"When indoor dining was shut down years ago, I thought it was the end of my restaurant world," Dave writes, before thanking the customers who proved him wrong. The man has a sense of humor too: parking is limited, and there's "no helipad, yet." The cooking is homemade red-sauce Italian at prices that feel like a typo. Pick a pasta shape (homemade ravioli and green pappardelle included) and a sauce, from meat or marinara at $11.50 to carbonara, pesto or a jalapeño-spiked diavolo. Then there's the house lasagna: the Lasagna con Amore layers ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, marinara and pesto for $15.50.
The calzones come with a menu note that "what happens inside the zone, stays inside the zone." Hand-tossed pizzas come extra thin, "close to New York thin (maybe somewhere in NJ)," or in a cheesier 10-inch pan. The flour is King Arthur's unbleached Lancelot, and Dave has raised prices just 12% over six-plus years while inflation ran past 25%. It's a block east of the Noyes Purple Line stop, open 3:30 to 9pm daily, with no reservations and a small beer and wine list. Order pickup online and type "Love" for 5% off.
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