Vace Italian Delicatessen & Homemade Pasta
- Nearest Transit:
Cleveland Park (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sat 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sun 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
99 Reviews for Vace Italian Delicatessen & Homemade Pasta
I got some long-distance lovin' from my sis on this one--she brought home a cheese pizza for us to try. Even after a hard day of looking gorgeous behind the counter at Bellacara, the hours-old slices made my toes curl.
The crust was above average--nice resistance and decent thickness (or should I say thinness?). The sauce was delish--pungent and robust. This would be a great pizza for people who aren't super into cheese--there wasn't much of it there.
I can't wait to try some fresh 'n' hot, I just can't stand the neighborhood up that way. But now that my Persian prince lives in Columbia Heights, I'm sure I'll get the chance at some point.
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What's not to love? I think the perfunctory service (it's not rude, which is enough for me) just adds to its no-nonsense, serious food charm. Large pies start at $9.50 and the cracker crust is thin and smoky. Sauce-to-cheese ratio is about 63-37, give or take, and the sauce is not too sweet without a hint of bitterness. Pizza is definitely on the salty side, but you will not find me complaining. In fact, I'll just add some salty cured meat on top, like the amazing soppressata, and eat one slice too many. Oooof. Love Vace's fresh pastas -- they're a great deal and there are so many varieties. Bought my first fresh mozzarella ball a few weeks ago and it was lovely. Change the water daily and it'll keep for a week, at least.
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Darn solid Italian Deli. Great fresh pasta and sauces. The cheese and meat selection is a little thin, but otherwise, it's great!
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I like that Vace is so close to home, and it's the closest thing I can get to a Greek market. They have phyllo dough, which is great and saves me a trip up to Whole Foods. I've had the pizza, but someone (who will remain nameless) didn't get them warmed up. *sigh* he's got some learning to do. Anyway, even though it was cold, it was good. I can imagine that it will be delicious hot. There's an assortment of other cooked goodies, as well as frozen stuff and bottles and cans of Mediterranean staples.
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I came to DC for a conference about something-something-blah-blah-blah... or at least thats what they payed me to come to DC for. I personally came to DC to eat at good restaurants, ride the metro rail, and almost get knifed in bad areas. Thats what I do.
Anyway, Yelp lead me to Vace's, and im happy to see that DC Yelpers are apparently on their game.
I got on the Metro in Crystal City after my day of work was over and blasted up to the exit nearest Vace. Luckily, its barely a block. Sweet. I search around, looking for a big pizza place... but what i find is a tiny little nondescript italian deli tucked into a row of businesses. This is what is known as a 'really effin good sign'.
I ordered 2 slices of their pizza on the counter since it looked really fresh. One bite in and I knew that I had found some seriously good pie. The flavorful sauce, crispy crust, and fresh mozz made just a fantastic pie. And it was cheap too!
I parked my ass on the curb where I think i confused the locals. Some of us arent used to the humidity ok? The dude in business clothes sitting on the curb dumping sweat and snarfing pizza shouldnt be an odd site. Cmon locals. Gosh.
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I usually see people walk out of Vace with one or more pizzas in hand, which should tell you something about them - just amazing! It is quite dangerous to have this place a block away from my apartment. The homemade pasta is delicious and I always appreciate the availability of authentic Italian products (love the fresh mozzarella). I discovered much to my delight that they carry a few choice Argentine products like Mate and Alfajores (if you don't know what they are, buy some - I promise you'll like them). How random? I also would like to point out their sale of rubber gaskets behind the counter - I suppose that sort of makes up for the fact that there is no hardware store close by....
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Vace is good enough that even without a seating area, people buy whole pies and then sit on the bench outside the library across the street to chow down. I'm partial to their capacolla and provolone subs and to the Alex's Lemonade Stand drinks they sell (money goes to charity and they taste AWESOME, not sold many places!). The service is a bit iffy -- sometimes they make you wait for ages and they never seem to be in any sort of hurry, but the food is worth it.
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Definitely the best pie I've ever had outside of New York; really an authentic little grocery. Incredibly inexpensive -- something like $4.50 for a good-sized Italian sub. Nice selection of frozen pastas and sauces. But the pies are really the draw. Perfect use of cheese (moderation, folks) stands in contrast to the lower 90% of filthy hipster wanna-be pizza spots down here.
Delivery's a bit slow, as is take-out. Meh, worth the wait.
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Tasty pizza. They only do take-out, and the one woman that is sometimes at the counter can be a bit curt, but it's worth it. You can get a whole pizza, or just drop by for a slice or two. they also sell beer, wine, deli meats, frozen lasagnas and other pasta, and a bunch of dry goods, too. Add about 5 minutes to the time they quote you on the phone, and your pizza will be just about ready.
Note: the pizza is what some people term upside-down pizza. There is sauce on the top, and the crust is pretty thin.
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Always a great deal and quality product. I will call in and ask for a Focaccia sandwich with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozz with everything on it, LTO, hot peppers and Oil & Vin, eat it soon or it will get soggy, but it can't be beat. All pizzas are good, extra cheese pie is awesome, white pizza with onions and spinach is top notch. You can get creative with the toppings, if they sell it you can pretty much get it. Prosciutto, Goat cheese, and artichokes is my choice. And check out the frozen raviolis for a tasty quick meal.
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I hate seeing 3 star reviews, but thats all this place was after all the hype from friends and Yelp reviewers.
I only had a pepperoni pizza here and was expecting something a lot better than what I got there. Its a good slice a pizza no doubt, but I've had better even here in the DC area.
Great Pizza... definitely a little different - sauce on top and VERY flavorful. They also sell GREAT frozen pasta and sauces. The Gnocchi and Pesto was pretty much the best meal of my life. And it's all for a nice price.
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I had heard Vace was an Italian Deli that also had some decent pizza. I decided to hit it after working out at the Van Ness Gold's. The entire time I was working out I was thinking about the reward that lay ahead, a nice fat sub with prosciutto, fresh mozz and basil. When I get to Vace my appetite is in overdrive. I was happy that I was the first in line. When I placed my order the cashier put a halt to my plans by saying they were out of sub rolls. WTF?!! How the hell do you run out of sub rolls? You're a "deli" right? I remembered Firehook was in the same strip so I ran up there and got a baguette, then back to Vace to get the ingredients. They had the prosciutto but guess what, no freakin fresh mozz. WTF? I was way too hungry to leave empty handed so I grabbed a slice and headed to Whole Foods to get the rest to make my sandwich complete. The pizza wasn't bad, but I already have my favorite pizza spots.
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This place is a landmark
You cannot go wrong -
Personally I love the italian subs. You can really tell the difference in the meats they use. The Cannoli is divine, the Pizza to die for, and the fresh ball Mozzeralla is wonderful to take home!
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I love their fresh, pastas, mozzarella but my favorite is the plain pizza with tomato sauce. The cheese is underneath the tomato sauce and the crust always stays crispy! They also have authentic Italian products and are not as expensive as Whole Foods or Balducci's.
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It is verrry dangerous for me to live around the corner from Vace. It's just too easy to swing by for a slice of their delicious pizza once (or twice!) a day. You can also order whole pies, I'd recommend calling in your order because they can have quite a wait sometimes. They make simple italian subs on crusty bread that are made daily for the lunch crowd. They go quickly and you have to wait for them to make you one if you want anything that deviates from what they've made that day.
If you try one slice, you have to go for the white onion. It's awesome, the savory cheese with sweet onions. The cheese pizza is good too, it has the sauce on top of the cheese, which I'd never had before. I really like their crust, it's not overly hard and dry.
Vace also carries italian cooking ingredients such as pastas, meats, canned goods, packaged sweets ect. They have a small selection of wines and italian soft drinks. For people too busy to cook, they have a bunch of frozen entrees that just need to be popped into the oven.
Vace is strictly carry-out. They accept credit cards for over $5.
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As we got off the metro in Cleveland Park to attend an opening day showing of Indiana Jones, we could already see the line forming outside the Uptown Theater. And this was an hour and a half before the show! We decided to just grab a pizza at Vace and eat it in line.
Despite telling us it would take a half an hour, it took more like 40 minutes to get our pizza. It was ready just as the line started moving and they were letting people into the theater. We then had about five minutes to consume the pizza before going in! I dont know that i've ever eaten so fast! I scarfed down two pieces in about 3 minutes. They may have been the best three minutes of my life.
The crust is the perfect crispiness but not too crispy. While my esophagus is probably still in pain from this, i love the fact that it is more sauce oriented than cheese. I hate pizza that is too overly cheesey, but at Vace they really emphasize the sauce and it is fantastic! It makes for really the perfect marinara sauce. In the past i've had the white pizza, which was also very tasty (and less harmful to my body!)
The place is full of different italian foods and pastas you can buy. You can even buy their dough, sauce and cheese and make your own! It all looks so good and I only wish my bank account and pants would allow me to buy and consume it all!
Overall, a fantastic choice for eating in the line, or on your way to the zoo, or really just because you wanted to eat pizza :) Just dont plan on eating in the store since they dont have any place to sit!
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As much as it pains me to do it, Vace is getting docked a star. I am inclined to agree with Basie B, the food is awesome but their service sucks. Last week I went in to get a turkey sub and asked for some salt and pepper on it. The guy tells me "yeah we don't have that". You don't have salt and pepper?? Are you sure? Pissed me off to be honest. But what really "grinds my gears" to quote Peter Griffin was my experience last night. I called in an order at 7:50 pm. I was told it would take about 20 minutes. No problem really. I walk over from my girlfriends' apartment which is about 5 minutes away. Stop for a beer at Cleveland Park Bar and Grill, then traipse into Vace around 8:05. They are closed! Lights on, people closing up shop, etc. I ask "Hey, I'm the guy who placed order #93, I have cash can I just pay? Was told rudely, "nope, we are closed". Obvious question- if you close @ 8, why even take the order? Or just tell me "ok, but we are closing in 10 minutes." I would have driven and made it! Pissed me off. I will be back (Vace is that good) but the experience is going to make me give it a month or two.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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01/25/2008
Not much to add here that hasn't already been covered. Super fresh pizza, liberally applied… Read more »
I work down the street from Vace. The Cleveland Park/Woodley Park area is totally horrible for lunch options. Vace is usually my savior.
The spinach and onion pizza are my two favorites. The cheese and pepperoni are not. I've also bought their pizza dough, pastas, and prosciutto and have been happy with the results.
The staff can be a little brusque or inefficient at times. But if you go there enough, Celeste will thaw a little and stop being so mean to you and will usually make your sub from scratch rather than hand you the ones that sit out on the counter all day.
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4.50 stars. I have an internal bias to Chicago-style pizza so although I found Vace's pizza rather tasty and among the best in DC, it was not as great as I had envisioned based on its nearly impeccable reputation within the District. The simple, thin crust pizza breaks down in the mouth like a graham cracker (which was fine -- it was the best thin pizza crust I have tasted). I would have preferred a few more ingredients on my pizza, but overall, it was fine (especially for the price). The real treat at this restaurant, however, is not the pizza but rather the amazingly simple yet delectable homemade pastas! For a mere $8, I was able to take home high-end restaurant quality spinach and cheese canneloni. The veal agnolotti and potato gnocchi I purchased were also very reasonable.
In summation, if you like thin crust pizza, you will likely enjoy Vace's pizza. If you are a human being with a pulse, you will appreciate their amazing pastas.
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Amazing pizza by the slice...and their dough is freshly made and delicious. I love to pick up their handmade dough and sauce and take it home to create my own pies. They also have a fantastic selection of italian meats, cheeses, pastas and other delicacies that are hard to pass up!
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I like Vace's pizzas. The smell of melted cheese and baked dough in the air simply draws you in!!!! The stuff they have in the freezers are worth checking out too. They do a mean eggplant pamersan which you can take home to bake in the oven. I have only one compliant. I wished they had better price labeling. It is kinda a pain and embarrassing to keep going to the very busy counter staff to ask how much this and that is. I think I would get alot more stuff out of the freezer if they just labeled the prices!
This is the only place round the area where you can find 00 flour for making fresh pasta. Fresh pasta and a container of homemade sauce from Vace will make any date impressed at your cooking!!!
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Even if you don't live anywhere convenient to Cleveland Park, even if you have to ride your bicycle up the hill from Mt. Pleasant that is reminiscent of Seattle, Vace's is well worth the trip up or down Connecticut Avenue.
An old-style Italian deli, Vace's has fantastic fresh Italian carbohydrates (the noodles, pizza dough, and gnocci particularly shine). Everyone loves, too, their pizza, which is minimalist: toppings are scant, but plentiful enough and in high enough quality to be one of the best slices you've ever had.
There's nowhere to sit, so be prepared to eat on the fly, or grab a bottle of wine out of their refrigerator and take it outside to the lawn of a nearby apartment building where a cranky security guard will tell you to leave or he's calling the police. After being ejected, go to one of the tables in the south end of the Petco parking lot one block north of Vace, drink your wine from the bottle muttering about ridiculous U.S. bans on public consumption of alcohol (I am compelled to point out that I did none of this alone).
You can buy Italian meats and other Italian specialties here; you can also purchase a wide variety of olives.
The service is a bit abrupt and a bit rude, so you should know exactly what you want to order when you get to the front or you risk a look of petulance. But once you bite into a piece of warmed-over pizza, you'll forget about it.
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GREAT APPETIZER IDEA
Go to Vace and create this tray of deliciousness before your next dinner party. ~$35 and all you have to do is arrange the tray and drizzle with olive oil.
1 big ball fresh mozarella
1 loaf bread
12 slices domestic prosciutto
12 slices salami or sopressata
1 small container marinated artichokes
1 small container marinated mushrooms
1 small container mixed olives
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Vace has the best pizza in Northwest.
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Vace is fantastic. Pizza by the slice!! You must buy some pasta and sausage to take home for cooking yourself. The parmesan cheese in the fridge section is to die for as well!! I shop here at least 3 times a month. Must have the spinach or mushroom ravioli in my freezer at all times!!
Vace rocks.......
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Vace was my first true love in DC. Living for a year in Cleveland Park, there was not a week when I did not trek over for my favorite concoction: a large white pizza with onions and kalamata olives (kalamata: regular black olives :: New York Times : USA Today). Happiness, for one night, was a thin crust pizza running at about the price of a movie ticket these days.
I'll be honest, I fell so hard for the pizza that I never tried Vace's well-known pastas or sandwiches, but I can't say I regret my single-track focus on the pizza. In a world of Pizza Huts and Papa Johns, Vace was the sole voice of reason in a world gone mad with love for stuffed crusts and meat lovers' heart burn.
Vace: the un-american american favorite.
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"VACE subs" -- that's what the big green awning sign reads above Vace.
A couple weekends ago, bf and I decided to take a walk across Rock Creek park to grab lunch at this "amazing" Italian Deli we'd been hearing about through legit foodie friends for ages. We figured we'd get some subs and head to the park and eat because it was a beautiful warm day.
We get there, stand in line for about 20 minutes, and when we get to the counter and order some subs, the response was "No subs, you are late. Very late." It was 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday for chrissakes. Apparently this large-moled woman had run out of bread, and from the sounds of it, this happens all the time before lunch time.
So I'm giving them a couple of stars because they had imported Argentine frozen empanada wrappers, and they're the best kind.
They have the BEST pizza by the slice!!!!
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THE best pizza I have had outside of NYC. They also have all kinds of other pastas and sauces that are refrigerated or frozen that you can take home and prepare.
I love this place! And lastly don't forget to pick up a baclava at the counter for desert...
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Mama Mia! The pizza from Vace rocks! If you are looking for NY-style pizza in DC, this is DEFINITELY the closest that I have found!
The crust is thin and cooked perfectly. The top is a bit crispy, while the narrow point at the bottom is light and chewy. It is so light that you will need to hold the crust from both ends while you eat your slice or else your pizza will be flopping in the breeze.
The cheese is fresh and used sparingly. For those of you familiar with NYC pizza, this is closer to Pizza 33 than Ray's. The mozzarella is just one ingredient in a more elaborate masterpiece.
The tomato sauce at Vace is homemade and flavorful with a nice blend of spices. I tasted oregano, but there was also a hint of sweetness mixed in with the spicy. It reminded me a bit of the sauce used at Angelico's, but Vace's sauce is better. The mushrooms are large and fresh, and a far cry from what you will find at your typical pizza place.
Bonus for the fact that the slices are a great value! 2 slices and 1 bottled water only set me back $4.50! When the friendly woman behind the counter gave me my total, I looked at her in disbelief! You can call in your order for pies or subs, too. A large 16" cheese pie is only $9.00! A DC establishment with NYC-esque slices and Midwest prices = me likey!
Four stars, instead of five, because:
1. I have walked by Vace many, many times over the past 10 years, and just kept walking. When I think Italian deli, I think prosciutto, salami and sausage. I don't think great pizza. I respect that the name has worked well for Vace for three decades, but it confused me. If it wasn't for Yelp, I would've never gone inside, which would have been a shame; and
2. There is enough space inside for a few stools against the window. There are certain subs and slices that are best eaten when they are nice and hot. When I came to Vace for the first time a month ago, I wanted a place to sit down and get a bite out of the cold. I left without ordering anything because there weren't any stools or chairs. People in the window might also be warmer and more welcoming, instead of the current stacks of canned goods on display.
Even with these minor deterrents, I will happily make the trip and deal with the black hole that is parking in Cleveland Park for another slice. Mangia!
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Awesome. Just plain awesome. I got a slice of the white onion pizza which was delicious. Wish I had time to try more. The dough was simply outstanding. Great consistency. Nice combo of crunch and substance. Disappointing that there is nowhere to sit, especially on a cold night, but I was already aware of that when I came. If I lived in the area that would be fine but I have to make a special trip to Cleveland Park so it's a little tough.
In addition to great pizza they also have a bunch of homemade pastas and pasta dishes, ready to take home. I don't know that I'll ever have the opportunity to try them, but they look delicious. Can't wait to come back here and eat more pizza!
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i love this pizza joint. i go here everytime i visit dc. yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Not impressed at all.. I got the cheese pizza and it tasted like red barron's; very dry and crispy (the burnt kind). Obviously, it could just be a fluke, as almost all the reviews are very positive.. and I am also a pizza "snob", but this is just not that great and it seems over hyped.
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What a find! This place has a great little grocery store, with everything from freshly made sausages to olive oil, for pretty decent prices. But, the kicker in the pizza. I bought the mushroom, my hubby got the spinach. Both were fantabulously delicious. The crust was thin and crisp, but not too crispy. The sauce was super flavorful, and the cheese was great--not the crappy stuff that exudes orange grease. The kicker was the price--I almost fell over when the lady told me I owed her $1.76. Say what? For a slice of pizza? Such prices are unheard of in DC, and pretty much any other city, too. The tasty tastiness of the pizza makes it worth way more than that. I'm just glad I don't live near that place, or I'd be popping in for a snack 4-5 times a week...
The main reason this place doesn't get a fifth star is due to lack of seating--there are no benches anywhere near the store, so we were forced to squat on the front steps of an apartment building a block away while we scarfed down our delicious "snack." BTW, I bought a giant thing of basil garlic polenta, was only $2.50.
The homemade pasta and sausage looked great. The deli with cheese and olives looked similarly tempting. Next time I'll have to try the homemade baklava sitting at the cash register.
What a great place! A must visit for folks wanting more than Pizza Mart on 18th, but less than a sit down restaurant.
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I'm not even gonna lie - I can get lazy when it comes to cooking. So when that bug kicks in one of the 1st place I think of is Vace. It's very unassuming, but tons of treats abound inside.
My favorite is the spinach lasagna! Super tasty, fresh pasta, quick and easy. All of the sauces are really good - my favorite is the bolognese. Pizza great for those one the run moments.
Desert - one word TIRMISU! Get it.
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OK. The pizza is good. Really good. We order veggie pizza each time and the crust is the best.
Downside: We wait extremely long and the service is like non-existent. The parking sucks but I guess the pizza is authentic so it may warrant the headache. For those who must drive to Cleveland Park, it may not be worth the wait and/or the hassle. They do sell real Italian items and pizza dough so if you are into authentic, this is your place.
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I've only ordered Pizza from Vace, so I can't speak for their other specialties... but man, let me tell you... that pizza is DELICIOUS.
It's the kind of pizza you want to eat fresh, piping hot. Then you want to eat it half an hour later, when it's cold. You want to eat it again so badly that you don't even care about reheating it. And later that night, once you're in bed and ready to sleep? Yep, you want to eat it again. And in the morning, too. Until it's all gone... or you feel guilty for eating two whole pizzas by yourself in a 24 hour period.
Whichever comes first.
I only wish that their pepperoni was made of beep rather than pork...
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The best pizza, great dough available to make your own pizza. We lived on this place when we lived in Cleveland park. I still crave the smell that this joint gave off as I walked past it every morning to get to the metro. VACE is very good for pizza and other pastas in their freezers. Yum.
I was excited when Miriam proposed we meet up with Kathleen M. at Vace before we headed over for trivia at Four Fields. This place has it all. The mom and pop shop feel of Vace brought me back to the the old days of living in a town where the population is only 4000. That in itself invokes some powerful memories.
They have many different meats, pastas, cheeses, desserts and drinks to choose from. If you're looking to make an authentic Italian dinner, come here for your ingredients. We were there for a quick bite to eat and I had the pizza. You can even get it cold or warm! I love cold pizza, but decided to get it a little heated. What really floored me was the price. Only a dollar something for the slice? It only cost me about three dollars for everything (20 ounce Sprint included)? Get out!
I'm definitely coming back here. Five stars!
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