Throughout most of the Nineties and Aughts, Anthony’s Gourmet Pizza was headquartered in a small but busy storefront in the Georgetown Mall on Packard. Anthony’s made its mark with pizza variations like Sicilian deep dish and Chicago style and toppings like pesto and artichokes. That “gourmet” moniker was apt for the time; before Anthony’s came along, a Hawaiian pizza was considered pushing the envelope here.

Elizabeth Vlachakis, twenty-six, spent as much time in that Georgetown storefront as anyone: “I’m literally a pizza baby.” Her mother, Beth, was managing the Georgetown store “when I was in her tummy.” Her dad, Ted, opened stores on S. Main St. and N. Maple Rd. as it became clear the Kroger-anchored mall had no future. But leaving Georgetown in 2008 hurt. Elizabeth says: “When we had to relocate, within a few months we were looking for spaces in the old neighborhood.”

The Georgetown Mall was finally demolished after a years-long soap opera whose cast included owner Craig Schubiner, city council, and state cleanup funds. (A complex with apartments and commercial space called Packard Square will open there soon.) Meanwhile, Vlachakis is running a new Anthony’s next door to Morgan & York, which now anchors a neighborhood that’s got some of the best food in town. And while “gourmet” is a word used more in irony than in earnest these days, the pairing of Anthony’s Gourmet Pizza and Morgan & York seems both inspired and obvious.

The name Anthony came from Elizabeth’s “great, great grandfather–our only direct Italian relative. It’s an Italian restaurant, and we needed an Italian name, right?” Elizabeth is proud of her family, and close to her mom and dad–they are press shy, but still behind the scenes. Friendly and warm, with an easy laugh, she gives her title as “district manager” and stresses that she speaks only for the Packard store.

Anthony’s made its bones on takeout and delivery, but Elizabeth says that “the last few years customers have been expressing a desire for dine-in.” When the former Cake Nouveau space became available, with its adjoining room that had been used for classes, Elizabeth was happy to turn it into a real dining room with table service. To accommodate single diners who might feel daunted by Anthony’s big, beefy pizzas, she added a menu of sandwiches, calzones, burgers, and salads that aim for a home-cooked feel. “We thought about what we were willing to put prep work into. We make our own pizza sauce and dough, of course, and our Italian sausage. We also make the bistro sauce, pesto, potato-wedge sauce, salad dressings.”

Elizabeth also fell in love with Cake Nouveau’s Alice in Wonderland decor, and its zany lime, purple, and rhubarb color scheme. She went with it, putting in a dessert case and a large selection of teas so the space could double as a tearoom–just tea, no coffee: “Morgan & York sells coffee, and it’s in our lease that we don’t compete with each other.” Her dessert case includes tiramisu, cheesecakes, and tortes. Hearing about the Observer’s pie-tasting, she burst out “I love pie. I’m looking for a good pie to sell here.”

Elizabeth adds that at the moment, her Anthony’s does not deliver, but everything can be ordered for pickup.

Anthony’s Gourmet Pizza, 1924 Packard, 662-2500. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 3-9:30 p.m. Closed Mon. anthonysgourmet.com