Pazzia

Another good place for a thin crust pizza. The menu says 10", but the pies are easily over a foot in diameter. The crust is super thin, but one pizza is still a mighty fine lunch.

Margherita: mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and basil. This could have used a lot more basil and a little more cheese. I'm glad I asked for the crust extra crispy: the outer edges were cracker-thin, but the center was almost too soft and moist to pick up. It was the perfect contrast of textures that I enjoy.

Diavola: mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and spicy Italian sausage. This pizza had a little more cheese on it (kitchen fluke?) and worked much better. Other than that, it was exactly the same in texture as the margherita. There were big generous chunks of nicely spiced sausage on it. Very enjoyable.

Fusilli can Melanzane: corkscrew pasta with eggplants, tomatoes, zuchinni, and fresh mozarella. I'm assuming by fresh they mean local, not that they make it themselves. In any case, the chunks of mozarella were very soft and melty, with a rich milk flavor. It's no A16 burrata, but it's fantastic. It was the saving grace of the pasta, which was otherwise tasty but not a standout.

What I saw float by: a lot of people were eating steamed clams and mussels. They were well priced at around $10 for a generous portion (that is, cheaper than Plouf from looks alone). The antipasto platter was beautifully colorful: a mound of prosciutto and some green olives were all that I could see, but I assume there was also some cheese and salami. Afogato looked nice, but afogato always looks nice. Next time, I would order either mussels or clams, an antipasto platter, and a pizza for three people.

The place was positively packed at 1:00 p.m. on a Friday, and was still bumping when we left around 2:00. Service was understandably slow, but the staff is so cheery you can't be annoyed with them. You have to be willing to practically wave them down to get anything (water, a napkin), but once you have their attention they take care of whatever you want immediately. I'm sure when it's less busy they're attentive and polished. The kitchen is completely visible behind a waist-high counter, and the guys making pizzas throw all the guests happy smiles, waves, and Italian greetings as they come and go.

Pazzia Website (prices are $1-3 low on the website's menu)