When strangers tell you to eat it: at least give it a whirl?

Friday was a perfect fall evening, so Alan and I decided to do a little “urban exploring” – which is essentially my way to convince him to to walk around my neighborhood with me, but it sounds more exciting.

The excuse for our foray was a LivingSocial coupon providing a $25 credit at Cork & Fork on 14th Street, so we headed there. Unbeknownst to us, the store was hosting a private event – which might be why my “Spartan” sweatshirt elicited so many snotty looks.

(When we walked in, I thought, “Since when do people wear little black dresses to the liquor store?” and then, “This guy is NOT doing a good job trying to get us to taste his wine – he’s practically snubbing us!”) Fortunately Alan was a bit more dialed in so he asked the sales clerk if it was a private tasting. It was. Oops.

Anyway… long story getting longer, there was a bottle there that I enjoy that shakes out around $33, but with my coupon I only had to pony up $7 – or $17 total if you factor in the original price of the coupon. NOT BAD, right? Right.

As we were leaving, I pulled Alan to the window of the store next door – HomeMade Pizza Company. “Should we get a pizza?” I asked.

I’ve been curious to try the place ever since it opened earlier this year, even though the concept a bit gimmicky: you pay about $20 and take home an UNCOOKED pizza to bake in your own oven. My initial thought was that the premium over a frozen pizza was astronomical. My second thought was that it was pricey even if you compare it to having a hot pizza delivered.

The thing is – every time I’ve brought it up in conversation, people who have tried it have RAVED about it and told me how it has become a weekly staple in their diet.

So Alan and I were standing there, eying the pie line-up through the window. His comments echoed my own original thoughts – “I don’t know. Why don’t we just get a frozen ‘za from Whole Foods?”

I was about to cave when two strangers approached us. “Do it,” they said. “It is THE BEST pizza.” (Turns out they were the middle aged couple who had been behind us in line at the wine store.) We asked them a few questions, but their sales pitch was uncanny. “It is so good. We do this for dinner every Friday night.”

After they left, I looked at Alan. “See what I mean? Every time I try to shoot this place down, some random person ends up confessing their addicted to it. I don’t see what’s so special, but kind of think we need to try it.”

So we did. We got the BLT: hickory-smoked bacon, fresh spinach, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and a bit of fresh garlic over tomato sauce. Brought it home, slid it in the oven and 15 minutes later, it was like we were at Pizzeria Paradiso!

It was definitely sit-down restaurant quality pizza – much better than chain delivery pizza or a frozen pie from Whole Foods. I wouldn’t go so far as to stop strangers on a sidewalk and insist that they must try it – nor will I be eating it on a weekly basis. But for a great pizza without the wait of Pizzeria Paradiso or 2Amy’s? Why not.

And the best part about eating it at home? No one threw me dirty looks for wearing a Spartan sweatshirt. Sparty-on!

Tags: cork & fork, DC, eats, Groupon, living social, Logan Circle, pizza, restaurants