Caldo!

A Vespa dealership AND a pizza place? Interesting combo. Hot Italian, now open at the corner of 16th and Q, does a pretty good job melding the two concepts.

Granted, I'm not in the marketplace for a scooter, so I went straight for the pizza. I walked through the shop to get to the restaurant and was stopped by a hostess asking if I knew about their seating options. You can sit at the gelato bar (more on that later), the pizza bar where you can see the kitchen or at a large common table and "make a few new friends." Who could pass up that opportunity!

So while I waited for Nancy I sat down next to a couple who were finishing their meal. I sat down without thinking that it might be weird to join their date, but it was too late. After an awkward hello, I asked them how their meal was and got their suggestions on whether or not one pizza was enough for two people to share. It was pleasant enough, but I don't think we're going to be friends.

The crowd ranged from people with families, couples and larger groups of friends. One minor drawback is as the place got busier, it got quite loud. I don't think the cinderblock walls provide the best acoustics. It wasn't unpleasant, but if you're looking for intimate conversation you might want to try elsewhere. The general atmosphere is relaxed and casual and the servers are friendly.

As I've mentioned before, I love pizza and am a big fan of the thin crust style. The menu has eight varieties of pie, one of which can also be made into a calzone and another which can be served panini style. Options include the Bellucci (tomato, mozzarella, sausage and ricotta), the Materazzi (tomato, fontina, pepperoni and olives), the Magnini (smoked salmon, mozzarella, mascarpone and dill) and our choice, the Bova (tomato, roasted eggplant, mozzarella and goat cheese). We also shared a Sozzani salad, with baby spinach, pears, dried cranberries, pine nuts and Gorgonzola. The other salad option was pretty tempting too -- romaine, blood oranges and ricotta.

The salad ($8) and pizza ($11) were the perfect size for sharing (my new friends were right!). However, I did note that after reviewing the menu later that they forgot the pears in the salad. The pizza crust was tender and not too chewy. The eggplant and goat cheese were delicious. We also split a bottle of Coppola Pinot Noir for $25. Bottles run $25, $35 and $45 in both red and white varietals and glasses are between $5 and $8. They also have a selection of Prosecco and draft beers. I'm sure they have non-alcoholic beverages too, but we didn't ask.

I don't usually indulge in dessert, but gelato is one of my favorites. Hot Italian has thirteen varieties ($3 for two scoops), including espresso, stracciatella, peanut butter cup, zabaglione and ferrero rocher - which was delicious. They also have pear and blood orange sorbet, which sound fantastic. I can definitely see people riding their scooters over for a scoop at the gelato bar when the weather gets warmer! Finally, there are two other desserts - the Zucchero calzone (hazelnut spread and powdered sugar) and Murino pizza (sweet gorgonzola and pears drizzled with honey). I think I just like dessert better when it's Italian.

I'll give Mazullo a slight edge on the pizza, but overall I really enjoyed my meal. I know I'll be back because I still have 12 flavors of gelato to try.