Who has the best jumbo slice of pizza in Adams Morgan? As a vegan, I have no idea! But I've stepped on a slice or two. Or a plate. Or box. I mean, go to 18th Street NW on a weekend and you'll see pizza everywhere. On plates, in hands, on sidewalks; often in that order. Well, tonight you can see how Travel Channel came to DC to settle it once and for all.... sort of. No, really, airing tonight on the Travel Channel is an episode of Food Wars which will showcase two pizza joints in Adams Morgan, Jumbo Slice and Pizza Mart. The competing shops are actually owned by the Chisti brothers, who've had quite a sibling rivalry over the best pizza for about a decade.
The show is a little silly, but that's OK, we're talking about greasy, cheesy, no-nutrition-having, foldable, brick in your stomach, big as your head slices of pizza. It's not heart surgery people! (there's a joke in there somewhere) This is just fun y'all. If you can't laugh at this, DC has gotten to you.
The producers, to my surprise, capture what I think of as Adams Morgan pretty well. And definitely poke fun along the way. No one (except the brothers!) are taking this too seriously. The host, Camille, profiles the brothers --owners of each respective shop--, goes behind the scenes to see how each larger than life pizza is made, and gets the help of some DC residents to rate the slices. Aiding Camille are two self styled superfans of Pizza Mart and Jumbo Slice who are DC witty -- and skinny, considering how much pizza they purportedly eat.
Honestly, I had never heard of jumbo slice before I moved to DC. Such a strange, but very American bigger-is-better idea. But DC seems so health conscious, right?! Right. We are home to Ben's Chili Bowl and Five Guys. And multiple competing jumbo slice restaurants. I hesitate to call them pizza "parlors" for obvious reasons. I think one of the newer places has no seating, but does have a disco ball and plays dance music. Ah, the AM nightlife. Gotta love it. The show airs tonight on the Travel Channel at 10:00pm.
