Pupatella traces back to a food cart Enzo Algarme, a Naples native, launched in Arlington's Ballston neighborhood in 2007. Demand for his Neapolitan-style pies pushed the operation out of the cart and into brick-and-mortar restaurants, with the Capitol Hill location carrying that same approach into Washington, D.C.
The pizza is made under the rules of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the Italian body that certifies what counts as true Neapolitan pizza — Pupatella holds that certification, meaning the dough, ingredients, and cooking method follow the traditions of Naples rather than an Americanized take on the style.
The pizza is made under the rules of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the Italian body that certifies what counts as true Neapolitan pizza — Pupatella holds that certification, meaning the dough, ingredients, and cooking method follow the traditions of Naples rather than an Americanized take on the style.