Image: When in Glover Park…
Last Updated: August 2022
Current Status: Open for dine-in with seating inside and outside. Take-out available. Delivery through link.
Overview:
There is a long history of pizza joints at this Glover Park address going back decades. Now, Carolyn and Massimo Papetti, the team from I’m Eddie Cano, are taking up the mantle with their own spin. The pizza here is done Roman “Tonda” style, meaning it is thin crusted and crispy but still about the size of a Neapolitan one. The toppings are well-sourced and pop, like the namesake version with pesto and juicy sun-dried tomatoes. The menu includes both “white” and “red” pizzas with a traditional range of toppings. They do not come pre-cut, as Carolyn explained to the Washingtonian, “It’s a thin, delicate pizza. If you cut it before it gets to the table, the oils seep in and make it soggy.” They provide sharp steak knives for the task (though it should be noted that the large scissors Ghibellina offered were one of the most inspired things we seen in this regard). The opening chef is Massimo’s pizzaiolo cousin, Fulvio de Rosa, designed the menu. He also trained the staff on how to do the dough right and use the wood-fired oven with SPQR labelled over its mouth.
The appetizers are mostly fried items (it is Roman inspired after all). Arancini come in sizable pairs, deep fried and a little chewy. Various types of bruschetta, plus a couple salad options, are also available. The beer list is limited, the wine list is a little better. They have a sizable cocktail/spirits list. For dessert they have pre-packaged gelato cups in a few flavors.
The preview press said it is soccer-themed, but the only thing in our line of sight while dining that suggested Il Calcio was a Baggio plaque behind the bar (we may have been looking the wrong way in this regard). Though a Totti mural is on the way.
The Eddie Cano folks, have been on a roll. They also opened “Italian Bar” near their Chevy Chase location, where they make the gelato. While the original restaurant was a clear attempt to meet customers on this side of the Atlantic where they were comfortable (right down to the punny name). With Italian Bar and Bocca they seem to be trying to pull over the audience to a purer Roman take and hoping Americans will bite. If the bite is a crispy slice of pizza with juicy, fresh ingredients, then it might work!
Other Guidance: The ambiance is neighborhood casual, shorts, t-shirts, strollers would not be out of place. The restaurant is located a few steps down from street levels, but on one floor inside. Vegetarians can do well here, but most options come with cheese. GF will have a tougher go of it.
Summary:
Cuisine: Pizza
Neighborhood: Georgetown (Glover Park)
Address: 2400 Wisconsin Ave NW 1st Floor, Washington, DC 20007
Website: https://inboccaallupodc.com/
Reservations: Wait-list
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No coverage yet (though there is this oddity).
Washingtonian: Preview