Friday, June 01, 2007

The Return of Pizza Pantry, This Blog
It's been a while, I know. A crazy confluence of softball, Nats games, work and some other complications have kept me blog-free for a while. Not that there hasn't been plenty to whine about.

But I'm back. And I'm not whining, I'm here to report that the best pizza in Arlington -- Pizza Pantry -- is also back! For those that don't know, Pizza Pantry was a small storefront pizza place on Walter Reed Drive, right off of Columbia Pike (923 S. Walter Reed Dr.). Up until a couple of years ago, it had been there since 1957 -- my parents went there when they were younger, as a kid, I used to stop by on my bike, often after a trek to Giant Music, rummaging through their bins of $3.99 records. In addition to having great pizza, Pizza Pantry produced something called a Filmore, which is a huge meatball sub, smothered in provolone and tangy sauce, with a perfectly crisped bun.

So it was a sad day when I found out that they were closing. Actually, I remember, it was a sad night. It changed to one of those fly-by-night chains, and I had no interest in checking it out. It seemed to change names once or twice. Still, not interested. Last weekend, for some reason, I was reading one of those advertising magazines that trash up your mailbox. Amongst the ads for carpeting and blinds, I spotted a picture of The Famous Miss Louise, the mastermind behind Pizza Pantry! She's back, the ad said, along with the famous Filmore sandwich and their original homemade square pizza. It's now called Salvo's Bistro and Buffet, but I can't see myself ever saying that. Sorry, Salvo.

So I stopped by last night. Miss Louise was, indeed, back, running things by herself. She said she'd been back since December. I ordered two pizzas. Still awesome. The highlight of Pizza Pantry pizza is a thin, crispy crust. I think I could just eat a whole pie of nothing but crust. The pizzas are square, so I hog the corner pieces. There's not an overabundance of cheese or tomato sauce, and the tomato sauce is perfectly tangy. My topping of choice is sausage -- you get a blob of sausage on each slice. And you end up with a perfect pizza. A large pizza isn't really that large, in my younger days I could easily eat a whole pie. And they're cheap -- last night, two larges, each with one topping (the pepperoni is OK, but I'd stick to sausage), for under $18. I protested that I didn't think that was enough, but Miss Louise assured me she had it right. Soon, I'll be back for a Filmore, which is equally delectable (and also cheap, at $5.99).

So check it out. They're not open late, so give them a call at 703/920-9110, which is a number I just plugged into my phone, after I deleted Ledo's.

Who knows, maybe The Keyhole Inn will re-open next.

6 comments:

Ed. said...

I. Love. That. Pizza.

I do think that Ledo's is a reasonable facsimile, though. However, I might only think that because it's been a long time since I've had Pizza Pantry, maybe I just convinced myself that it is.

tadcranky said...

I had convinced myself that Ledo's was comparable, too, but as soon as I tasted PP again, I realized that I had been duped by the geometry of a pizza.

Anonymous said...

So is Salvo's still there? They don't seem to have a website...

Anonymous said...

Thanks, I've been looking for good pizza w/in walking distance. That place has a few names associated with the address (eg Don Alberto's). Ledo's - good service but greasy, like destroys three stacked paper plates greasy.

tadcranky said...

I feel the same about Ledo's, although it was kind of cool that they were selling salmon over the summer. But Pizza Pantry is definitely much better. Cheap, too.

Philvis said...

I stayed summers with my mother on 8th and Wayne, and we got Pizza Pantry Pizza at least once a week. I would also frequent Bob & Ediths when I snuck out at night. I sure miss Pizza Pantry Pizza, and was using the Ledo's/Methadone replacement, as well. Can't wait to head back up that way from down here in Frednecksburg and try it again!