In life, it makes sense to have a backup plan for when things go awry -- like applying to a safety school when you don't get in your first choice or applying to Dave and Busters, when you don't get into anything. Hedging its bets, Ducali Pizzeria & Bar.

The brainchild of a recent Suffolk Law grad from a family of longtime North End restaurateurs who's hedging his resto with plans to still practice law, this new Italian trattoria near the Charlestown Bridge serves up a creative menu of pizzas and paninis with beer, wine, and cordials in a vintage warehouse-styled 58-seat space complete with exposed brick walls, copper countertop bar, 13 old wood tables, and a huge wall menu comprised of colorful antique-lettered posters (as they don't make a "Things I Learned In Law School" poster). Meaty pizzas include the Ripiena topped w/ ricotta, mozzarella, mushroom, and sausage from a local Italian butcher; the Bistecca e Gorgonzola piled w/ grilled steak, arugula, and gorgonzola; and the fairy-tale inspired sausage, salami, and pancetta-covered Tre Porcellini, which means "Three Little Pigs" in Italian and "appetizer for one" in your own quaint Creole. On the panini-tip, DPB bakes up the caramelized onion-topped Cipolle e Pera w/ pear and melted provolone; a chicken, pesto, and mozzarella number served on fresh foccaccia bread; and the Salsiccia sporting grilled Italian sausage, provolone, and sundried tomato on scali, a "conservative roll" that's covered in sesame seeds and loathes hippies.

For drinks, apps, and watching soccer on the flatscreens, DPB pours 25 wines, has 10 beers on tap (Brooklyn Brown, Peroni, and Boston Brick Red), and cooks up small plates like Nachos Italiano (pizza dough chips baked w/ mozzarella, red pepper, and salami) and the signature Pirurette, tomato marmalade dipped fried cheese lollipops -- a delectable backup prize for the blue razz ringpop that's, like, 15,000 game tickets!

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For delicious pizza and untested legal advice, visit DucaliPizza.com