Crazy Dough's

Slices of life, late-'90s style

by Rob McKeown

ON THE CHEAP

For years, the stretch of Boylston Street just beyond Mass Ave has been a funky little realm of music stores and junk shops and Dunkin' Donuts. But with the recent arrival of a stylishly appointed Indian restaurant and a cutesy pizza parlor called Crazy Dough's, gentrification finally seems to be encroaching from nearby Newbury Street.

Crazy Dough's replaces a much-loved restaurant, the funky Mucho Gusto Café, but so long as it doesn't signify a food trend (from Cuban food to pizza?), it's probably not such a bad thing. Visually, the place is mod bubble gum: reptilian greens and wintry purples frame a room that winds its way back to an open kitchen. It's hardly a place to linger, but this is pizza we're talking about, and the local music students don't seem to mind.

Crazy Dough's has opted for what lovers of a greasy slice would call the "gourmet approach." Toppings include everything from mushrooms to chicken parmesan to beef taco. Some might find the dough lacking crust, but it does have a faint sweetness that makes it frighteningly easy to eat. This is also some of the least greasy pizza you'll encounter, which means less guilt -- always a good thing. A potato, bacon, and cheddar pizza ($13.50 for a 16-inch pie) was a nice idea but a touch bland; if only the potatoes had been seasoned. Pesto-chicken ($13.50) was a winning delivery of a clichéd combination. The best pies on the menu, though, were all vegetarian. Tomato, basil, and mozzarella was juicy and fragrant ($13.50); baked eggplant and roasted red pepper was meaty and actually had nuance ($13.50).

Crazy Dough's, located at 1124 Boylston Street (near Berklee School of Music), in Boston, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call (617) 266-5656.

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