Lucali

With a pizza buddy, I split an 18-inch pie (the one size; $24), with anchovies and portobello mushrooms ($3 each) plus free basil. There's no mistaking anchovies for anything else, but the "white" variety (our waitress's term) were free from the heavy, oily sensations of the typical canned fish. The thin, crisp crust sagged just a little; its wide, flat lip sported a single blackened blubble that burst right through with a poke.

Pizzaiolo and owner Mark Iacono, who made over Lucali from a long-gone candy store, told us that his calzone — the only other item on the menu — is even better.

Lucali
575 Henry St. (at Carroll St.), Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
718-858-4086
Dinner only; closed Tuesday