Scratch is a new restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City that recently took home awards for Best Burger 2014 and Best Pizza 2014 from some local publications. An Austrian flour mill is located behind a barn door at one end of the restaurant, which allows for many of the items made in-house. The menu features house-made pizza, pasta, soups, breads, as well as condiments such as sauces, catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, and jam. The concept is to prepare and serve high quality fresh food to customers.

Settebello Pizzeria

I visited the Settebello Pizzeria in Salt Lake City, located just a few blocks east off the 400 South Exit of the I-15 freeway.  This pizzeria was highly recommended to us by a few locals, so being quite fond of pizza, JG preferred we go early on during our week-long stay in SLC.  The ambience was nothing special, but service was friendly and our food came fairly fast.