‘2 Amy’s’
courtesy of ‘aus_chick’
There are certain unalienable truths for me when it comes to dining out: I don’t like to eat at restaurants with tons of kids, and I hate waiting for a table. 2 Amys is one of the few restaurants that I actually overlook these issues and settle in for a sometimes loud, usually not immediate dinner.

2 Amys is a neighborhood restaurant at its core, though a neighborhood restaurant with a much broader fan base than greater Cleveland Park. The restaurant is small, even with the secret second floor and tiny back patio, and not really made for the tables of four or six that are forced to meander around outside, hoping that a few two-tops will finish at the same time.

Though I am not a huge fan of eating at kid-friendly restaurants (sorry, friends of mine with children) I do love a place that I don’t feel I have to sit up straight and use the right fork all the time. 2 Amys does a fantastic job of giving you a casual restaurant for a night out midweek without the array of broken crayons on the floor and bottomless salad bowls.

‘Somnium cotidie vive’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

While 2 Amys is known for its pizza, and rightfully so, I always tell friends not to pass over the appetizers and specials menu. Some of the best deviled eggs I’ve ever had came from this little pizza restaurant that could. Perfectly cooked eggs with a little green sauce and a dash of chives, it was simple and tasty and didn’t immediately clog my arteries. I’m also a big fan of the fava spread — garlicky within an inch of its life but completely worth the pack of gum you’ll shell out for. And though it’s hard not to dive in to some pizza for your main dish, I had a wonderful softshell crab panino off the specials menu the last time I was there and it was just divine.

Photo Credit: Ashley Messick

But the real star is the pizza, there’s no doubt about that. I have full on anxiety when I have to choose which one I’m going to get, and the whole ordering process usually involves me bullying my friends into ordering my second or third choices “for themselves.” The crust is that oh-so-traditional Neapolitan style, with the blisters and the cracks, and no one in town does it better than 2 Amys.

I really do love most of the pizzas equally, but I have a tough time passing up the Puttanesca. It’s that salty anchovy mixed with the hot peppers that really steal my heart. 2 Amys never overdoes it on the sauce, and in this case, it’s the perfect cool base for all those intense flavors. Another favorite is the Etna, which is saying a lot since I am usually morally opposed to eggplant. But the fact that I do like it holds up my theory that anything confit is a-ok. In this case, it’s confit eggplant and by the time you’ve got that and some capers on a pizza, it’s an unexpected combination that really works.

Photo Credit: Ashley Messick

2 Amys is great because you can go there a few times a month – hell, a few times a week – and you’ll get a satisfying, delicious and reasonably priced meal every time. It’s great to have restaurants like this to count on.

2 Amys is located at 3715 Macomb St. NW. Closest Metro stop is Cleveland Park (Red Line). For more information call: (202) 885-5700.

Ashley Messick

Ashley is a born and bred Washingtonian who left for college but came running back to the District as fast as her little legs could carry her. By day she is a Capitol Hill brat, but by night she is a lean, mean, eating machine. It’s her goal in life to steal Anthony Bourdain’s job…by whatever means necessary. Contact her at Ashley (at) welovedc (dot) com or follow her on Twitter.