Who Loves This Commercial As Much As We Do?!

I cannot get enough of this commercial. Maybe it's Morgan Freeman's wise calming voice over a catchy song. Maybe it's the classic brick oven pizza with the showman pizza tossing. The message of this commercial is exactly what I love about going out! You never know when you'll have a magical night out. So, watch this video and tell me about your last surprisingly great meal out!

note: you're going to want to turn off the player on the side of this blog and turn up your sound. 
disclaimer: This is not an endorsement for Visa; you may use whatever card you would like, you may even use cash! Just eat out! 

2 Amys...Finally!

After years of prompting from friends, newspapers, and blogs to go to 2Amys, I have finally made the trip up to Cleveland Park here in Washington, DC and tasted one of these famous pies. I was skeptical that after all the pushing and prodding I would be disappointed by what I tasted, however this cozy and intimate authentically Neopolitan eatery held up against its larger than life reputation.

2Amys is one of the few American pizzerias that has received certification from the D.O.C. or the Denominazione di Origine Controllata, an Italian government entity which is a quality assurance label for food products and wines. In this case the D.O.C. certified products that can be used to create an authentic Neopolitan Pizza. At 2Amys, dough is made from only soft-grain flour, fresh yeast, water, and sea salt. Only Italian plum tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil or dried oregano may be used for the toppings. As if the fresh and authentic ingredients we not enough, these pies are baked in a the D.O.C. required wood-burning oven. The attention to detail and commitment to authenticity yield crisp crusts, deep old-world flavors, and aromas that just won't quit!

Do not underestimate the abilities of 2Amys; they do more than just pizza well. We started our meal with Suppli a telefono (pictured below), a crispy deep-fried rice croquette filled with mozzarella. The mouth-watering combination of crunchy golden exterior and hot cheesy center were so satisfying and perfectly primed us for the artisan pizza. We ordered a classic margherita pizza (standard pizza test), and by staff member recommendation the Abruzzese (a pie with polpettine, garlic, parsley, and pecorino) and added mozzarella. Between the two pizzas, we ate like kings queens! The pizzas were baked to golden perfection and flavors were balanced perfectly; each ingredient was perfectly balanced creating a flavorful bite every time!

Do not be like me. Do not wait to try 2Amys. Do not let the wait discourage you. Along with the pizza staples, 2Amys dominates desserts, serves doughnuts on weekends, and offers classic sfogliatelle on Friday nights.

A special shout out to Sarah Wirthlin and Seth Johnson who have advocated for a review of 2Amys on Diane Can Cook for over a year.

Ray's Hell Burger

The Cupcake Crawl has all but trickled to a stop due to life changes with these humble bloggers, but that does not mean we have not been eating! Below are D.C. eateries that we have been enjoying in lieu of crawling! (We have made it through about half the cupcakeries and those reviews will be forthcoming.)

Ray's Hell Burger This D.C. area favorite is definitely worth standing in out-the-door line! The menus in baskets along the wall so you can be ready with your order when you get to the register, because they are not too keen on waiting for your indecisiveness.

I ordered my burger au-poivre (definition at Ray's: crushed peppercorns coating the patty) and I am so glad I did! The style added a heat to my perfect medium-temperature all beef burger. We sat in the noisy dining room trying to find a balance between devouring our burgers and keeping the messy sandwich together.
I know you thought I was going to think of a pun about raising hell, but just go to Ray's!