Neapolitan-style pizzas may be all the rage, but when was the last time you had a pie with sucuk? That’s the somewhat spicy Turkish beef sausage offered as a topping at Pizza Tempo, a pizza place that opened this fall at 8021 Wisconsin Ave. Or how about a pide? That’s the boat-shaped dough that Pizza Tempo fills with lamb, onions and mozzarella and other intriguing combinations.
Turkish-born owner Ugur Altintas started Pizza Tempo in two gas station convenience stores in Rockville and Kensington but closed both last year before opening his own shop. “Customers kept asking for larger places,” Altintas said, although his place in Bethesda isn’t exactly spacious—there are some counters and stools, but it’s essentially a carryout. Altintas has been in the food business for nearly 30 years, including a stint as general manager of Levantes Restaurant when it first opened in Bethesda. That restaurant is now out of business.
As for the pizza, it’s really more about the toppings than the crust, which I found similar to bready pizza chain pies. The Tempo Special—loaded with sucuk, fresh tomatoes, artichokes, olives, tomato sauce and mozzarella has a lot going on, and it all worked for me. Ditto for the Greek pizza, chock full of gyro meat, feta, onions, green peppers and black olives. The spinach pide was big enough to sail a small child, but next time I’d choose another filling for the hull; it quickly got tiresome. Also, I’m eager to check out Altintas’ other suggestion: the thin-crusted lahmacun, a round Turkish pizza topped with ground beef, finely chopped tomatoes, parsley and herbs. No cheese or sauce. Anybody tried it?
