Sunny's Pizza

There are plenty of reasons why your first pick for dinner in the west end is usually Sunny's. Perhaps you want to enjoy the DJ-and-disco-ball atmosphere but aren't willing to commit to a full night of dancing. Or, you're so rowdy and raring to go that a normal restaurant isn't quite inappropriate.

The other reason is the pizza. Tucked down a back alley on Solomon Street, you'll find the team doesn't mess around with these doughy disks. In true Italian style, the toppings are few and of great quality — and the base is thin and sturdy with a crust that bubbles and blackens in the woodfired oven.

The menu is clever and concise, so it won't take more than a couple of visits before you develop a standard order. Think pork and fennel sausage with provolone ($26), eggplant parmigiana ($26) and a four-cheese pizza ($26), which acts, not surprisingly, as the mediator between indecisive friends.

Dim lights and high-energy staff make it easy to feel comfortable and, like a great trailer before an average film, the rest of the night seldom compares.