Image: Tomato-y
Last Updated: September 2024
Overview:
In a spot on the south side of P Street, in what is becoming a very impressive stretch of restaurants, Alfreda contributes personal-sized NYC-style pizzas and very good side dishes to the cause.
The man behind the pies is Russell Smith, whose background is fine dining (BlackSalt, The Source –coincidentally Alfreda is across the street from Chiko from another Source chef Scott Drewno). He caught the pizza bug during the pandemic. He developed a sourdough crust and took his cue from pies from NYC and Jersey, crispy thin crust and lots of tomatoes, cheese and not much else. Pepperoni and sausage are add-ons if you want. Smith, whose daughter has celiac disease, also serves a gluten-free alternative to the sourdough crust that is thinner than the thin, but better than most GF attempts. Be sure to check out Big Schlim’s video to see the full range of the bounty available.
Staying focused to do a few good things also applies to the appetizers and sides. A couple salads are offered and a few things to put on bread like mushrooms and burrata. The cumin and tomato chickpeas are a winner of big bold flavor. Desserts are a bread pudding, a variation of mille feuille (which we tried, and enjoyed), and some ice cream scoops (though we wouldn’t be surprised if they have changed up since our last visit). Drinks are a few wine offerings, a few beers, and an ample choice of spirits/cocktails.
The space is not fancy, fitting in with the notable and good choices on the street like Chiko, Emissary, and the venerable Pizzeria Paradiso, which it can hold its own with. A welcome addition.
Other Guidance: Located at street level with a slight internal ramp.
Summary:
Cuisine: Pizza
Neighborhood: Dupont
Address: 2016 P St NW, Washington, DC 20036
Website: https://www.alfredadc.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No coverage yet
Washingtonian: Preview (with this nugget: “Working for [Puck], we seasoned the hell out of food,” Smith says. “We’d make all these special salts just to season the protein, which was also marinated.”)
Rick Eats DC: Best of List July 2024