Flavorful coal-oven pies, a packed house and hideous artwork add up to frantic fun at this pizza standout.

The Scene
Weekends bring bedlam to Arturo's, as crowds surge in, packing three deep near the bar, sucking down Budweisers while waiting for tables to open up. Comfort is decidedly not a factor in the Arturo's experience--once patrons escape the bottleneck near the bar, they're shoehorned into a miniscule dining room. The laughably overpriced melange of paint-by-numbers fruit still lifes that adorns the walls is the stuff of legend--regulars claim never to have seen a single one sell.

The Food
Generously-sized brick-oven pies, with properly smoky thin crusts, fresh sauce and a greaseless layer of fresh mozzarella. Arturo's also offers an impressive array of homestyle Italian favorites, from pastas to steamed mussels.