Here’s why I love where we live: You can find outstanding pizza shops within a block or so of each other in several towns.

For example, when Sal’s Pizza and Pasta moved to Old Saybrook, it became neighbors with Alforno Trattoria, a mere 0.2 miles away. Long-timers might remember Sal’s original small but intimate space in Westbrook, which opened in 1994 and was a fraction of the size of the Old Saybrook shop. Sal’s huge fan base followed its crew to Old Saybrook and now there’s room for new converts.

Because: Sal’s is among the top five pizza shops on the shoreline (I’m not counting New Haven). Not only are its pizzas crafted with invaluable expertise, its menu offers a great selection of other Italian dishes that is hard to find among its peers.

My mother introduced me to Sal’s, and one of her early favorites is now one of mine, and that is the arancini, enormous rice balls at Sal’s on the appetizer menu ($9 for one very large rice ball). Sal’s rice ball mixture includes peas and a well-measured dash of mozzarella cheese that melts to perfection and ensures a tidy but hearty dish with a great crispy-to-chewy texture ratio. It’s delicious enough without the accompanying tomato sauce, but you’ll up the culinary voltage with a few dips in the bright red, tangy but savory sauce.

Suggestion: Pair the arancini with the Insalata Mista ($6.95), and you’ll feel slightly less guilty for the ample serving of fried deliciousness. The salad is fairly basic – mixed greens, red cabbage, tomato, cucumber, carrots and a few olives on top – but you can taste the quality of veggies and you’ll find yourself competing for the last cucumber with your dining partner. And PLEASE drizzle on some of the accompanying house dressing because it’s fabulous. It’s a basic oil and vinegar mixed with a goodly amount of herbs that adds earthy, savory depth and a dash of zing to the veggies.

Sal’s pizza, of course, was always the first draw for me. All these years later, the quality remains, thanks to well-curated ingredients and a deft hand with the crust, which is slightly thicker than the fairly ubiquitous New Haven style around these parts. (Sicilian style is also available.) Purists may scoff, but to me, a little more heft to the crust makes transport from pan to plate/mouth much easier. Plus, the flavor is there and Sal’s nails the texture every time: crispy-chewy with the freshness baked in. We opted for a simpler pizza with just green peppers and mozzarella as toppings ($18.25 for a large), but when the peppers are grilled for optimum flavor and the cheese and sauce are top-notch, a simple pie goes gourmet quickly.

Another example? Meatball grinders are a popular local pizza-shop item and generally not considered high-end fare. Well, try Sal’s version and see if the toasted-to-perfection sesame seed roll doesn’t change your mind. If that doesn’t do it, the sliced meatballs tender and flavorful in all the right ways – will. The grinder offers another opportunity to enjoy the versatility of Sal’s red sauce, and with our added mozzarella, we have discovered The Meatball Grinder to Beat (in the region). Be aware, it’s very large and will easily stuff two people ($12.50 with mozzarella added).

One other thing to note about Sal’s is the generous portion size. A calzone is pretty much the size of a small pizza folded over on itself, which renders its $16.95 price tag reasonable (includes a large cup of red sauce for dipping). Ours was easily more than two people could comfortably eat in one sitting, and that’s just as well because it’s even better the next day. From the crispy, oven-perfect crust to the astonishing amount of mozzarella and ricotta, this hearty dish is a great option for chilly winter-ish evenings.

Much of the above applied to our Chicken Parmesan Dinner ($18.95), which featured two very large chicken breasts topped with baked cheese in a bath of red sauce and an equally generous portion of ziti. Our entree hit all the right notes – zesty tomato, herbs, and tender chicken – but we must issue a warning to anyone on a date night: This thing is loaded with garlic. You can see the many, many diced bits in the yummy red sauce and it adds a depth of flavor uncommon to other versions of Chicken Parm we’ve tried, but it packs a pungent punch.

For our final trick, we grabbed an order of Cheese Tortellini Pasta ($19.95) and received another huge helping of food. Please be aware that while there are many just-fine-but-nothing-special versions of tortellini out there, Sal’s is not one of them. Served in a light tomato-basil cream sauce, the tortellini stood out for their freshness, plumpness, and overall ricotta-cheesy flavor. The peas and ham mixed into the sauce added enjoyable texture and savory flavor to the perfectly cooked pasta, and it is hereby recommended.

After all those carbs and cheese, we remain full from our culinary adventures at Sal’s. It’s worth it and we only wish we saved room for one of the handful of desserts available daily. (Tiramisu, anyone?) Past and present performance indicates that Sal’s will remain on the culinary scene for years to come, and we look forward to seeing if it stands the test of time once again.

Sal's Pizza & Pasta

29 Spencer Plain Road, Old Saybrook

(860) 399-8331

https://salspizzaandpasta.com/

Cuisine: Pizza, pasta, grinders and Italian specialties with a gourmet twist; takeout and online ordering available with local delivery to some towns

Atmosphere: The sweeping casual-chic cafe space offers many tables and is set apart from the busy takeout area, which is also spacious and stocked with take-home dinners and desserts.

Service: Friendly, efficient and very organized

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Closed Monday.

Prices: Not the most inexpensive pizza option on the shoreline, but the quality of the food supports the price. Pizzas start at $10 (for a personal pizza; a very nice option) and run up to $23.50 for specialty pies like the Mediterraneo, a white pizza topped with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, walnuts, Kalamatas, garlic and mozzarella. Entrees run from $11.50 (baked ziti with tomato sauce and other options) to $20 and up for items like the Spaghetti with Littleneck Clams and Baked Stuffed Sole.

Handicapped accessibility: A large, well maintained parking area includes a smooth, wide ramp to enter. Loads of space in the dining and pickup areas.

Credit cards: Accepted; ATM on premises as well