At Crust, you order personal sized pizzas from a friendly staff who recommend both classics like their signature margherita or more creative takes like their eggplant Parmesan pizza. I was with a few friends and we decided to order one margherita, one eggplant, and one calzone, a trinity that would give us a taste of everything “pizza” that Crust has to offer. It is important to note that some of the pizzas, like the margherita that we ordered, are DOC certified. DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) certification means that Crust follows a strict set of rules in preparing the sauce, making the dough, and cooking the pizzas to qualify as true Neapolitan style pizza.

As the pizzas and calzone came out of the oven and onto our table, there was a moment of pure euphoria in admiring just how beautiful the display of food looked. Of course pictures were taken and talks about the appearances were had before eating the actual pizza. As far as taste, the pizzas at Crust follow Neapolitan style down to a tee. The sauce was very simply crushed san marzano tomatoes, the cheese was fresh bubbly buffalo mozzarella, and the crust had a distinct burnt leopard pattern. Both the eggplant and the margherita pizza were devoured within minutes as we waited for the calzone to cool. An interesting point about the calzone is that in addition to a cheese and salami filling, the calzone also had cheese, sauce, and olive oil drizzled on top. While unconventional, the calzone was deemed the favorite at the table. The crust had a perfect amount of charring and crispy yet chewy interior that was perfect with the ricotta filling and the sauce on top as well as on the side.

After our meal, I was able to talk to one of the owners crust’s owners, Kaivan Ejtemai. Kaivan told me that the idea of Crust was initially inspired by his honeymoon in Italy roughly ten years ago. After a few years of planning, Kaivan was able to open up Crust in late 2015 with co owners Farhad Bazaz, and Sam Ghahndi. What surprised me the most about the background of Crust is that Kaivan and the other owners are all Iranian-American, yet there was no indication that the restaurant had any Persian influences. What was however evident was the pride that Kaivan and his staff displayed when serving their food. Kaivan told me “We have the best ingredients and are always interested in making new and creative pizzas. It all comes down to a love for pizza.” Indeed this love for pizza is what makes Crust such an appealing pizzeria and a spot that should be on any pizza lovers list in the NOVA area.

-ARM (new DCFUD contributor)