Lena's First & Last Pizzaria

Lena's First & Last Pizzaria Restaurant Review:

If "Cheers" were set in a pizzeria, it would be Lena's, a boisterous, close-knit little place where everybody knows your name, or at least remembers what kinds of toppings you like on your pie. Its formula for success is quite simple: parlor and deli staples are served, alongside beer and wine, with honest family-friendliness in a bare-bones joint---think blackboards and bare tables you bus yourself. In short, you get what you see. The grinders are fresh and loaded. The salads are big and crunchy. One calzone will fill you up for two meals. The pizzas are deep-dish or thin-crust; try the white clam with garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley, Parmesan and mozzarella. Another specialty is homemade soup---hearty porridges made from scratch and served with freshly baked rolls. Among your daily choices will be Sicilian tomato and mushroom; pasta e fagioli; minestrone; tortellini with spinach; mushroom barley; spinach, sausage and potato; split pea and ham; and a holy trinity of chowders (Manhattan, Rhode Island, New England). It doesn't get much more soul-satisfying than this.