For an authentic Italian feast, Pie-tanza embodies classic Italian cuisine, from their wood-burning stove to the hefty portions. With a broad menu, there is something for everyone at Pie-tanza. Already a hit in North Arlington, this trattoria-like restaurant opened in West Falls Church earlier this year. 
For starters, the Rosemary Flatbread ($6.49) is a Tuscan classic: delicious pizza crust smothered with olive oil, coarse salt, fresh rosemary and black pepper. The flatbread comes artistically stacked around a dish of marinara sauce. Pie-tanza offers a variety of salads large enough for a full meal, plates piled high with greens. For an appetizer, Pie-tanza offers half-sized portions of their Caesar salad and house salads.
Pizzas are Pie-tanza’s forte, and they offer a dozen specialty pizzas. These include a Grilled Vegetable Pizza ($11.99) with roasted red peppers, seasoned and grilled eggplant and zucchini, Roma tomatoes and black olives atop a mozzarella and fontina cheese pizza, and a Classic Mediterranean Pizza ($11.99) with extra virgin olive oil, herbs, mozzarella, fontina, sweet roasted tomato, black olives, pancetta, fresh basil and feta cheese. If a specialty pizza doesn’t strike your fancy, there is a create-your-own option: start with a cheese pizza ($9.59) and add up to five toppings for $1.39 each. The topping options range from shaved rosemary chicken and portabella mushrooms to roasted garlic and pineapple. All of these 12″ pizzas are made fresh in the wood-burning oven with a thin, crispy crust.
Although pizzas are Pie-tanza’s specialty, their pasta dishes easily rival them in robust flavor. The Three Cheese Baked Ziti ($9.49), made with homemade marinara sauce, oozes with mozzarella, fontina and Parmesan cheeses. Pie-tanza offers traditional pastas like Meatballs and Spaghetti ($10.49) but also more unique dinners like Sweet Tomato Cream Penne ($11.49), which features shaved rosemary chicken, penne pasta and fresh sautéed spinach in a sweet tomato, garlic and Parmesan cream sauce.
And don’t forget the sandwiches and calzones. Sandwiches range from the traditional -Meatball Parmesan sub ($8.19) and Chicken Parmesan Sub ($7.99) – to the more innovative – such as the Herb Chicken Salad Sandwich ($7.89), chicken salad served with chopped grilled eggplant on multigrain bread. Like the pizzas, you may customize a wood-fired calzone with your choice of Pie-tanza’s toppings. You may also opt for one of the classics on the menu, like the Spinach, Artichoke and Rosemary Chicken Calzone ($11.69): spinach leaves, artichoke hearts and shaved rosemary chicken with ricotta, mozzarella and fontina cheese and sweet tomato puree.
Pie-tanza is an ideal place for all in the family. The kids’ menu is more than just grilled cheese ($3.99) and chicken tenders ($4.49). Young diners can savor smaller portions of Pie-tanza’s classic meals, like spaghetti and meatballs ($4.29) or cheese tortellini ($3.99). While waiting for their meals, kids can also watch as their pizzas are prepared and then fired up in the wood-burning oven.
Because of the large portions, I couldn’t begin to think about dessert. If I had dessert, I’d choose the Espresso Soufflé Sundae ($6.29), an individual chocolate cake with a rich, molten chocolate center, served warm with two scoops of espresso ice cream, topped with whipped cream and crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans.
For a comfortable neighborhood restaurant that provides hearty Italian comfort food, Pie-tanza is the place to go. Between the welcoming environment and delicious fare, you’ll be sure to make it a regular stop after just one visit.
Pie-tanza
1216 W. Broad St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
703-237-0977
www.pie-tanza.com
Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
