For some of Boston's best gourmet pizza, head to Emma's in Kendall Square, which offers not only fancy pies, but also salads, sandwiches, and desserts.

Best of Boston 1999
PIZZA, GOURMET
Perhaps it's a misnomer to call it gourmet. After all, what's more traditionally Italian than a thin, crispy crust; fresh herbs and vegetables; smoky sausage; and fine cheeses? Then again, pizzerias in Rome aren't likely to plunk goat cheese or their barbecued chicken on pizza, not to mention dried cranberries, walnuts, roasted sweet potatoes, or Gorgonzola. If you're lucky, you'll grab one of Emma's five counter seats. If you're smart, you'll call ahead for takeout.

Best of Boston 2000
RESTAURANT, PIZZA, GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Emma's may have moved from Huron Avenue to Kendall Square, but it still boasts the same great thin-crust pizza and 21 imaginative toppings, including smoked chicken, dried cranberries, calamata olives, and roasted sweet potatoes (as well as standbys such as sausage, onions, and pepperoni). The service is also friendly and attentive. And while it still isn't exactly spacious, the new location near the Kendall Square Cinema is big enough to fit 10 tables; the waiting area has the original counter from the old Huron Avenue store, a nice touch.

Best of Boston 2001
PIZZA, DESIGNER
It's this simple: Nothing satisfies a pizza craving like a piping hot pie from the kitchen at Emma's. Choose from more than a dozen tasty (and sometimes bizarre) toppings, including dried cranberries, sweet potatoes, and goat cheese. The near-perfect, thin-crust pies will satiate all your taste buds.

Best of Boston 2004
PIZZA, GOURMET
The super-thin crust that flies out of Emma’s kitchen is addictive in its own right. Add to that such innovative combinations as Canadian bacon, caramelized onions, and rosemary sauce, or a scallion, garlic, and gorgonzola mix. The restaurant may have just changed hands, but nearly everything else about it has stayed the same—right down to the à la carte toppings (three kinds of tomatoes, sweet and gold potatoes, capers, even dried cranberries). Friendly service (the waiters offer detailed reheating instructions) rounds out the experience. 40 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-864-8534.

GOURMET GREATNESS
Emma’s is worth a trip for its unthinkable toppings possibilities and un-shatter-proof crust. Make a night of it, and catch a flick at the Kendall Square Cinema.

Atmosphere:   8  Emma’s Pizza is a charming, if cramped dining room with pastel chairs tucked around small wooden tables and a take-out window up front. Cornmeal colored walls relax the mood, and a wide kitchen pass-through peers right into the pizza ovens. Menu:      10  The thin crust pizza menu is a foodie’s dream, with three dozen toppings comprised of the classic, the gourmet, and the absolutely bizarre. Salads, sandwiches, beer, and wine round out the offerings. Appetizers:      8  For appetizers, some peppery olive tapenade gained fresh cilantro appeal, joined by wafer-like flatbread strips for scooping. Also packed with flavor, the famous fling salad used light, sweet vinaigrette to balance the spinach, toasted almonds, pungent Gorgonzola, red onion, and tart Granny Smith apples. Entrees:      9  Moving on to pizzas, the sweet potato and artichoke heart combo lent a delicate sugary-tartness to a wonderfully mild mozzarella pie slicked with spicy rosemary sauce. A more lively creation of hot smoked sausage and calamata olives drew on luxurious caramelized onions to calm its fiery intensity. Both pizzas were elevated to extraordinary with a sensationally brittle, crispy-as-a-cracker crust. Dessert:      N/A  (Multiply X 1.1) While there’s no dessert, an extra slice with dried cranberries and ricotta might do the trick. Portions:      8  Due to the crust’s incredible paper-thin perfection, Phantom recommends doubling your normal intake. Service:      7  Phantom noted the full service advantage of the pizza joint, but apron-tied waiters kept up an unfriendly front. Cleanliness:      8  Cleanliness brightened the space from the chili pepper lights framing the front window to the beaded curtain in the back. Value:      7  Prices push their limit with $2 slices, small pizzas averaging $12, and large pies at $17. Location:      7  Emma’s Pizza is just outside Kendall Square on Hampshire Street in Cambridge. Most street parking is by permit only, but there’s a garage behind the square. Review Date: 9/18/2004