Pizza - the comfort food

House special at Crust, Vienna

Pizza is a comfort food for people around the world. I have had the opportunity to try various kinds of pizza. Here are some of my favorites.

Lostdogcafe, Arlington VA
A local chain restaurant in Northern Virginia offers several gourmet pizzas. My favorite is the big red pie, wheat crust topped with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.

Pupatella, Arlington, VA
Another local favorite, offering Neapolitan pizzas.

Italian Store, Arlington VA
If you are in mood to try the New York Style thin crust pizza made of fresh dough, this is must-try. Reasonably priced, has several locations in Northern Virginia.

Crust, Vienna, VA
Another local chain offering some great Neapolitan wood-fired fresh pizza in Vienna. Nice ambiance, also sells wine and beer.

Varasanos Pizzeria, Atlanta, GA
Tried their house special thin-crust New York style pizza with mozzarella & san marzano tomato sauce with a secret blend of herbs. It was delicious albeit pricey.

Brixx, Santiago, Dominican Republic
I have not eaten a better pizza than the white pizza (sans marinara sauce) at Brixx (a chain restaurant, also in the United States) in Santiago, DR. A bit rich but unforgettable. 

My recent seafood picks

Octopus at Avalon Grille

Growing up in Goa, I've always considered seafood a delicacy. Given this, it is no surprise that I have taken the opportunity to try several local variants of seafood over the past few months.

At the Catalina Island, an hour-long ferry ride from Los Angeles, I tried grilled octopus (served with vegetable ragout) at Avalon Grille. It was well cooked and presented, albeit a bit pricey.

Smoked Salmon pizza at Spago

In a small town of Columbus, Mississippi, I tried several variants of catfish, a southern staple. Farm-raised locally, it was always delicious, whether fried or served in a Thai curry. Finally, during a recent trip to downtown Atlanta, Georgia, I enjoyed a whole red snapper at Southern Elements.

I have developed a taste for smoked salmon thanks to a smoked salmon pizza I tried at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Vegas. Simple, filling and delicious if you can handle smoked fish.