Martha Dear opened in December 2020 in a basement space on Mount Pleasant Street NW, run by Demetri Mechelis and Tara Smith as part neighborhood pizzeria, part Greek taverna. The menu centers on naturally leavened 12-inch pizza built around Mechelis's Greek roots and a love of vegetables, with Greek olive oil used throughout.
The white pizza has developed a following among regulars, part of a menu that leans into Mediterranean flavors alongside the core pizza program. The wine list favors natural bottles, mostly from Greece, and the bar has a taste for boozy, bitter cocktails.
Martha Dear was named to StarChefs' 2022 Rising Stars list for the DC-Chesapeake region, scored 8.2 out of 10 by The Infatuation, and landed on Washingtonian's Best of 2025 list.
The white pizza has developed a following among regulars, part of a menu that leans into Mediterranean flavors alongside the core pizza program. The wine list favors natural bottles, mostly from Greece, and the bar has a taste for boozy, bitter cocktails.
Martha Dear was named to StarChefs' 2022 Rising Stars list for the DC-Chesapeake region, scored 8.2 out of 10 by The Infatuation, and landed on Washingtonian's Best of 2025 list.