April Restaurant of the Month - Pizzeria Orso!

I think trying a new restaurant has definitely been my favorite on-going goal that I've had to accomplish each month. It gets me out of the rut of not only going to the same restaurants, but also trying new types of food, too.  Also, it gives me a chance to strengthen my friendships and have quality time with some of the wonderful people in my life.  The restaurant for the month of April is a review of a food that we all love - Pizza!  It's nothing over the top, but Pizza can be a comfort food to many. Or, a food when you're on the go, but want something filling and yummy (not just greasy fries from a fast food restaurant). My friend, Callie, mentioned to me a great little pizzeria in the heart of Falls Church, so we decided to go there and try it out!  Now, most of you know that I actually don't eat dairy or gluten (I'm not highly allergic, I just think it's healthier to keep these to a minimum) - so pizza isn't exactly the best food for me to eat, BUT I had to make an exception for this highly-rated wood-fired pizzeria!

Pizzeria Orso is known as a casual dining restaurant with traditional neopolitan pizza. It is quite a charming place, filled with hues of yellow, red, and oranges. Very bright decor - which I love, because we all know I LOVE bright colors. We were greeted and seated immediately. I'd have to say my first observation was that this restaurant definitely caters to families. There were kids everywhere. My first thought was "please don't sit us next to these kids". (Hmmm...I see a little of my mom in me more and more!) The last time I was in a restaurant that was inundated with families probably would date back to the best Italian place in all of Williamsport, called The Villa.  I mean, let's be real, Washingtonians in my age range don't exactly go to family-friendly restaurants all the time. No, we're all about the newest lounges were you can get overpriced cocktails, appetizers, and sit in comfy white lounge chairs while you discuss things like how much you miss college, how life is so "expensive", and how the jerk on the metro wouldn't stop breathing heavy on you or something ridiculous like that. Or, on the contrary, we like the bars - ones with lots of TVs, where our minds can be so over-stimulated with sports, or ones that have the best happy hour deals ($2 drinks - heck yes!). I mean, you don't exactly see 4-yr-olds running around these DC hot-spots.

They sat us at a cute table and our waitress came over to give us menus. I rarely eat pizza, maybe once a year, so this was going to be a treat for me. The menu had a wide variety of food, such as neapolitan pizza, antipasti, house made charcuterie, fried appetizers, desserts and, of course, a plethora of wine and beer to choose from.  I'm a big fan of restaurants that use food and ingredients from local markets - it's fresher and saves everyone money, while helping local Ma & Pa businesses. Pizzeria Orso's pizzas are served unsliced, and finished with olive oil, and the mozzarella is locally produced by Blue Ridge Farms in Leesburg, VA. At just around $15, I ordered the Verdure Pizza, made with tomato, mozzarella, onion, crimini mushroom, peppers, basil, eggplant, capers (hold the capers, please!).

Me with my Pizza

The Verdure Pizza!

I loved this Pizza - it had all my favorite ingredients piled high with an excellent crust and perfect amount of cheese. What's even better for us nutrition freaks (like Me!) is that it's not this overly enormous pizza. It's just the right size to get your fix but not feel like you have to go hike the Appalachian mountains to make up for it. Plus, I've got my veggies and calcium, right? Let's just not talk about all the bread involved :).  This pizza was delicious and I don't really know how to word this, but it was very easy to eat.  Do you ever have a pizza where the cheese falls off in one big sheet? Or, the sauce is so overpowering that it ruins the crust? Well, this was not. Every bite had the perfect blend of cheese, sauce, savory crust, and veggies. Of course, like every other American out there, I thought I'd for sure eat half and box the rest up. Yeah, that didn't happen. 7 slices in and my grandmother would have been beyond proud that I left my plate looking like it came right out of the dishwasher.  Growing up, my mom never let us leave the table unless we were done. My poor brother would shove food in his cheeks for HOURS just so he could leave the table (oh the good ol' days of being a kid!).  But, the pizza was SOOOO good that I just had to savor every bite and finish the entire thing.  The great thing was the portion was a medium size - it wasn't like a pizza you order from Papa John's or anything.  It was small enough to eat in one sitting (Yes, this is me justifying the fact that I finished a whole pizza).

Callie's Pizza - The Crudo

Additionally, Callie ordered a very yummy pizza, The Crudo, a pizza made with tomato, mozzarella, basil, arugula, Grana Padano, and prosciutto di Parma.  The combination of cheeses was superb and the added flavor of the prosciutto gave this pizza an extra kick.  Depending on your pizza style, there's definitely an option for you at Pizzeria Orso.  I love my pizza with tons of veggies and cheese, but if you choose to have a classic, more traditional pizza, you can have that, too! Overall, for the pizza alone, Callie and I both gave it a two thumbs up and we want to go back there again.

...Now, of course it doesn't stop there. I had to indulge a little in the desserts, too.  When I choose to write about a restaurant, I have to give my readers the full review from entree to dessert.  Not to mention, who doesn't love a little excuse to eat something sweet after a meal? There were about four different desserts on the menu, but the one that was most intriguing to me was the Lemon Doughnuts filled with Nutella.  1) I secretly love donuts. I don't always have them, but when I do it's a nice treat. 2) Lemon flavor is one of my favorites - so refreshing, tangy, and sweet! Furthermore, the waitress raved about these lemon doughnuts, so I had to try it out!  A cute little canoe-shaped plate came out with three warm mini-donuts, stuffed and topped with Nutella icing and sprinkled with powder sugar. THEY WERE DELICIOUS! They were so mouth-watering good, completed melted in your mouth. I've never really had a dessert like this before. Normally, I'll have a piece of cake or creme brulee, but never Lemon Doughnuts!

Overall, I was a big fan of this little pizzeria.  It's great if you're looking for something quick, inexpensive, yummy, and moderately healthy. I recommend Pizzeria Orso in Falls Church, VA. Next time you want a piece of pizza, grab a friend and head on down to this little secret hideaway!