Phil Hargis – A Man Of Many Interests

Z-Pizza (Arlington Location)

By Phargis.com contributing guest Pheaster Steve Lopes

The Z-pizza in Arlington is located in a little strip mall along Washington
Blvd with a Mexican restaurant to one side, a dry cleaner and a run-down
7-eleven two doors down. I had heard good things about this pizza chain,
but given the external appearance of the restaurant, we approached Z-pizza
with some mild trepidation – but as is usually the case, the best food is
often camouflaged by the surroundings. We entered just after the noon lunch
hour, so there was no crowd and it led to questions of how good this pizza
would be. The menu is simple – pizza, sandwiches, salad – yet complicated
at the same time. They have the “pizza standards” including Pepperoni -
classic cheese topped with lower-in-fat, MSG-free pepperoni; and the Sausage
& Mushroom – cheese with mushrooms and Italian sausage. Salads include the
classic Caesar salad and an Arugula salad that I’ll be sure to try on my
next visit. The sandwiches also look like they’d be worth a return visit,
especially the Pollo Latino Sandwich – marinated lime chicken breast,
lettuce, salsa and avocado.

But for this visit, I focused on the pizza by the slice and the daily
special – 2 slices and a soft drink for $6.49. There were three pizzas to
choose from and I zeroed in on the pepperoni and the Casablanca – roasted
garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and parmesan. The
crust was cooked to perfection, crisp and browned on hot bricks, and
toppings were nothing short of excellent. Z-pizza uses unique and natural
ingredients. The certified organic dough is crafted daily, the tomato sauce
is 100% certified organic, and the Mozzarella cheese is rBGH-free. Z-pizza
is definitely worth the visit. (the man spinning the dough said the Mexican
restaurant is also worth a visit)