Pizzeria Paradiso

Yesterday, I met some friends for happy hour at the Birreria at Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown. Not only is the Birreria the premiere beer drinking destination in Washington, DC, it also has DC’s best happy hour: half off all draft beers. The draft list constantly changes and is consistently impressive. Furthermore, in the Birreria, you can order food from the wonderful pizza restaurant upstairs.

I have tried many of the Neapolitan-style pizzas on the menu and all are superb, but nowadays I only order one: the Bosco with whole wheat crust and fresh sliced tomatoes. This is mainly because it tastes amazing and is perhaps the “healthiest” pizza one can get. The Bosco is a standard Neapolitan mozzarella and chunk-tomato pizza with toppings of spinach, mushroom and red onion. I opt for the fiber rich whole wheat crust which adds a heartier taste, and I add fresh sliced tomatoes because for my money there are few raw ingredients that taste better than a fresh tomato. The pizzas are cooked in the wood burning oven upstairs after being topped with extra-virgin olive oil. The result: the best pizza in the city, and last night was no different. The pizza was perfectly cooked and the toppings, led by the fresh sliced tomatoes, burst with flavor. This is a DC gem.

Some will argue with me about this and insist that the best pizza in the city is served at 2 Amy’s. All I can say is that to be considered pizza the toppings actually have to stay on the dough. 2 Amy’s puts so much damn olive oil on the pizza right before it comes out that all the toppings fall off; thus, the soggy mess can no longer be called pizza. 2 Amy's is tied with Michel Richard Citronelle as the most overrated restaurant in Washington, DC.

Pizzeria Paradiso has the best beer list is the city. Granted, Brickskeller technically has a larger selection but its draft list is always sub-par and everyone prefers beer on draft. The Birreria has 16 draft handles plus a cask beer (which at times as housed such excellent brews as Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and Clipper City Loose Cannon). The draft list changes weekly thus allowing repeat customers to expand their beer knowledge during every visit. Here is last night’s list: Anderson Valley Boont Amber, Liefmans Goudenband, Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti, Bells HopSlam, Bell’s Consecrator Dopplebock, De Dolle Stille Nacht, Clipper City Small Craft Warning, Gouden Carolus Classic, Southern Tier Choklat, Fullers London Pride, Ayinger Celebrator, North Coast Old Rasputin, Unibroue Maudite, Blanche de Bruxelles, Chambly Noir, Dupont Foret and Froach Heather Ale on cask. I sampled Bell’s HopSlam (see earlier review) and Bell’s Consecrator Dopplebock (see separate review). HopSlam was stunning and the Consecrator was better than most and when combined with the pizza, it made for a highly enjoyable meal. This is a great anytime restaurant, and the happy hour (T,W 5-7PM) is a steal.



Pizzeria Paradiso
http://www.pizzeriaparadiso.com/
3282 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-337-1245
M-Th. 11:30 AM to 11 PM
F-Sa. 11:30 AM to 12 AM
Sun. 12 PM to 10 PM