50 Top Pizza, an esteemed pizza evaluation site based in Paestum, Italy, near Naples, has unveiled its 2025 Top 50 Pizza list. Known for its rigorous and anonymous inspections, 50 Top Pizza is an independent online guide that ensures unbiased evaluations by paying for meals in full. We’ve previously shared the two Maryland restaurants made the list, but one nearby restaurant in Virginia also made the list.
A Modo Mio, a family-owned Italian restaurant located at 5555 Langston Blvd. in Arlington, was ranked #32 in the country. The Farruggio family, originally from Agrigento, Sicily, opened their first restaurant in 1978, bringing their Italian heritage and authentic flavors to the U.S. A Modo Mio in Arlington is a continuation of this legacy, and it was rebranded in October 2020 from “Joe’s Place Pizza and Pasta.”
This change allowed them to pivot from a buffet model to a full-service dining experience, emulating their successful Georgetown restaurant, Il Canale. The name “A Modo Mio” translates to “in my fashion” or “my way,” reflecting their commitment to authentic Italian cuisine.
A Modo Mio is particularly renowned for its Neapolitan pizza, which is Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) certified. This certification means their pizzas are made following strict traditional methods, cooked in 90 seconds or less in an 800-900 degree custom-made, hand-built brick oven imported from Italy, and using specific, mostly Italian, ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. Their master pizza chef, Antonio Biglietto, from Naples, Italy, ensures the authenticity.
Beyond pizza, their menu is a celebration of Italian flavors, featuring homemade recipes from the family’s Italian recipe book.
