Update: The Pizza's On at J.J. Dolan's

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AFTER A COUPLE OF PIZZA-LESS WEEKS due to an oven malfunction, J.J. Dolan's pizza pub is up and running as of Monday. The place was pretty full at lunchtime on Thursday, which is probably a pretty good indication that the new Bethel Street bar, whose purpose for existing is to provide its patrons with good drinks and New York-style pizza, is going to be a big hit with both drinkers and diners.

I've already made it pretty clear that I really like J.J. Dolan's. But the pizza? Honestly, it was just OK for me. I liked the sauce a lot, mostly because, true to New York-style pizza, there wasn't much of it. And I thought the toppings were flavorful and well-balanced — I especially liked the Buffalo chicken pie. But the crust, which everyone knows can make or break a pizza — just isn't right. I like my New York pizza floppy. If I don't have to fold it in half to eat it, then it's just a regular thin-crust pie, as far as I'm concerned. But that's just me. And the thing about pizza is, everyone likes it the way they like it, and the argument could be made that there's no wrong way to make a pizza. So, don't take my word for it.

The 14-inch pizzas range from $15 to $17.