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"Casual but welcoming, this Allston pizzeria is the more relaxed sibling of coastal Italian restaurant Bar Mezzana and tiki and sushi spot Shore Leave, and it hits the sweet spot for students, families, and young professionals with affordably priced pies, a fun and intricate craft cocktail list, and a broad-ranging shared plates menu that offers both wings and clams. The room’s circular central bar and electric yellow booths make it as good for date night and after-work drinks as for a pizza-fueled study session. Order the New York style pepperoni pizza (10-inch $15, 16-inch $24) with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ezzo cup and char pepperoni, and a dusting of oregano; there’s also a gluten-friendly crust available. Start with the burrata and ’nduja ($16)—the creamy burrata perfectly pairs with the fiery sausage, and the cheese and sausage mixed with a tomato sauce base creates a flavor profile similar to a deconstructed pizza—and lighten a heavy meal with the roasted beets and feta salad ($17) with arugula, apple, pistachio, and cider vinaigrette for a bright, fresh feel. The bar team fat-washes a bucket of gin with a whole pizza to make its pepperoni pizza Negroni on draft (it’s serious business), and for the Negroni-averse, the tomato vine martini pairs just as well with a pie. Save room for dessert: offerings like an olive oil cake with whipped mascarpone, balsamic drizzle, and cranberry compote are a huge upgrade from the pizza joints of my New Hampshire childhood, where you’d be lucky to get a Hoodsie cup. Pizzas here range from tomato, pepperoni, or sausage to a Buffalo pie." - Celina Colby