Ask a local in any town where to get the best pizza, and you'll probably be directed to a hole in the wall where tears in the pleather booths outnumber the people sitting in them.

A steady stream of customers will most likely be picking up mercilessly grease-stained boxes, eager to get home for a pepperoni-laden free-for-all. Most of these people probably don't have a clue the restaurant even serves anything in the noncrust realm.

Many of my best pizza experiences have followed this scenario, but occasionally I want to polish off a slice in environs that don't encourage gorging and getting out. And occasionally, I want to venture over to the noncrust side of the menu without risking gummy pasta and insipid sauces.

Is this too much to ask? A place that serves great pizza and satisfying entrees, dine-in or takeout?

When I lived in the Museum District, I thought it was.

Back then, a great slice meant waiting two hours for the Mary Angela's delivery guy or driving to Piccola's and fighting throngs of ravenous Virginia Commonwealth University students over a booth. If I wanted memorable puttanesca, that meant going someplace more expensive.

It seems the gods of Casual Italian Eateries have heard my plea. This November, the long-empty Devil's Triangle eyesore that once housed the Ritz was reborn as Arianna's Grill and Pizza -- a one-stop spot for great pizza, zesty pastas and an inviting, stay-and-relax atmosphere. The restaurant is named for owner Antonio Altadonna's young daughter.

Arianna's sleek yet cozy interior makes the building's abandoned past hard to imagine. Yellow stucco and brick walls are accented with colorful paintings and flat-screen TVs. The flurry of activity surrounding the open kitchen/takeout counter gives the small space an energetic vibe.

During a recent dinner, four of us slid into a booth big enough for eight. After perusing the small yet serviceable wine list ($5 to $7 a glass, $18 to $46 a bottle), we started with toasted ravioli ($5.95) and scallops and shrimp saltate ($9.95).

Served with garlic-studded marinara, the ravioli were the perfect combination of textures and flavors -- creamy, sweet ricotta, chewy pasta and crisp, herb-kissed breading.

The shrimp and scallops were served in a tantalizingly fragrant sambuca cream sauce, alive with touches of anise and basil. The shellfish were fresh, but the small portion didn't warrant the price.

Arianna's doesn't overstep its bounds when it comes to entrees. Its simple approach to pizzas, calzone, subs and pasta allows the freshness of ingredients to shine -- the crux of true Italian fare.

Penne Siciliana ($11.95), a combo of clams, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper, elicited so many taste sensations -- tangy, spicy, briny that each bite was a surprise.

Spinach-stuffed shells ($8.95) were as rich as they were large, filled with creamy ricotta and topped with melted provolone and delicately sweet marinara.

Served on toasty, oven-baked bread, the pizza steak sub ($6.95) was woefully short in the "pizza" department, needing more marinara to make it anything more than a darn good cheesesteak.

I quickly forgot this minor disappointment after stealing a bite of my sister's bacon pineapple pizza (small $8.50, toppings $1 each). Publicly declaring a pie "the best pizza in town" is asking for an inbox full of counteropinions, but my lord, I'll just say this was the best pizza I've had in a long time.

Crisp, bubbly crust, perfect ratio of sauce to cheese and just the right amount of glistening grease -- it covered all my "great pizza" requirements. Combine the smoky saltiness of bacon with the sweetness of juicy pineapple, and you've got edible euphoria.

Here's where I would tell you about dessert -- Arianna's serves the Italian triumvirate of tiramisu, cheesecake and cannoli -- but I was too full to breathe.

Arianna's doesn't reinvent the wheel with its simple Italian fare, but it does offer the hard-to-find combo of good pizza, good pasta and a good place to sit and stay awhile. Sure, they deliver, but pizza this good deserves more than a couch. dcraig@timesdispatch.com.