When the family goes out together to eat, we have our tried and true favorites, and rarely deviate. The wee one and I always, hands down, prefer the Rosewood Cafe. Mom likes the wine, kid likes the picnic plate and super friendly service.

When dad’s in the mix, our tastes range from Anthony’s to Dukes, as both are laid back but reasonably nice places we can feel comfortable having a sip and a nibble while the kid colors.

So there we were, trying to decide on a nice family dinner on Labor Day weekend, wanting something different.

“Why don’t we try that new pizza place on Sixth?” said the significant one, to which I replied, “Farrelli’s hardly new, dear,” to which he shot back, “Yeah, but we’ve never been there.”

Of course, on the heels of our trip to Hawaii, all I could think of was “Carbs will stick to gut like a spare tire,” but I smiled and said, “Sure honey.”

And am I ever glad I did!

Service was adequate, with drinks and food coming quickly. On my second glass of wine, the server suggested I get the bottle, a mere $9 and take it home, since it’d cost more than that for two glasses.

Twist my arm and watch me say yes.

As for the pizza, we chose the California, with pesto sauce, feta and mozzarella cheeses, chicken, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red onions, sun dried tomatoes and walnuts.

I was skeptical but amazed that Significant One was daring enough to try it, so I went along for the ride.

Holy cow, was it good! The crust, hand tossed while the wee one watched in amazement, was the perfect not too thin, not too thick, not too hard, not too soft crust, while the toppings worked together in the most yummy of ways. Somehow I managed to stop myself at three pieces, though the Significant One tried to get me to eat one last piece. I said, “Hawaii, bikini, and he took it upon himself to finish it up.

I noticed he didn’t seem too put-upon as he did so.

Even the kid enjoyed her own cheese pizza, eating more than I thought she was capable of (her picky eating is legendary). Fortunately, she did have some left, so I was able to snack on cold pizza later at home: the red sauce must have some controlled substance in it, because it’s addictive. After a taste, I had to polish the whole thing off.

At the end of it all, the bill was a reasonable, sub $40, and we all walked away smiling.

I’m just happy the board shorts are stretchy. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler