Delving into Deep Fried Pizza and the Quest to Beat 2 Amy’s

I fell for 2 Amy’s quickly after moving to D.C.  It was close by my parent’s house, where I was living at the time, so it become a frequent haunt.  Well, four years later and a move across town, I have yet to find a pizza that I like better in this city.  I’ve received plenty of suggestions… Seventh Hill, Comet Ping Pong, Pizza Paradiso… they all make a perfectly decent pie.  But when it comes to authentic Neapolitan wood fired pizza, I just haven’t found anything that beat’s 2Amy’s.  The crust is thin but crispy, but around the edge you will find doughy pockets with just a touch of salt.  The ingredients are fresh as can be and the traditional D.O.C. (the Margherita extra is my favorite!) is made to perfection.

Still, I like to try to places, so I continue on my quest.  I recently read the review of Pupatella on Serious Eats: The Slice.  Intrigued by the Montanara, I Yelped it, only to find reviewer after reviewer claiming that it was better than 2Amy’s.   Could they be onto something?  I decided to see for myself.

Courtney’s mom was in town this weekend, so we decided to make a trip to Arlington on Friday night to give Pupatella a try.  You order at the counter and then jockey for a seat, which can be slightly chaotic, particularly if you don’t know exactly what you want.  Still, we didn’t have too much trouble, even on a Friday night around 8pm.  I picked out three pizzas for us to split.  Of course I had to try the traditional Margherita D.O.C., so that I could truly compare.  While this was the unanimous favorite at our table, it didn’t quite live up.  The ingredients were fresh, but the dough didn’t have the chewiness or the touch of salt that I love, and whereas it is not uncommon for 2Amy’s pies to have one large burnt bubble, the burnt areas were spread out enough on this pie to impact the overall taste.

Of course I had to try the Montanara, the deep fried pizza.  They fry the dough in a deep fryer for a few seconds before applying the ingredients and putting it in the oven.  Think of the fried dough you get at the fair, with tomato sauce, basil, and buffalo mozzarella.  I was the only one of us that liked this pizza.  The oil makes it crunchier and more savory, which I enjoyed.  However, I was glad that we were sharing, as I wouldn’t have wanted to eat this whole pizza.  Whereas I can generally eat a whole Neapolitan-style pie without being uncomfortably full, even the slice and a half I had of this sat like a lump in my stomach.  Definitely a novelty more than a regular orer.

Finally, we tried the “Fig & Pig” which was a weekly special.  I thought I would love this pie.  It had all of my trigger foods, and is quite similar to the goat cheese, fig and prosciutto pizza I make at home.  So I was surprised that this was my least favorite of the bunch.  The overall flavor was too sweet for a pizza, and the balsamic and brie stole the show instead of blending nicely with the other ingredients.

So while I really didn’t think Pupatella was bad, my quest to beat 2Amy’s continues.   Suggestions?

Johanna