*The Burn is sharing this feature article from our partner publication Ashburn Magazine.
By Chris Wadsworth
Pizza may have its roots in Naples, Italy, but let’s face it. It’s as American as baseball and apple pie. And Ashburn is replete with pizza joints — from the national chains (Domino’s, Papa John’s, Ledo, MOD) to the locally grown brands (Manhattan, Paisano’s, Rubino’s, etc.) to the upscale (Matchbox).
But if pizza originally came from Italy and became an American standard, what happens when another culture decides to throw its flavors into the mix and make something both instantly recognizable and completely new?
We’re talking about the new trend that’s come to Ashburn — Indian pizza — as in pizza pies with toppings and seasonings from the cuisine of India and South Asia.
“They are becoming part of the culture now,” said Suresh Sagadevan, who lives in Ashburn’s Overland Park neighborhood. He’s originally from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, and he says he sees Indian flavors mixing with American flavors both in India and here in Ashburn.
“We had pizza before, but now they are fusing it with the Indian flavors. Even in McDonald’s and KFC, you can get the Indian flavors. McDonald’s has paneer [a soft cheese] in some of their dishes.”
Ashburn has not one, but two restaurants that specialize in Indian-style pizzas. But you wouldn’t know it from their names: Chicago’s Pizza with a Twist and Pizza 360.
In the name of research, I ventured out to try these relatively new entrants into the local pizza scene. I took my son, Sean, 14, with me. We met up with Sagadevan and his son, Anish Suresh, 15. Sean and Anish both attend Briar Woods High School and have been friends since kindergarten.
Our first stop was Pizza 360, on Beaumeade Circle off Loudoun County Parkway. The restaurant is mostly carry-out and delivery focused but does have a few tables in the tiny dining room.