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If a pizza joint can't nail the simple cheese pie, why would you go for one with chicken, bacon, and ranch sauce? The two variations on a cheese pie we tried at the new pizza joint in Charles Village called Maxie's--a margherita and a plain cheese--were just, well, plain. We even ordered them fresh. The crusts were good--a big plus in a bad crust market--but the toppings were blase. The margherita ($18.95) didn't come with the advertised plum tomatoes, and consisted of a few thin slices of mozzarella and basil. The bland red sauce conquered all other flavor. The plain cheese ($11.95) got points for being better than what you'd get at most corner grills, but that's it. A new Charles Village restaurant is a welcome thing, and Maxie's seems to be doing well with students, but if you have classic New York-style pizza standards, you might need put those on hold. Maybe go for the bruschetta pizza ($16.95), with chopped garlic, basil, diced tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil.

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