Ode to Luigi's

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On 19th St NW, right between L and M, stands one of the most delicious little Italian restaurants that you will ever find.


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Famous Luigi's has apparently been serving up no-nonsense, authentic Italian meals since 1943... but I only discovered it a few years ago when I was in D.C. for the first time as a summer intern. I was living on the George Washington University campus (in the worst dorm known to mankind, but that's another story...) and one day a fellow intern and I had a major pizza craving. A quick Google search revealed that D.C. is not known for its pizza- I found critical reviews of almost every pizzeria around. Luckily, we decided to try out Luigi's because it is within walking distance of GW. I am so glad we did! Now, a stop by the unpretentious little gem is a must whenever friends or family come to visit. It's such a friendly, family-oriented little place... so different from the ritzy, expensive joints that you find elsewhere in Downtown D.C.

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Admittingly, I haven't fully explored Luigi's offerings... I pretty much stick to ordering pizza every time I go! There is a wide array of toppings to choose from. I usually go with the classic combo of pepperoni, mushrooms, and Mediterranean olives... but just on my half of the pizza because Ben is a 'pepperoni-only' kinda guy.

Yesterday, after an (unsuccessful) afternoon of apartment-hunting, we decided to stop by and grab a bit to eat. We had the "usual," and it was great, but as I started glancing around the room at the other tables (a bad habit, I know!) I noticed that the pesto pastas looked FANTASTIC. I have added them, and the gnocchi, to be my 'to-eat' list, for sure. This leads me to my next point... another great thing about Luigi's is that it is a great place to people watch. People from all walks of life congregate there, from businesspeople to Grandmas to hilarious preschoolers.

The other nice thing about the place is its price- a pizza for two with salad and bread only comes to $28. That's a price even an intern can afford!

~S~