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The east end is a Bermuda Triangle for authentic pizza. I've eaten every pie from Cabbagetown to the Beach, and they've ranged from pleasantly mediocre to a pizza so lame I needed therapy for dessert. I've even tried to order pizza from my favourite west end shop, but the delivery guy mysteriously disappeared the moment he crossed the Don River.

Leslie Ng must have felt my pain. Late last year he brought thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas to Leslieville, opening Lil' Baci next door to his Asian bistro, Kubo Radio. Lil' Baci means "little kiss" and those sweet lips taste of crisp crust, garlicky tomato and gooey cheese.

Lil' Baci is both hip and cosy at the same time. Natural light pours in the south-facing windows, heavenly aromas waft in from the open kitchen and the ghost of an old painted advertisement haunts the exposed brick wall. It's boisterous and festive, the way a neighbourhood restaurant should be.

Appetizers focus on room temperature antipasto. For $15, two can share a platter with tender green beans in lemony Parmesan vinaigrette, or maybe wedges of radicchio, their ferocious bitterness tamed by roasting and balsamic vinegar. There's also thinly sliced prosciutto and salumi from Niagara's Mario Pingue, some marinated olives and a few shards of Parmigiano Reggiano. In summer, there is no finer way to start a meal.

I've always been a crust man, and Lil' Baci's crusts are thin, but not too thin, charred, but not too charred, crisp, chewy and delightful. The toppings are kept relatively simple, giving the superlative crust centre stage. I'm fond of the Nonno, a basic cheese and tomato pie topped with prosciutto and arugula the moment it leaves the oven. The Polpettino is also good, but the meatballs, while tasty, are a little rubbery.

The daily special of veal parmigiana is a thick breaded cutlet, pink and juicy in the middle, napped with a terrific tomato sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan. A naked side salad of baby arugula would look and taste a lot less like lawn clippings if it had gotten to know some vinaigrette.

The all-Italian wine list is both user-friendly and affordable. And I've definitely warmed up to stemless wine glasses: there is plenty of room for swirling and they sure beat the chunky tumblers that are endemic to casual pizza joints.

Dessert brings the only major disappointment. The cantaloupe sorbetto is cloyingly sweet and has the gritty texture of a snow cone. The lemon-pine nut torta del Nonna, its dense curd-like filling wrapped in delicate pastry, is a much better bet.

Service is friendly, though disorganized at times. Too often I witness a server grab an order and deliver it to the wrong table.

Now that there is finally authentic pizza within walking and delivery distance, you think I would be happier. Alas, I'm moving to the west end in a month.

Lil' Baci

892 Queen St. E. (at Logan Ave.)

416-465-4888

www.lilbaci.com

Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip: $110