Pizza Fridays @ Sweet Thursday, De Beauvoir Town

Since it's a gloomy Monday today in London, I'm going to ignore this and focus instead on my favorite day of the week: Friday. On most some Fridays, you'll find me in a pizza joint that's named after my second-favorite day of the week, Thursday (naturally, since it's the precursor to Friday).

Sweet Thursday in De Beauvoir Town (that funny little place situated smack dab in between the boroughs of Hackney and Islington with pretty houses and a random - but very good - cafes) makes delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas in their wood-fired oven. It also has a pretty impressive little wine shop at the front to boot, where you can easily pick up an excellent bottle of champagne or wine for the next social gathering you're off to (we bought a bottle of Pol Roger to bring to a friend's house).

I love the laid-back feel of the restaurant, which makes it the go-to choice for Friday evenings for me and other local De Beauvoirites. Cutlery and napkins are provided at the table in a cleaned-out Italian tomato can and a Diet Coke bottle has been reinvented as a chilli oil dispenser. Clever and fun, with a bit of whimsy added in - just the way I like it.

It's family and dog-friendly, which means it's probably not the best place to have a quiet heart-to-heart, but it also means that it's really inclusive, friendly, and just generally nice to be in. Heart-to-hearts are a little too intense for Friday nights anyway.

But most of all, I love their pizzas. This is the one I order every time: the Salsiccia.

Topped with fennel sausage, broccoli, chillies, mozzarella, and cream (the parmesan shavings were picked off of John's plate and added to my own since he's not a fan of cheese - loser, I mean, poor lactose-intolerant man), this pizza is a plate of cheesy, sausage-y, broccoli-y goodness. It's also huge, which means I have to take half of it home every time I go. I've tried other dishes, but always return to the Salsiccia. John usually orders the Crudo: prosciutto crudo, rocket, tomato mozzarella, and parmesan. He likes his flavors light and simple; I like mine loud and bold.

It's a bit of a trek for anyone who doesn't live in the immediate area. Lots of buses get close, though. The closest Overground station is probably Haggerston, but if you're in the area, it's worth a try. Order the Salsiccia and a glass of red. They'll help put the world to rights.