2 Amys, a pizza shop that opened in Washington, D.C. in September 2001, is no stranger to America’s power players. It has attracted customers like President Joe Biden and former President Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, who were known to dine there with their friends. Describing 2 Amys owner Peter Pastan as “an early champion of Neapolitan pizza,” the Washington Post noted in 2022 that his food is “still fabulous after all these years.”
In 2024, it’s still so fabulous that 2 Amys is among several pizza hotspots that landed in the top 25 of Washingtonian’s new list of the “100 Very Best Restaurants” in the nation’s capital city.
However, the highest-ranking pizza-serving eatery on Washingtonian’s list was Gemini at No. 6, although it’s described as a Mediterranean restaurant. Gemini’s menu highlights four specialty “Grandpa” pizzas made with naturally leavened dough, plus a build-your-own option. They include the Red Grandpa Slice With Burrata & Basil; the White Grandpa Slice With All of the Greens; the Vodka Grandpa Slice (toppings optional); and the White Grandpa Slice With Brussels & Black Pepper.
Related: Alex Koons: Why I charge $35 for my pizzas
Gemini is owned by Johnny Monis and Anne Marler, who found it originally under the name Happy Gyro before changing the concept to include sourdough pizza.
Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana landed on Washingtonian’s list at No. 21. Inferno offers a selection of neo-Neapolitan pies that include the Oven Roasted Potato & Onion, the Smoked Bacon Bolognese, the Winter Truffle, the Marinara Rustica and the Margherita. “Tony Conte’s pizza restaurant continues to wow with its perfectly turned-out pies in the modern Neapolitan style—crusts puff, bubble and char in all the right places,” Washingtonian reports.
At 2 Amy’s, ranked No. 24 on the list, the pizza selection includes the Pozzuoli (tomato, fontina, sausage, grilled peppers, hot pepper and parsley); the Norcia (tomato, salami, grilled peppers, fresh mozzarella and Grana Padano); the Puttanesca 2.0 (roasted rapini, fresh mozz, garlic, anchovies, cherry tomatoes and hot pepper); and the Etna 2.0 (tomato, smoked mozzarella di bufala, fried eggplant, pine nuts and parsley). 2 Amys also offers several stuffed pizzas.
“Famous-for-DC types, families with little kids, and off-duty chefs and servers all routinely pile into Peter Pastan’s black-and-white-tiled pizza shop in the shadow of the cathedral,” Washingtonian wrote of 2 Amys. “The pies—thin, blistery, and truly Neapolitan—make it a destination in itself….But the beauty of 2 Amys is that the menu is both versatile and surprising.”
Washingtonian only ranked the top 25 restaurants on the list and featured the remaining 75 in alphabetical order. Making the unranked list were All-Purpose, specializing in Jersey-style pies; Grazie Nonna, a relative newcomer from Michelin-starred chef Gerald Addison that opened in September 2022; and Martha Dear, a Neapolitan shop founded in December 2020 by married couple Tara Smith and Demetri Mechelis.
