Ballston, an area in Arlington VA where 75% of the population is under 45, is a magnet for science and tech workers. It's a nice pocket free of the noise and congestion in nearby DC, and it has become home to a growing number of shops and restaurants.
While there is no shortage of beer gardens, indoor and outdoor, there has been a gap in worthy pizza joints. But after a few years of covid-related delay, Quincy Hall Pints & Pizza finally had its soft opening (April 2022) in Ballston.
Our group of four arrived at the start of happy hour and found a huge beer hall with several types of tables. We neglected to ask which beers were included for happy hour pricing, but we were delighted with our choices, including my delicious Cali Squeeze Blood Orange hefeweizen.
The pizzas are 14" size, and we selected one white pie and one red: As Mush-Room as Possible ($20 - mushrooms, mozzarella, truffle oil, crushed garlic, garlic cream sauce), and Pepp'd Up ($18 - cup 'n' char pepperoni, mozzarella, organic tomato sauce).
We began by sharing two salads. The Caesar ($12) didn't break any new ground but it was fresh, ample, and we enjoyed the creamy dressing. The Quincy’s Garden ($12) featured fresh baby arugula and cherry tomatoes garnished with sweet red pepper in a light, tangy, vinegary dressing.
The mushroom pie arrived first, and it was not only beautiful, but also a little bigger than the promised 14" pizza. The crust was terrific - a very crispy but not stiff undercarriage from the center toward the edge, and then a lovely puffy and chewy cornicione.
Style-wise, I'd put this in the same category of many successful newer pizza joints - a hybrid of New York and Neapolitan type pizzas, bringing the best of both styles.
This pie was covered from edge to edge with mushrooms that supplied an earthy, deeply umami flavor. Despite the prominent mushroom flavor, the garlic notes also shone through. There was a generous amount of mozzarella, but not too much; this pie was wonderfully balanced in textures and flavors.
The pepperoni pizza sported that same superb crust as its base, along with top quality cup 'n' char pepperoni, generously applied over a traditional orange mix of sauce and cheese. This pizza was hip, fresh, and modern even as it was a rendition of a familiar pizza style. I would have liked a tad more char on the pepperoni goblets, but that is a minor issue.
Bottom line, as always, great pizza requires a great crust, and this easily qualifies. I did a little research after our visit, and I found out why this crust is so special. I found this about Quincy Hall:
A massive Beer Hall featuring 3-day fermented pizza dough by global pizza guru Giulio Adriani, Quincy Hall touts an eclectic selection of draft beers, cocktails wine, and a huge patio.
The key takeaway is that the pizzaioli at Quincy Hall were trained by Giulio Adriani (it's not clear if he has an ownership interest). In 2011, Giulio opened the pizzeria Forcella, first in Brooklyn and then in Manhattan. As chef and owner, he seized attention with his signature pie, the Montanara, a Neapolitan pie where the dough is flash-fried before toppings are added. Time Out New York bestowed it with their 2012 Reader’s Choice Award. I reviewed Forcella way back in 2011, HERE.
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| My Forcella Montanara pizza from 2011 |
Giulio is now engaged in training folks to make world-class pizza. ARLnow reports:
Adriani is from Rome and was taught how to make pizza by his grandmother. He worked under pizza-masters throughout Italy, opened restaurants across the globe, and has won four world pizza championships. Adriani’s passion is dough and constantly seeking illusive crust perfection. He created a challenging three-day fermented dough for Quincy Hall which Adriani insists is his ‘best ever!'
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| Giulio at Pizza Palooza, 2017 |
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