A4 Pizza Is Permanently Closed in Somerville

A4 Pizza and Dosa N Curry, located on the outskirts of Somerville's Union Square, have been closed since early August due to an electrical issue that necessitated a total shutdown of the Somerville Avenue building (which also includes several apartments and a beauty salon) until crucial repairs could be made. Since then, it has reportedly been a messy juggling act of coordinating proper repairs and communication among the landlord, Eversource (the energy provider), and the city of Somerville.

As of last week, Dosa N Curry was hopeful that the restaurant could reopen "soon," noting a few days earlier that "the electric company and the city has given the landlord a lot of trouble with permits and plans and all."

But A4 is pulling the plug, the restaurant is announcing today. Partners Michael Krupp and Jeff Pond have ended the lease at 445 Somerville Ave., blaming "indefinite delays" following what they're now describing as "an underground electrical fire involving wires owned by Eversource...[which left the building] in a dangerous and altered state, unfit for occupation or business." The restaurant's hands were tied as the timeline for repairs — which involve coordination among the landlord, the city, and Eversource — has dragged long past initial promises.

"It is with heavy hearts that we leave Union Square," Krupp said via a release. "We're disappointed to shut our doors but proud of what we achieved at A4 Pizza...chef Pond and I feel a strong affinity for the Somerville community and are grateful for the support and patronage of our many customers who live, work, and visit the area."

The good news is that Krupp and Pond are "determined" to find a new Somerville location. In the meantime, they have lots of projects in the works. They're newly launching A4 Mobile (there used to be an A4 truck, but it moved down to Nashville in spring 2014.) A4 Mobile, a pizza trailer, features the same beautiful Le Panyol wood-fired oven as A4 Pizza, and it's now taking bookings for parties and events. Call the original Area Four in Kendall Square at (617) 758-4444 to book it. (During Pizza Week 2014, Pond gave a detailed account of his search for the oven and why it's so great.)

Plus, as previously reported, a new sibling called A4 at Troy will eventually open in the Troy Boston apartment building at 55 Traveler St. in the South End, joining Cuppacoffee's second location.

And the Area Four team is also partnering up with the Roxy's Grilled Cheese team to open a boozy, food-filled arcade near MIT, currently called Roxy's A4cade, although that might not end up as the final name. There won't be pizza there, Cambridge Day reported after sitting on a licensing commission meeting; instead, there will be grilled cheese sandwiches "with the ingredients of an Area Four pizza," Krupp said, as quoted by the publication.

So as one pizza door closes, several others are opening, but quirky, cozy little A4 Pizza will be greatly missed by Union Square residents and fans from farther away. After debuting in August 2013, A4 was a longtime staple on the Eater Boston Heatmap and consistently landed on pretty much every "best pizza" round-up published anywhere. It was a nominee for the 2013 Eater Awards in Boston's "So Hot Right Now" category, and numerous local chefs sung its praises during Pizza Week in 2014.

"I can roll in after midnight and wash away a long shift with a rotating selection of inventive slices on their gorgeously airy, blistered, and crisp/tender crust," Fairsted Kitchen's Steve Bowman said at the time. "Throw in craft beer, whiskey, and a little retro Mario and it's almost more comfortable than home, which happily for me is only a block away."

Roxy's Grilled Cheese's James DiSabatino also chimed in then, a year and a half before their arcade collaboration began to take shape, declaring them to be the "Rookie of the Year." At the time, he had only had the chance to taste the pizza cold and still found it to be "f***ing incredible."

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