News

Everything's different in DC, including the 'piddza'

November 17, 2016

Though no specific date was provided, a Turkish pizza concept, known as Pidzza, is coming to the Ivy City area of our nation's capitol this winter, according to a news release. Pidzza is a combination of the word for the 4,500-year-old Turkish flatbread, pide, and the original Italian culinary delight, pizza. 

Much like its name, the restaurant blends the basics of those two dough-based offerings into a single Italian-Turkish delight, or Turkish-inspired pizza. The Hecht Avenue NE location is one of initial locations of the brand. The brand's second location will open in Chinatown around the same time shortly after the first location opens its doors. 
 
"My team is thrilled to bring our modern take on pizza to Ivy City, one of Washington's most watched, up and coming communities," said Pidzza owner, Koray Bozkurt. "I moved to the U.S. from Turkey in 2005, and I see a global community in my backyard. Pidzza is my way of introducing our culture to neighbors.”
 
The base of the new restaurant's offering is drawn from two house-made doughs — one with and another without gluten, according to a news release. From there guests can pile on a selection of toppings with some of the old-world inspiration of the original Ottoman Empire flavor, with things like cauliflower, pomegranate-sumac infused lemon juice, cucumber and cinnamon-candied bacon. 

And with this new approach to pizza, also comes a new approach to community giving through the  restaurant which will feature a "giving back bank" where management and guests can leave spare change and cash to pay the tab on a neighbor's meal at a later time. 

"Community and family are two important pillars of Turkish culture,” Bozkurt said. "At home every corner café and restaurant has a system to take care of their guests who can afford to pay for their meal. If someone has forgotten cash or simply cannot pay, it is part of our culture to take care of that guest whenever possible.” 

Some of Piddza's takes on the traditional pizza, include: 

• The L.M.C., named for the Southern Turkey city of Lahmacun where pide is topped with angus beef, tomatoes, onion, parsley, green and red peppers, and a special spice blend. 
• The Cauli, a roasted cauliflower, roma tomatoes, chicken and Parmesan version.
• Shrooms, a portabella mushroom pidzza with kale leaves, caramelized onions and shredded fontina.

The restaurant will also open for breakfast, with pies available to meet the traditional American hankering for eggs in the morning through a pidzza with roasted cinnamon candied bacon, baby spinach, gruyere, and two fresh eggs. Dessert pidzzas include one with marshmallows and chocolate chips on a graham cracker pide, or  a chocolate pidzza crust with Nutella spread, white chocolate shavings, almonds and seasonal fruit.
 
Alcohol will not be offered initially, but Pidzza will offer Turkey's national drink of carbonated yogurt and mint with salt, ayran, as well as small-batch brewed Appalachian Craft Sodas.