Menomale NoMa

Menomale Pizzeria and Salumeria Italian Deli Open in New NoMa Locations | Eater DC

"At the base of the Belgard (33 N Street NE) the new Menomale opened for lunch and dinner on Wednesday, February 3, offering takeout and limited dine-in from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. six days a week (closed Tuesdays) in a 75-seat buildout that currently seats about 18 under D.C.’s 25-percent capacity limit, with a patio planned for spring and an online reservation system coming soon. Ingredients come from the Campania region, and the Neapolitan pizzas are fired for 90 seconds in a 900-degree wood-fired oven to produce an airy, charred crust — “It makes you capable of eating the whole pie without being weighed down or overeating,” Maria Rusciano says — while Roman-style rectangular pan pizzas are made in a deck oven around 400 degrees and offered in half portions or full sheets topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil; the diavola (fior di latte, spicy salami, red peppers, San Marzano tomatoes, basil) is a best seller. The menu also includes made-to-order pastas like lobster ravioli, bucatini alla bolognese, and gnocchi, plus calzones and panuozzo (wood-fired sandwiches), and a beverage list of beers, Italian reds and whites by the glass or bottle, cocktails, and digestifs such as limoncello, fernet, grappa, and amaro. The design feels like a lived-in Italian grandmother’s house, with ivy and hanging lemons and garlic in nets, colorful tiles, and playful tchotchkes lining the space." - Tierney Plumb