Portable Pizza Pie

This town is full of people (especially girls) who insist on "atmosphere" for their post-date eats. And there's a new little Italian place up Mass. Ave. near the 'Cliffe--which has no atmosphere at all. Sure, it has rough-hewn benches, an indoor trellis with wax grapes, and murals of Italy. But atmosphere it has not. It is just a big, bright joint, with neon.

But the food is fine, and they specialize in take-outs. More than half their vittles, indeed, are consumed else-where. So if you know a nice dark place to take your girl to, and have any time for tomato pizza, you can have both your atmosphere and your tomato.

The most interesting thing about this place is its owner, Lou Catania. A poor-but-honest spaghetti-puller from the old country? Not on your life. He barbered his way through the (U.S.) depression, marrying the boss's daughter. Aften ten years as a railroad brakeman, he surrendered to hay fever (dust in the baggage car) and founded a chain of pizza parlors around Boston and the Cape. "Leaning Tower of Pizza," that inspired pun, brought him national interest and the attentions of a large noodle concern. The Prince Spaghetti Company settled on Tower like a great leaking blimp, and Lou Catania sold out. The resulting cash paid for a fabulously ritzy kitchen on Mass. Ave.

He offers his soft, crispy-crusted pizzas nightly to anyone within two miles who can foot the 35 cents delivery charge, and if you feel like paying 89 cents up for a ten-inch pie, it's worth it.