Pidzza DC - Pizza with Turkish flair

Pidzza DC - Pizza with Turkish flair

Pidzza = Pide (Turkish flatbread) + pizza = all sorts of delicious! Pizza with a Turkish flare, the first outpost of Pidzza opened up in Ivy City a few weeks back.  Yes, Ivy City is absolutely booming these days!

We all know how the fast casual concept works, so I won’t go into those details. Pidzza specializes in Turkish style pies known as “pide” that can be customized to your liking with a bunch of toppings. Traditional pide is boat shaped and is made with a very specific dough. Pidzza has stayed true to the original with the dough that is stretched to form the typical boat shape with the edges tucked in to hold the toppings. 

Pidzza - Ivy CIty, DC

Free free to “make your own”, but do not shy away from the Turkish flavors on the menu!

We started with the “Pide”, their take on the Turkish namesake, with Angus chopped beef, diced tomato, green pepper, and mozzarella. First thought even before we got the pidzza –an incredible aroma when it was in the oven! We were pleasantly surprised with the slight hint of spice in this, and nicely chewy and thin crust held up really well to the fresh ingredients!

The "Pide" pidzza 

The "Pide" pidzza 

Personally, I LOVE anything cauliflower (and always have!), so I had to try the “Cauli” – which comes with roasted curried cauliflower, caramelized onions, mozzarella and roasted garlic cream cheese.  We opted to leave the chicken out, but this pidzza was amazing, and the creamy base and toppings all worked together. YUM.

I was a bit bummed that they ran out of the “LMC”, named after the Turkish “Lahmacun”, which is a thin bread topped with minced beef, herbs and spices. I love lahmacun so was disappointed that they were out of it, but plan on going back to try it!

The Cauli

The Cauli

They also have a housemade version of the popular Turkish yogurt drink, ayran. I’m not a yogurt fan so didn’t try it, but Kris enjoyed it. Warning: it is a unique, salty flavor. A nice selection of craft sodas (made with cane sugar!) are also available.

Prices are super reasonable with most pies costing $9.51, but the LMC (which is lighter) comes in under $6! That’s a steal! My only concern right now is that this is going to be terribly addictive!  (They also have salads, if that’s more your thing).  

Another reason they are awesome? They donate any leftover pidzzas to a nearby homeless shelter and plan on starting a “Giving Back” campaign, where guests can leave any excess change (or donations) that will go towards pidzzas for the needy or for appreciation. Love that they are invested in their neighborhoods and neighbors.

Pidzza Ivy City DC

I’m definitely a fan of this creative twist on one of my favorite foods, and am looking forward to Pidzza’s other spots coming on U Street, Chinatown, and H St. NE. I’m all for more fast casual and local! But don’t wait till then – head out to Ivy City, grab a bite to eat, and explore the area, which is absolutely HOT right now. 

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