SAUGUS – When Michael DePaolis and Steven LaRosa saw their high-end, in-flight catering service start to nose dive along with the economy, they decided to shift gears and take a new route that led them to open Urban Crust Authentic Italian Pizzeria.LaRosa said orders for the pair’s main business, which is still in operation, went from requests for filet mignon to orders for cheese and cracker trays.”So we needed to improvise,” he said. “We’ve always loved pizza and this is more than just pizza.”Their pizzas run the gamut from wild mushroom with red onion jam and truffle oil to “salciccia traditionale” with sausage, roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella. There’s also a buffalo chicken pizza, a lasagna pizza (minus the noodles) and a ricotta napolitana with cherry tomatoes, olives, smoked mozzarella and finished with arugula, prosciutto and shaved reggiano.LaRosa said the earthy wild mushroom pizza has turned out to be a favorite, which surprised even him.DePaolis and LaRosa create their pizzas according to the rules and regulations for authentic Napoletana pizza. According to the Vera Pizza Napoletana Association based in Naples, Italy, to call a pizza a true Napoletana it must be cooked in a wood-fired oven, made with only fresh, high quality ingredients and the dough must be made by hand, no more than 1/8-inch thick and cooked for approximately 90 seconds at over 800 degrees.By offering Napoletana-style pizza, LaRosa said they can give people an affordable meal that not only tastes good, but is good for them and steps outside the realm of typical pizza.DePaolis said he was also looking to create a restaurant that is more than just a take-out joint. He wanted a place where people would socialize, meet up with friends and hang out.Painted in soft earth tones, terracotta and rust, the small dining room only sports a handful of high-top tables and stools but the partners said they plan to add a few regular tables as well.”We thought it would just be take-out,” LaRosa said, “but we’re getting people that want to stay and eat.”With an open kitchen, diners can also watch pizziaolo master Michael Mercier at work.LaRosa said when they decided to open an authentic Napoletana style restaurant he began to research like crazy and knew they would need a true pizziaola, or pizza chef, for the job. Mere hours after posting on Craigslist they got a message from Mercier that essentially said they had found their man.Now Mercier is spinning out 18 different kinds of pizza for Urban Crust along with a handful of salads that include a caprese with fresh mozzarella and basil and sandwiches that include meatball or sausage and grilled chicken Caesar but also include “rural eggplant al Italia” and urban pollo arrosto.DePaolis said they plan to add a roast beef as well as a suburban steak and cheese sandwich, but again it won’t be the typical shaved steak used in other pizza places. He said they will also eventually add wings to the menu.”It’s nothing crazy,” he said. “It’s just really good, authentic pizza, all fresh. . . we’re rustic comfort food.””We’re trying to get off the track of being a sub shop,” LaRosa added. “It’s all fresh and there’s no Fry-a-lator here.”The new shop at 43 Jackson St. is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week and DePaolis said they will deliver in Saugus, east Lynn, north Lynnfield, Revere and west Melrose. They can be reached at 781-233-6422.