WASHINGTON 鈥� Perhaps the worst part about ordering pizza at a restaurant is the 10 to 20 minute wait between the time you place your order and the time you take that first bite.
But this spring, that torturous delay will no longer be an issue. Veloce, a new fast-casual pizza concept from the founder of , promises Neapolitan brick oven pizza in 2 to 3 minutes.
Twenty-five years ago, Neapolitan-style pizza was non-existent in the D.C. area; brick oven pizza was even scarce. But that all changed when Chef Ruth Gresser opened Pizzeria Paradiso on the second floor of a small townhouse in Dupont Circle in 1991. Her pizza quickly caught on, both with critics and customers, and soon after, she opened two additional Paradiso locations and inspired other chefs to follow her lead.
Now, Gresser wants to take what鈥檚 made Pizzeria Paradiso a success and apply those techniques and philosophies to a restaurant that caters to D.C.鈥檚 busy business district.
鈥淭he idea is we鈥檙e going to be doing what we do at Paradiso, but we鈥檙e going to be doing it really quickly — the quality ingredients, the brick oven pizza, but just fast,鈥� Gresser says.
If achieving a crispy, slightly blackened crust and a center of golden, bubbling cheese in a matter of minutes seems impossible, Gresser says it鈥檚 not. The secret is in the temperature of the oven and the amount of moisture in the dough, both of which she鈥檚 adjusted to achieve the optimal taste and ideal cooking time.
鈥淜nowing so well how we cook pizza and how the oven functions, it just seemed to be a natural marriage to me that pizza could be produced in the same way with that speed,鈥� Gresser says. 鈥淭he days of the idea that it takes 20 minutes to cook a pizza are gone.鈥�
Once the doors to Veloce open at 1828 L Street NW, the 6,000-lb., 650-degree custom-designed brick oven will cook pizzas such as The Rooster, which is made with basil pesto sauce, goat cheese, house-made chicken sausage, sweet red pepper and pine nuts. Customers will also be able to design their own pizzas, and will have the option of four different crusts, including white, whole wheat, mixed grains and seeds and gluten-free.
To cater to the business clientele, Veloce will be open for breakfast, serving a variety of breakfast pizzas (think mushroom and bacon, sweet peppers and cheddar and a breakfast margarita), breakfast calzones and breakfast pockets, made of pizza dough and filled with smoked salmon and mascarpone cheese.
In addition to building its reputation for pizza over the years, Paradiso has become known for its carefully cultivated craft beer program. However, that aspect won鈥檛 be translated to Veloce 鈥� at least not yet.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the question I keep getting that I didn鈥檛 expect to get,鈥� Gresser says about Veloce鈥檚 craft beer offerings.
Based on its location and its breakfast and lunch hours, Gresser predicts a vast majority of the clientele will be takeout. At first, she entertained the idea of stocking a few cans and bottles of special beers and obtaining an alcohol carryout license, in addition to an on-premise license. However, ABC regulations won鈥檛 let you have both. So Gresser is starting with none, but is open to customer input.
鈥淚鈥檓 not thinking of this as a place where people are going to sit and eat pizza and drink beer. I would suggest they go to Paradiso, so we鈥檙e starting without it. If it turns out that it鈥檚 something that people really want to do, and then we will apply for one and get a license.鈥�
Just because the concept is fast-casual, doesn鈥檛 mean Gresser is modeling the service after Chipotle, like so many fast-casual restaurants do. At Veloce, customers will place their orders at a separate counter from where the dough is tossed and the pizzas are made.
There will be 15 to 20 seats inside the mostly white- and yellow-designed space, as well as patio seating to accommodate the same amount of diners outside.
鈥淭his is the exciting part, the last part of the construction where you see it really coming together,鈥� says Gresser, who is getting ready for the opening.
鈥淭he way I鈥檓 thinking about this project is, it鈥檚 taking what we know really, really intimately and have done for so long, and kind of making it brand new. 鈥� It鈥檚 kind of like renewing your marriage vows and moving at the same time.鈥�
