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WASHINGTON — Pizza and wine are two food entities loved by many. And plenty of restaurants serve both on their menus. But one local restaurant takes its adoration for pizza and wine to a whole new level.
Pizza Vinoteca, a pizza and wine bar in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, has a robust food menu, offering everything from grilled pizzas to cheese plates, grilled entrees and gelati. And the food menu is rivaled by the restaurant’s drink menu, which boasts 36 wines by the glass.
In order to select the wines, Ari Malcolm, Pizza Vinoteca’s chief executive officer, tasted more than 1,000 types — all while the restaurant was under construction.
“You know, there are some tough jobs that we have to take on and that was one of them,” Malcolm says.
Pizza Vinoteca’s wine list is diverse, covering varieties from South America, France, Italy and more. But red or white, New World or Old, they all have one thing in common: All glasses are $10 or less.
“When it all comes down to it, this is a pizza restaurant. Pizza is a humble food. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive to make; it shouldn’t be fancy. So we wanted the wine to complement that. When I go out to have pizza, I want to have a casual time,” Malcolm says.
Not a huge fan of drinking wine? At Pizza Vinoteca, you can eat it, too — wine is a key ingredient in the crust of the grilled pizza, along with white flour, rye flour and barley-malt extract.
For the pizzas, guests can keep it simple with the house (tomato, fontina, mozzarella and basil) or go veggie crazy with the Brussels sprouts pizza. However, the Hawaiian is the most unexpected. Unlike its overly sweet and soggy pioneers, Pizza Vinoteca’s Hawaiian pizza is made with roasted fresh pineapple, Virginia-made prosciutto, spicy peppers and mozzarella.
“It’s a very balanced composition. I think it looks great; I think it tastes great, and that’s what we’re trying to do — take things that are familiar and just elevate them,” Malcolm says.
Customers can also create their own pies, should one of the eight on the menu not appeal. Once the toppings are assembled, the pizzas are grilled at about 800 degrees for two to three minutes.
Unlike the restaurant’s global supply of wines, all of the food at Pizza Vinoteca is sourced in the U.S. — even the flour and the salt. And because of this, the restaurant’s menu changes seasonally. In fact, don’t be surprised to see some changes soon — Malcolm is already planning for spring’s produce.
True, the pizza and wine are very much the focus at Pizza Vinoteca, but Malcolm says the restaurant doesn’t get too hung up on pairings. The staff is always willing to suggest a “guided experience,” Malcolm says, but most of the wines and the dishes on the menu go with each other just fine.
“If you enjoy wine, drink what you like and eat what you like and it will taste good in the end,” Malcolm says.
Don’t miss: The Hawaiian pizza and the bomboloni (Tuscan-style doughnuts).
Expect to spend: Two pizzas, two glasses of wine, an order of bomboloni: $50.
When to go: Lunch during the weekdays is great for a business meeting; Friday night and weekends are perfect for families, and brunch is ideal for anyone.
Pizza Vinoteca is open Monday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday- Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s at 800 North Glebe Rd., Arlington.
