Washington, D.C., is getting a new voice in its ever-expanding pizza scene: La Merna, a Dupont Circle restaurant promising a Chicago tavern–style pie that’s thin, ultra-crisp and served in small, one-bite squares. The couple behind the project open the doors on Aug. 13, offering pizzas, pasta and late-night cocktails aimed at filling a gap in the city’s pizza landscape.
La Merna takes over the former Duffy’s Irish Pub at 2153 P Street NW, a few blocks off the circle, and is the first joint venture from husband-and-wife owners Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt. Shorten—who runs a popular, tightly packed suburban Chicago shop known for cracker-like crusts—leads the pizza program; Schmitt brings formal cheese training from Italy and a background in distributed specialty cheeses.
What distinguishes the pies here is the emphasis on crispness: the dough is fermented for several days, rolled thin and baked until the crust breaks with a snap. The slices are cut into small squares in the classic Chicago tavern tradition, and toppings are layered so they reach every edge.
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Menu highlights
Expect a mix of straightforward and slightly offbeat Italian-American offerings, from pepperoni with hot honey and daily-made stracciatella to a mushroom pie finished with taleggio and a sungold tomato cream. Shorten recommends savory toppings like giardiniera and sausage, but the menu also leaves room for custom builds.
Schmitt’s time in Bologna informs the pasta plates: stuffed ravioli with ricotta and ’nduja in a tomato-butter-lemon sauce; broad spinach fazzoletti folded into a short-rib ragù; and fried gnudi—ricotta and spinach dumplings in vodka sauce with basil and provola.
The bar leans into Midwest supper-club inspiration while nodding to Italian flavors. Offerings include a rhubarb spritz with sparkling rosé, a tomato martini garnished with pickled sungolds, a limoncello take on gin and tonic and a watermelon margarita with a ginger-Tajín rim. A late-night specialty called Coffee & Cigarettes riffs on an espresso martini using smoky vermouth and, for an added fee, an actual cigarette as a garnish.
Why this matters: D.C. has seen a surge in pizza concepts—Detroit-style, deep-dish chains and a growing number of neighborhood slice spots—but tavern-style, ultra-thin Chicago squares have been rare. La Merna’s arrival broadens local choices for diners seeking that specific texture and topping approach, and it adds pastas and late-night options that could reshape Dupont Circle’s after-dark dining scene.
- Opening date: Aug. 13 (soft-opening service already underway)
- Address: 2153 P Street NW, Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.
- Hours: Thursday–Sunday, doors open at 5 p.m.; Thursday closes at midnight, weekend nights extend to 2 a.m.
- Reservations: Available on Resy and moving fast
- Late-night additions: Juicy Lucy burgers and extended bar service on weekends
- Planned expansion: A weekend-only sandwich window next door, expected in October, focused on stewed-meat sandwiches including Italian beef
The dining room itself is intentionally period-driven: vintage furnishings, custom typography inspired by Italian film posters and lighting that shifts from golden early-evening warmth to a darker red glow later at night. Shorten, who also handled the interior layout, and Schmitt hunted for antiques across the Midwest and around the DMV to build the look.
The couple left existing businesses in Chicago in manager hands to launch La Merna; Shorten’s previous projects included a tiny, well-regarded suburban pizzeria and an earlier shop that spawned partners behind a noted Chicago restaurant. Schmitt’s cheese work—ricotta, mozzarella and stracciatella—plays a central role throughout the menu, appearing on pizzas, pastas and house toasts.
Early reaction during neighborhood previews has been strong: walk-in sign-ups filled service nights and reservations are already booking up. The team plans incremental rollouts—starting with a limited schedule and a late-night menu—and will expand offerings as the kitchen and bar find their footing.
For diners seeking a crisp, paper-thin square and late-night Italian-American fare in Dupont Circle, La Merna positions itself as a deliberate, craft-forward alternative to the city’s current pizza options.
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