Dear Travel Channel: We Are Not A Pizza Town.

Photo courtesy of
‘jumbo slice’
courtesy of ‘krossbow’

Tomorrow night, the Travel Channel is pitting two DC pizza joints against each other in an episode of Food Wars. Look, I know all about Jumbo Slice, I know all about Pizza Mart, or whatever, but this is simply not a pizza town. You want a battle? Let’s talk cupcakes. There’s a bajillion of cucpake vendors in this town, and I’m sure that they would practically break out in an alley knife-fight over who was best. Let’s talk burgers. There’s a half-dozen truly top-drawer burger joints in this town, from Ray’s Hellburger, to BGR, to Good Stuff, to Palena, etc. Why not focus on something with real focus for the food community instead of some bullshit lowest common denominator thing? Also, where’s the love for 2 Amys? Or Pete’s? Or Red Rocks?

I expect better from you, Travel Channel. Or did your research assistant get drunk off their ass in Adams Morgan and never go anywhere else?

Hat tip to Marc Benton for this one

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.

Facebook Twitter Flickr 

9 thoughts on “Dear Travel Channel: We Are Not A Pizza Town.

  1. What’s worse is that they should have known better especially since the Travel Channel’s HQ is a stones throw from DC in Chevy Chase!

  2. I thought it was odd for pizza to be DC’s battle as well… at first I pondered half-smokes, but who compares to Ben’s Chili Bowl anyway? Still, yeah, pizza? Really? And 2 Amys isn’t involved?

    Combine this with Man Vs. Food’s DC episode that spent most of its time in Annapolis, and Travel Channel isn’t doing too well when it comes to our fair city these days.

  3. My thoughts exactly. Giant slices of horribly mediocre soggy pizza (not that anyone notices, they are too drunk) does not a good battle make. I have zero desire to watch this.

  4. I’d actually argue that we ARE a pizza town, albiet maybe not as our defining food. But we have FANTASTIC pizza. You hear people complain about lack of Mexican, or lack of great coffee shops, or whatever, but you never hear people complain about lack of pizza. Everyone has their favorite (mine? Rustico and Radius) and they are EVERYWHERE. So while I don’t love that we’re repping pizza, I’d say we’re totally a pizza town.

  5. Okay, I see what you mean, we do have some great pizza, but you’d never know it from seeing this show. Instead we get two crappy places with mediocre food. They should’ve tackled burgers, half smokes, cupcakes or hell, even steaks, before going to the pizza mat.

  6. But which Jumbo Slice?

    Real Original Jumbo Slice, the more northern one on 18th, is the best.

    The Jumbo Slice on U that also sells Indian food? The foulest of the foul.

  7. I’m actually friends with the host, so I’m going to have to stick up for Travel Channel on this battle. Remember that Food Wars is centered around long-standing rivalries, NOT the best of DC. Therefore, the show does not have the option of picking any establishment they want to highlight; they have to pick one that represents a battle of food. While I am so NOT proposing that Jumbo Slice is the best of what we have to offer in DC (pizza-wise, or not) – you have to admit that pizza is an Adams Morgan nightlife staple, no?