A forthcoming pizza restaurant in Rosslyn plans to serve up Roman-style pies of the rectangular variety.
Ravenna Pizza advertises a menu with 13 varieties of sharp-cornered pizza, alongside salads, homemade gelato and Italian desserts. Owner Mustafa Durran plans to open in the former spot of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop at 1500 Wilson Blvd by early to mid-January.
Ravenna’s pies, called “pizza al taglio,” undergo a much longer rise than a typical Neapolitan or New York-style pie — fermenting in two stages for a total of 72 hours before baking.
“It’s higher hydration, a longer fermentation process, and the end result is crusty in the bottom, airy in the middle, and soft on top, with minimalistic authentic ingredients,” Durran said. “When you bite through it, you feel the crunch and it melts in your mouth.”
He felt inspired to open a pizzeria after a trip in Rome in May 2022, where he fell in love with a Roman method of making pizza. He said he hopes to bring similar flavors to the D.C. area.
“I’m very disappointed in the quality of the pizza in the mainstream and the D.C. area,” Durran said. “Some of these major players, they charge you a pretty penny, right? They call that a pizza. You have this in Rome, and then you see what pizza should really be like.”
In addition to making pizzas, Durran plans to serve homemade gelato with Italian equipment from Carpigiani that can make gelato base, pasteurize it and freeze the dessert.
Ravenna also plans to have a full-service bar with Italian beer, wine and cocktails. There will be spaces to sit and eat, but the pizzeria will also offer takeout and delivery.
Durran, currently the owner of a local insurance agency, has some previous food service experience. In his home country of Afghanistan, he helped out his family’s restaurant as a teenager.
Working alongside Durran at the new restaurant will be Chef Massimiliano Saieva, the owner of ASR PizzaLab Academy in Madrid, New York and Montreal.
Durran said the business is currently in the process of applying for building permits.
“I wholeheartedly believe that this would be a service for the people of Northern Virginia once we deliver this authentic, Italian province-style pizza,” Durran said. “We’re so excited to bring this authentic, different style of food to Arlington.”
Photo (1) via Google Maps
