2 Amys

Here at 2 Amys, there's an owner connection to the city's esteemed Obelisk restaurant, but this is a casual real Italian pizzeria with affordable pricing and genuine service. And it's just a few blocks from Washington National Cathedral, which will be on many travelers' gotta-see lists. Stroll in here for lunch in your jeans, and start with deviled eggs with a pungent green sauce of parsley, garlic, chives, and anchovies. Pizzas are pillowy on the edges, thin in the middle, and nicely charred on the bottom from the wood-fired oven--nothing like the chain-restaurant pizzas that rule this country. Mine was topped with eggplant, olives, capers, oregano, and grana cheese. Hang in there for dessert, especially if they offer panna cotta drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar and sugared whole almonds. Inexpensive Italian wines are served in tumblers, so get comfy.