D.C.’s Stellina Pizzeria Will Open a Shirlington Shop for Hit Neo-Neapolitan Pies | Eater DC

"An essential Italian street-food spot that bakes neo-Neapolitan pies near Union Market, I found Stellina Pizzeria became a fast hit after opening in 2019 and its red-and-white tiled Northeast eatery—which debuted in April last year—earned spots on the Eater 38 and the Bib Gourmand list for 2020. Founded by chef Matteo Venini and restaurateur Antonio Matarazzo of Lupo Verde, the Shirlington menu will mirror the D.C. flagship with neo-Neapolitan pizzas, scratch pastas, panini, and paper cups of fried bites; to serve stay-at-home diners during the pandemic it added a deli counter selling pastas by the pound, sauces, and DIY pizza kits. A bar will offer Italian wines, beers, and familiar amaro cocktails from Ivy City's Don Ciccio & Figli, with everything available for takeout, delivery, or dine-in across a 48-seat dining room and a 20-seat tented, heated patio. Their high-hydration crust undergoes a 48-hour fermentation and pies are cooked in a Marra Forni oven in under two minutes; Venini’s cacio e pepe pizza was named one of the city’s top ten pies by The Washington Post, and popular items include pacherri in meat ragu and panini topped with fried octopus and burrata or porchetta. The Shirlington shop will occupy a 2,000-square-foot space at the Village at Shirlington and aims to capitalize on the neighborhood’s taste for takeout, while a second D.C. location at 508 K Street NW has been delayed until next year." - Tierney Plumb