Freddy's Pizza is plopped in the middle of a residential neighborhood, but walk inside and you get the feeling that even if it were on Jupiter it would still be bursting at the seams with customers. What opened more than 35 years ago as an Italian grocery store and pizza spot has turned into a haven for anyone who appreciates fresh mozzarella balls or homemade Italian ice.

Owner Joe Quercia spent his boyhood years in Italy and tries as hard as he can to make Freddy's Pizza emulate the family-owned groceries in his homeland. About 80 percent of the shelved items are imported, with dozens of brands of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pasta. Both bread and pizza are baked daily in a brick oven, and seafood salad, roasted vegetables and arancini, lightly fried rice balls stuffed with ground beef and peas, are made fresh throughout the day.

If it's possible to say that one item stands out most at Freddy's Pizza, it must be the gelato. Quercia makes nine flavors every day, usually featuring frutti de bosco (forest berry), limoncello, dulce latte, pistachio, Oreo, chocolate hazelnut truffle and tiramisu. He uses a special milk and cream base (which seems to be a secret) that leaves your palette clean and without the aftertaste that sometimes accompanies lesser quality gelato. Quercia uses PreGel, a pure flavoring imported from Italy, in his gelato as well as lacing thin layers of cocoa powder and chocolate through the applicable flavors for an extra burst in each spoonful.

Centerstage Reviewer: Laura Brown