Shout-Out: M&N’s Pizza - Bethesda, MD
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Every so often you happen upon that book, artwork, shop, restaurant, hotel or museum that strikes a particular chord, and in the past we have used this magazine to give “shout outs” to those treasures and the people responsible for them. Be it a Croatian artist and his gallery in Dubrovnik, a particularly hospitable pub in Dublin or a friendly group of superb river guides in Missoula, Montana, we hope our own wonderful experiences may yield something positive for at least a portion of our readership as well.
For example, your editor has had a long-standing love affair with salsa (the sauce, not the music; unfortunately, he is not a very good dancer), and he has never tasted a finer salsa than the Chimayo Red made by Santa Fe Seasons, available at The Chile Shop at 109 E. Water Street in Santa Fe (and, thankfully, online from the shop at www.thechileshop.com).
The utility of this issue’s shout-out is directly relevant to only a small but lucky portion of the magazine’s readership, but its intent is also to celebrate merchants everywhere who take a particular pride in their product and interest in their patrons.
The metropolitan DC area where the editor of this magazine grew up has transformed into a largely amorphous blob replete with the same chain restaurants and fast-food establishments one can find virtually anywhere in this country or even abroad. Thankfully, however, there do persist a surprisingly high number of mom ‘n pop establishments notable for their excellent service, wonderful food and devotion to the community they serve.
One such establishment is M&N’s Pizza located on Del Ray Avenue in “old” Bethesda, a couple of miles from the NIH and a quick scooter ride from the editor’s house. For seven years he and his family have enjoyed pizza, wings and gyros unparalleled in their pizza-related culinary experience, and over those years we have come to know the owners well and count them as friends.
Manoj and Nazaneen Mehta (the “M&Ns”), originally from New Delhi and Kabul, respectively, have been married 18 years. For over 16 of those years they have worked tirelessly together to develop a take-out and delivery joint that, while modest in appearance, consistently has served the best pizza around. The editor is a big pizza fan, and what M&N’s offers is no less enticing than the single-slice pizzas of Brooklyn, Chicago, Ocean City (Maryland) and a variety of other far-flung sources whose wares he has sampled over the years.
As appealing as their pizza is the kindness and courtesy of the owners. Even on the busiest Friday night, with the food delivery drivers bunched at the door and waiting with obvious impatience, Manoj greets his regular customers by name and with genuine interest inquires how things go with them and their families. Nazaneen is usually too busy working in the back to make an appearance at the counter, but when she does, her invariably pleasant words and demeanor lend a quiet softness to the end of even the most hectic of days.
Evidence of the devotion their patrons have for this restaurant and its owners are the myriad of Christmas and Hanukkah greeting cards, thank you notes and family photos proudly displayed on the walls. People in the surrounding community – high-achieving people often not easily satisfied - love this place and these people.
If you are ever in the Bethesda area and have a craving for superb pizza, wings, gyros or a wide variety of offerings of eastern Mediterranean or Indian heritage, do yourself a favor and call M&N’s. Trust me on this one - you will not be disappointed.
