Elite Event: Thank You For Being A Friend @ Pete’s New Haven

New friends, Unilocalers in awesome costumes and great food? Tie that all up with a Golden Girls theme and you have a 5-​star event!
Everyone has really covered the pizza options, but I have to weigh in with the following… A few years ago my fiancé and I were in the US Virgin Islands and we found a local place that served «Shrimp Scampi» pizza. Since returning to the states the fiancé has been on a quest to find a pizza that is of equal quality and taste. After attending the Event at Pete’s I was so excited to tell him about the clam pizza (they also offer it with shrimp too). So a few night later we order it and well he’s hooked!
I also really liked all the antipasti options. It was nice to have antipasti that weren’t your standard cold noodles and cold cuts. My favorite was the duckfat-​poached potatoes, grilled pea shoots, cherry pepper aioli. I could have eaten just a plate of that.
Do think that the highlights of the night though were the costumes (some very convincing little old ladies — and that included Mike’s), the script reading and of course Mike’s renaming of the house white and red wines.
Can’t wait til the next Elite Event!

Mike B. knocks it out of the park with another great event. Excellent pizza, and fun people.

Great event! Thanks Mike B for putting this together and a great thanks to the folks for Pete’s for hosting us and showing off their amazing product. I really appreciated how the staff set the time to talk about their products, the quality of the pizzas and the fresh, locally sourced ingredients they used to make the antipastis and the pizzas they served us. They’re so proud of their place I couldn’t help but be proud of them and be enthusiastic about enjoying the place.
I’ve been wanting to try Pete’s ever since they opened the original down in Columbia Heights, so you’d imagine that I’d jump at the opportunity to try out this place when they finally opened a location in downtown Silver Spring. The space is great and the location is right in the heart of downtown (southeast corner of Wayne and Georgia, right across the street from the Fenton/​Wayne parking garage).
New Haven style apizza is a different but delicious version of pizza which I really like. And I like their pizzas. I loved the flavor of their clam pizzas (not the clams, but then again I don’t care for seafood on my pizzas), the mashed potato one was to die for, the cheese was great, and The Bomb was a hearty helping of bell peppers and meats. The pizzas were great and I probably overstuffed myself with the stuff, which I wish I didn’t so I enjoyed the chocolate gelato dessert more.
Thanks Mike for putting together this event. Thanks for the Unilocalers who entertained us with the Golden Girls auditions. And thanks for all the other Unilocalers who came out and made this a fun night!

As soon as I laid my eyes on Mike with scarf and those clip on earrings I instantly starting hearing the Golden Girls theme song in my head… thank you for being a friend! Thankfully I saw some old Unilocal friends and got wish them a proper Happy New Year and made some new ones as well.
Of course I was ecstatic about this event because I’m a New Haven native! I was pleasantly surprised to hear that all the ingredients used for the pizza are local. I’m a frequent flyer here but I never knew that and really who doesn’t love fresh food?
I loved the different pizza options that I’d never try on my own because I am a meat pizza gal. The vegan and clam pizzas were especially good. There was some kind of butter or garlic on the crust of that clam pizza that me giddy. But what really stole the show for me was the anti-​pastas!!! That couscous salad w/​kale and the those roasted potatoes with the chipotle dressing– BOMB! I never get any of their salads but I have a feeling I’ll be sampling those regularly from now on.
Another great event with opportunities to meet very sweet local business owners!

Where do I even begin?!
The food… outstanding.
The company… amazing.
The theme… priceless.
Every detail was absolutely perfect, even the wine bottles with Golden Girls on the label! I also love how this particular restaurant sources locally. It’s a refreshing change from your standard Papa John’s.
We had several antipasti to choose from. The tastiest would have to be the potatoes with spicy aioli, and the beets!
Let’s move on to the pizza. Omgoodness. The crust had that perfect crunch and supported an ample amount of cheese and toppings… even mashed potatoes! That was probably my favorite one, with the New Haven style (clams) being the runner-​up.
I didn’t even know about this place until now… and because of this, Pizza Hut is officially ruined. I already knew there were better options, but never tried exploring because, let’s be real, I have enough vices as it is!
What’s one more on the list ;)
Big thanks to Mike for setting this up, and making my VERY FIRST Elite event one to remember! :D
Also, Thanks to the wonderful gentleman who graciously presented me with one of the Blanche wine bottles! I’ll treasure it forever: P

I’ll give 5 stars to any event that offers clear gluten-​free choices. I’ve been a happy Pete’s customer (most frequently at the Tenleytown location) for a number of years. In particular, I love their antipasti offerings. At our event, my favorite was the beet and goat cheese dish.
Shout-​out to Mike B. for organizing this, to Pete’s for hosting us, and for the Unilocalers who dressed up — you were hilarious!
Additional gluten-​free note: Pete’s now has a g-​f chocolate chip cookies and a g-​f cupcake. Hooray!!!

Pretty excited about this event. Mike is so creative, and has such fun things planned. I have never been to an event that had a Golden Girls theme, pure comedy!
I had never heard of the idea of New Haven ah peeez… hope I got that right. But, boy was I in for a treat!
To begin we had great antipasti, from beets and goat cheese, to roasted veggies, potatoes, and my absolute favorite; the couscous with onion and kale. It was soo delicious!
We had a tasty spread of various pizzas, from the the Bomb (my fav), clam, to a mashed potato pizza. I mean who would have thunk it? Never would I have ever tasted mashed potatoes on a pizza, but they did an awesome job! Everything was so fresh from the tomato sauce to the subtle flavor of the fresh garlic. Yummo!
The Golden Girls them was a nice touch, the auditions were great! I loved it all! Thanks Mike for an amazing job!

Well, that was interesting…
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the first MD Burbs YEE of the year, especially after Mike B. changed it to a Golden Girls theme. But, as usual, it was a Unilocalin’ good time.
Although I’m not necessarily an obsessive fan of the 80s sitcom, that didn’t stop me from partaking in an entertaining evening with my fellow Unilocalers… including a few who apparently showed up ready to collect their Social Security checks, decked out in full wardrobe and wigs. I was impressed.
This was my first experience with Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza and I was pleased with their antipasti and follow-​on pizza options. I really like their thin, crunchy crust, especially with «The Bomb,» covered in toppings. They even brought out gluten-​free pies, which I thought was considerate.
Although I was initially hesitant to try the mashed potato pizza (I didn’t even know that was a real thing!), I ended up liking it. Actually, I took the last slice and then heard all about it. Yeah, I was THAT guy. Sorry. ;)
Add in a couple of free drink tickets, some chocolate gelato for dessert and even an open audition for Golden Girls 2K14 by some of our brave Unilocalers (with the winner receiving a Golden Girls wallet) and you couldn’t help but smile and have fun.
Another great job by our CM and YEE host. Thank you for being a friend, Mike and Pete.

The staff here were so goshdarn nice. Glad we got to try this local chain; I think everyone’s mildly wary committing to a whole pizza from a new place without knowing the quality you’ll be getting. Well, now I know where to get decent thin crust pizza in my neighborhoods! Flavor combinations were solid, and healthy minimum of spice when included– bodes well after eyeballing their pasta menu descriptions. I missed out on the couscous and kale salad, but the roasted root medley, beets, and sauced potatoes were quite good. The wines weren’t to my taste but c’est la vie.
Very impressed to see my fellow Unilocalers channel their inner Golden Girls! It should be illegal for Mike B to rock earrings better than I can. Thanks for the wigalicious event, I think we sucessfully entertained the regular customers too.

Woohoo! Thank you, Mike B., for kicking off 2014 for the MD Burbs with a belly-​busting Elite Event! I can confidently say that New Haven-​style pizza has its newest lifetime fan thanks to the event, and I also can assert that «Golden Girls» has a new potential devotee as well.
We were treated to the full cadre of Pete’s offerings, from their monthly-​rotational antipasti (you gotta try the roasted potatoes in the spicy sauce), to 4 different varieties of their authentic New Haven-​style pizza, to some tasty house wines and Puck’s natural sodas. What I really found enlightening and informative was the time the leadership team at Pete’s took in explaining to the attendees the story behind New Haven style, what makes it unique, and how they make every effort to source their products locally, which I know us Unilocal Elite members always appreciate!
Their pizza offerings represented four unique New Haven pizzerias and were slightly nuanced from one to the other, but all were united by their thin, well-​done, and super-​tasty crust. We were treated to a white clam pizza (Pepe’s), a very well-​done (and my favorite) basic cheese pizza — Sally’s, an «everything-​but-​the-​kitchen-​sink» pizza — The Bomb, and (ready for this?) a Mashed Potato Pizza!
I’m so glad I finally had a chance to try this local chain (had been bookmarked for a while), but the pizza tasting was also punctuated by the HILARIOUS (and interactive) «auditions» for Golden Girls, and judged by the audience! I loved hearing the creative side of Unilocalers come out in doing their best Sophia, Rose, and Blanche impressions. Mike B. had an awesome custom Golden Girls wallet to give away, among other cool prizes, and the costumes donned by many of the participants were incredibly convincingly geriatric-​looking!

What a fun night! I almost did not go to this event because I had a headache, but I’m so glad that I attended. Thankfully, I arrived a few minutes before the event began and I was able to find street parking so that I did not have to walk far in the chilly weather. The Golden Girls were a part of my childhood since I watched it with my grandmother, so I was intrigued from the beginning.
There were about 5 to 6 large tables reserved for our group. I sat at the first table and we had the game Apples to Apples which we did not get to play unfortunately. We also received free Unilocal buttons and nail files (hence the Golden Girls theme).
Mike gave each of us two Unilocal tickets for drinks. I tried the house red wine which was very light and smooth, great choice! I was able to meet some new Unilocal Elites and meet others in person that I’m friends with :).
We then received the antipasti samples. We could choose from a beet mixture with goat cheese, roasted vegetables and potatoes in an orange sauce. I liked the potatoes the most and the sauce was kind of spicy.
The owners came to chat with us and explain the New Haven pizza. We sampled the potato pizza, cheese, the bomb and a white pizza with clams. The potato pizza was a surprising favorite. I would definitely order a pizza with ½ cheese and the other half would be the potato and the white pizza with clams.
I really did come to indulge in some good food and I was able to do just that. I even took a slice of the potato pizza home that was gone by 10p. So much for having that for lunch today…
As the event came to a close, Mike hosted a Golden Girls scene rehearsal which was hilarious. It was even more fun because some were in their Golden Girls attire. Tons of fun and its great to know about a new pizza spot in Silver Spring! Thanks Mike and Pete’s New Haven!

I love the Pete’s in Friendship Heights/​Tenleytown so I was excited to see one open up in my stomping grounds of Silver Spring. The night started off with locavore antipasti that was really fresh and delicious. It rotates monthly so if you get here before the end of February you will probably have the antipasti we had tonight on your menu. I didn’t care for the root medley, but the pearl barley with kale and red cabbage was really good, as was the potatoes with cherry pepper aioli, and the beets with goat cheese and orange slices. The pizza offerings all had funky names I promptly forgot, but I got to try the white pizza with clams (really good seasonings), the mashed potato pizza (not something I would’ve ever ordered, and won’t again, but glad I got to try it!), and the regular cheese. There was something with a Tom of veggies that looked really good but went really fast. New Haven pizza is thin and crunchy with only a small fluffy soft portion in the middle, but WAY better than St. Louis pizza which could be similarly described. Fresh ingredients basically make everything better and Pete’s has that nailed. Of note, Pete’s offers an impressive selection on desserts made in house, and we got to sample the chocolate gelato. It was rich and chocolatey, abetted choice for true chocolate lovers like me!
And kudus to CM Mike B for the Golden Girks theme! Awesome costumes and the audition game was hilarious. I needed a character refresher! But at least now I know what to find on Hulu after I finish Gray’s Anatomy!

I was super duper excited for this event (of course, since it’s hosted by MIKE!) — I love pizza and so checking out this pizza joint in Silver Spring was pretty awesome. I love the fact that the restaurant is environment– and green-​friendly (use of electricity, beverages in glass containers, etc.), local ingredients are used, gelatos are made in-​house, the owners are from NY (and graduated from the CIA), they have gluten-​free options, donates meals through NPR, and they even make pancetta in-​house! Chef Tom talked about how they source all their ingredients locally in the DMV area, and they really pride themselves in making everything all-​natural, artifical-​free — how cool is that? We were able to sample: beet and goat cheese salad, butternut squash salad (my favorite of all the antipasti!), potatoes with a creamy sauce, the New Haven (white pizza with local Chespeake clams, garlic, EVOO, Pecorino Romano, and oregano — salty, savory, and quite a delicious surprise!), the Bomb (with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, etc.), the Sally’s pizza (nice and well-​done crust with tomato sauce and cheese), and, my absolute favorite of the night, the mashed potatoes pizza (creamy, delicious, thick, flavorful with herbs!). We even got some chocolate ice cream at the end — yay! I really enjoyed Puck’s Old Fashioned Soda’s Black Cherry — fizzy & yummy! I loved the fact that the attire that the Unilocalers wore ‘old people clothing’ — ahaha, and I loved the Golden Girls auditioning — that was a cool wallet that was won! I would definitely go to the New Haven in Clarendon, as that one is the closest to my place, and definitely pig out on the mashed potatoes pizza some more. I’d also love to check out their other regional/​specialty pizzas — I absolutely love the fact that they do their crust ‘well-​done’ so it’s always nice and crispy. I love the pastel-​colored plates, the Unilocal buttons, the Unilocal nail files, and the nice balloons that made this get-​together festive. It was great seeing fellow Unilocalers, new and ‘old’ :D THANKS FOR THE FIRST AWESOME EVENT FOR THE MD BURBS FOR THE 2014 YEAR, MIKE! Woot woot!
+mashed potatoes pizza
+Puck’s Old Fashioned Soda’s Black Cherry

This event was so. much. fun. I’m not sure you could go wrong with Pete’s, but this was particularly good. We got to try Pete’s version of the specialties of the four most famous New Haven pizzerias. I’ve had a lot of Pete’s pizza, and I LOVE it, but I haven’t had it like this, where it’s been specifically compared to the pizzas it’s modeled after. I lived in New Haven for a little while, so I’ve tried pizza from all the places from which Pete’s drew its inspiration. Tonight they made their version of Pepe’s white clam pizza, Sally’s cheese pizza, Modern’s Bomb, and Bar’s mashed potato pizza. (I know, you’re saying, «Mashed Potato?! On PIZZA?! WHAT!?» But it’s so good. You just wait ’til you try it.) So here’s my evaluation of their attempts at the four varieties:
Pete’s version of Pepe’s clam pizza — I can’t vouch for it’s flavor, because I can’t eat shellfish, but by looking at it, I could tell you that the crust was thicker than Pepe’s, but not burnt, as Pepe’s often is (which I don’t like, so I think if I could eat clams, I would have liked Pete’s version better.)
Pete’s version of Sally’s cheese pizza — I think this one came closest to the original — it’s very thin crust, but it stands up, and doesn’t flop when you pick it up. I love Pete’s cheese pizza, and this version of it, which was thinner than usual, was even better.
Pete’s version of Modern’s Bomb — Pete’s crust was much thicker than Modern’s pizza crust, but I liked Pete’s version better. When you pile a lot of toppings onto Modern’s flimsy crust, and you try to pick up the slice to eat it, all the toppings and cheese easily slide off. In Pete’s case, the crust stood up to the toppings, and wasn’t charred like Modern’s crust can be.
Pete’s version of Bar’s mashed potato pizza — The flavor came very close. Bar’s may be a little more garlicky than Pete’s. Also, Bar’s crust is thinner and floppier, and instead of an even layer of mashed potato all the way across, Bar puts dollops of mashed potato all around the pizza, like mashed potato polka dots. The original Bar mashed potato pizza may edge Pete’s version out by a hair.
And to top off all that awesomeness, we also got Peroni (or wine or soda if you wanted it) and chocolate gelato. And I loved the brave Unilocalers’ Golden Girls auditions — props to you guys for getting up there and strutting your old people stuff. And major props to Mike B. for organizing this great event! Can’t wait for the next one!

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make an event so early in the evening, but when I saw it was going to be held at Pete’s… I knew I’d make it work! I’ve never been disappointed with their delicious crispy crust and novel combos of toppings, at any of their locations. The Silver Spring restaurant is my favorite, with such a spacious and inviting space that’s right on the corner of Georgia & Wayne.
This event was definitely one of the best I’ve attended, with quite a spread of food from our generous and friendly hosts. They brought out four different pizzas, each made in the style of a particular New Haven pizzeria. The clam pizza is my usual favorite, but I’d eat a mashed potato pizza anytime! Sounds crazy, but it was awesome. The seasonal antipasti was also perfect, from the candied beets to the spicy aioli potatoes. I love that their ingredients are largely local, fresh, and in-​season, and that they avoid corn syrup, antibiotics, etc. They even made some gluten free pizzas so no Unilocalers would be left out! Oh, and we finished off with chocolate gelato. Perfection.
Mike B. had added a Golden Girls theme to the event, which was extra fun. I put on my sassiest wig and glasses (see my new avatar), hiked my pants up to my armpits, and left wearing an «Over the Hill» sash. Oh, Mike! Can’t wait for the next event… and my next visit to Pete’s (when I may beg and plead for a mashed potato pizza if it’s not on the menu).

Another winning event hosted by the effervescent Mike B. I love my neighborhood Pete’s! Getting to come here for an Elite event was an added bonus. Seeing familiar Eliters was a bonus on top of a bonus. We were treated to delicious antipasti. Who knew I liked beets and goat cheese? And the potatoes. If you like the patatas bravo at La Malinche nearby, you’ll love these! They are spicy!
Then they rolled out the pizzas.
Pizza after pizza. Delicious Apizza. That’s New Haven style. Clam pizza? Yup. Mash potatoes on your pizza? Yup. There was actually pizza leftover… at an elite event. That’s unheard of!
Thank you for being a friend. The Golden Girls ruled this event. Not too many Unilocalers embraced the theme (One of the disadvantages of coming straight from work.) Although I didn’t mingle much (too busy noshing), I did enjoy being with friends.
And if this was a Golden Girls get together, then where was the cheesecake?!

Wow! Who knew they could make pizza this good in New Haven!
Thin crust pizza… which is my go-​to every time but wait until you get a load of the toppings…
1. Mashed potatoes. Yep. Those creamy, buttery spud generally found under a slab o’meat was the centerpiece here. Heather J. told me in New Haven they mound the spuds all over the pizza but tonight they spread it thin over the crust… buttery and garlicky. YUM!
2. Mootz. In New Haven, you have to ask for «mootz» to get what most people think of as a «plain» pizza. When you ask for «plain,» you get a simple, classic fresh tomato pie the way Frank Pepe made them when he first opened for business in New Haven in 1925. Ours features our crisp thin crust, all-​natural tomato sauce, fresh chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, a dash of oregano, and a good sprinkling of pecorino-​romano. Light, healthy and a great value. (I stole this from their web-page…I couldn’t think of a way to make it funnier!)
3. Clams. Yep. Some olive oil, pecorino romano and garlic. Salty, crispy and tasty.
4. Salami, artichokes, red onions, and cherry peppers. Named «The Game» and pretty famous and my favorite! The salami was sliced so thin it was bacon-esque…nom nom nom.
5. Veggie gluten free. Need I say more?
There were antipastis to start… roasted root veggies, something with kale and quinoa… healthy and many gluten free.
They have wines, beers and Puck’s fountain drinks with pure cane sugar. Lots of Interesting flavors to try.
It was great to see all the Elites party like it was 1991… Loved the theme, loved the wigs, loved the sweaters and loved Ann B!!! She should come to all our Unilocal events!!!
Thanks to Mike B. and the hospitable folks at Pete’s New Haven (my new reason to drive into Silver Spring!!!) for the most delicious pizza and chocolate gelato!!!
Best part of the night for me is hanging out with my little sister, Elizabeth, who introduced me to Unilocal and nominated me for Elite… I really have to thank her «for being a friend!!!» Awwwwwwwww…

Pete’s Apizza AND Golden Girls? Best Monday night in history!
I love Pete’s so I was super excited for this event. My favorite is the East Rock white pizza though the New Haven with clams is good too.
But forget that. We need to all band together and write the owners, the mayor, even President Obama if need be and get the mashed potato pizza on the permanent menu! It was sooooo good and homey and comforting on this cold January night!
Thanks Mike for putting together a great event as always :)