Alfreda

The first thing DishingPizza noticed when it approached Alfreda on P St. in Dupont Circle was its proximity to DC’s first Neapolitan pizzeria, Pizza Paradiso, catty corner across the street. Was Alfreda’s owner/chef Russell Smith getting Newtonian, standing on the shoulders of giants, or was he nipping at the giant’s heels when he opened his small restaurant in 2024? DishingPizza suspects it’s the former. Alfreda’s pizza is New York-style with a sourdough crust, an entirely different species than Paradiso’s wood-fired pies.

Housed in an early 20th-century rowhouse, Alfreda’s brick-walled, low-ceilinged, wood-floored interior is a familiar Dupont Circle restaurant setting. The restaurant seats 60 with no outdoor space. With the exception of Alfreda’s cute flower logo and a piece of artwork with old flour bags, the place is a whimsy-free zone. Furthermore, Alfreda’s front-of-house staff are Gen-Z cordial, but aren’t overly warm. On first impression, Alfreda appears to take itself too seriously.

Whimsy-wise, this is it for Alfreda

Taking advantage of a BOGO happy hour special, DishingPizza ordered two 12″ pizzas – a Margherita and the standard ‘Alfreda’ cheese pizza. First, the Margherita: Before taking the first bite, DishingPizza noticed the partially melted fresh mozzarella applied apres-baking. While DishingPizza understands the challenge of fully baking a crust without burning the delicate cheese, DishingPizza also desires the full melt. This minor nit was mostly forgotten after the first bite.

The unmistakable tang of the crust delighted DishingPizza‘s sourdough-loving palate. According to Alfreda’s website about page, Smith is a scientific sourdough student implementing a multi-day fermentation process. The crust is, surprisingly, stiff as a board, which is good for lumber but not much else.¹ In this case, however, the crust is sublime –its chewy interior juxtaposed with a crunchy exterior containing a hint of cornmeal. The lightly applied Pennsylvania crushed tomato sauce completes this minimalist pizza with uniformly high-quality ingredients.

The ‘Alfreda’ cheese pizza beats out the Margherita. A topside laden with a mozzarella and romano mix and a seasoned plum tomato sauce, the Alfreda showcases the structural benefits of its unyielding crust. A napkin-less barfly could neatly eat a slice one-handed with a drink in the other. DishingPizza isn’t suggesting that this artful pie should be relegated to ‘bar pizza’ status — but it would make terrific finger food at an upscale cocktail party. A side-benefit of the firm crust: it reheats exceptionally well. While no pizza is ever as good as its initial, piping-hot presentation, Alfreda pizza doesn’t become a soggy mess a day or two later.

Although Dupont Circle long ago ceded its spot as the hippest DC ‘hood, its historical architecture, safety, and proximity to downtown guarantee a steady supply of young professionals willing to pay astronomical rents. It would seem that Alfreda and its ilk would be perfectly positioned among denizens with plenty of disposable income. However, rent-poor Gen-Zers like their cheap eats and Alfreda, with a tab for two without drinks of $60, hits an uncomfortable price point. Understanding the neighborhood zeitgeist, Smith addresses the problem with an innovative 4:00-6:00 happy hour deal — along with $8 spritzes², each table can get two pizzas for the price of one — the aforementioned BOGO.³

Fittingly, Alfreda sits in Pizza Paradiso‘s shadow, which introduced Washingtonians to expensive, high-end pizza, paving the way for $23+ Alfreda pizzas.⁴ Dupont Circle has become a diverse pizza mecca. In addition to Alfreda (New York-style) and Paradiso (Neapolitan), the new La Merna (tavern-style) is just down the street. Additionally, Boogy & Peel (Detroit-style and zany combo pizzas) is around the corner, and Gemini (Sicilian) and Protest Pizza (New York-style) are a couple of blocks away.⁵ The only pizza style that’s missing is Chicago deep-dish, available at Giordano’s in the Penn Quarter.

Dupont Circle’s concentration of pizza joints illustrates the economic concept of agglomeration, or more colloquially, the cluster effect. The density of options draws more pizza lovers to the area than any single pizzeria could attract alone.⁶ Deep-pocketed pizza aficionados strolling around Dupont Circle shouldn’t miss Alfreda. With a wealth of great pizza options, Alfreda is a winner. Perhaps Alfreda takes itself a tad too seriously, but it’s also seriously good.

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Alfreda
2016 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

Pizza type: New York

Pizza quality: 🍕🍕🍕
Overall experience: ⭐⭐

Pie – 12″ round: $23
Pie price per square inch: $0.20

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1. DishingPizza refuses to traffic in euphemisms or double entendres. ↩︎
2. DishingPizza finds this wine-bar/pizzeria trend troubling. It’s pizza and beer, goddammit. ↩︎
3. More specifically, order any pizza and get a plain pie free. ↩︎
4. Although Alfreda has plenty of company in the DMV, charging $23 for a 12″ pie is outrageous. These artisanal pizzas are twice as expensive as Wiseguy or Andy’s, but are they twice as good? They are not. ↩︎
5. The unreviewed places are on DishingPizza‘s to-do list, demonstrating that DishingPizza‘s work is never done. ↩︎
6. The Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods effect proved that a second premium grocery store doesn’t cannibalize the first. Rather, it validates the neighborhood as a destination. ↩︎