Chicago Foodies

Bar Toma Shows Up Mag Mile Tourist Attractions

If there's one restaurant opening that people can't stop talking about, it has to be Tony Mantuano's Italian-style pizzeria in the spot of Bistro 110. But can a restaurant nuzzled next to Ghirardelli and across the street from Water Tower Place actually have quality food - without being over-priced? 

Bar Toma was much anticipated as a way to enjoy Spiagia-style food on a more casual night out. And fortunate for diners, the restaurant has accomplished exactly that. It even has an impressive, yet reasonably priced, wine list. Not only does Bar Toma deliver some inventive and delicious pizzas, but it also has a bar of mouth-watering gelato, espresso and breakfast pastries for the serious morning shopper or local. 

Desperately Seeking Good Gluten Free Pizza

When I tell people that I’ve recently chosen a gluten free diet their first reaction is wow – don’t you miss pizza? Similarly when talking to people who are gluten free the topic of conversation always steers towards living without pizza. Being in a city with amazing pizza on just about every corner made me wonder why gluten free pizza wasn’t available. Upon further investigation I found that there are a lot of gluten free pizza options in Chicago. The problem isn’t getting gluten free pizza. The problem is getting good gluten free pizza. Compared to its wheat-based co unterpart, is it even worth eating?

My first attempt at purchasing a pre-made gluten free crust from the grocery store was disastrous. The Rustic Crust brand crust from Dominick’s proved to be very doughy and just didn’t taste good, despite the fresh mozzarella, basil and Roma tomatoes I purchased to go on top.

Much-Anticipated Bar Toma and Slurping Turtle Open Downtown

Love it or hate it, you're going to be spending some time shopping downtown this month. In the consumer playground between Pearson and Hubbard, diners generally had to choose between two categories of restaurants: the generic tourist traps (here's looking at you, Pizzeria Uno!) and sceney lounges like Paris Club and Hub 51. Thankfully, homeotown heroes Tony Mantuano and Takashi Yagihashi bring two new casual restaurants to the area this week, just in time to save your holiday season sanity.

La Madia – Being Thin... Pizza

Thin crust gourmet pizza does have a place in Chicago. In fact, La Madia knows how to make such a thin creation flavorful, even for the stuffed pizza-lover at heart. Creativity in pizza offerings is to be applauded at La Madia. My favorites include the taleggio and 3-hour roasted grapes, the triple pepperoni with truffle oil, and the buffalo mozzarella with torn basil. The Taleggio and roasted grape pizza sounds like an odd combination, admittedly, but as a foodie sometimes the more unique the concept, the more intriguing.  It’s worth ordering just to fulfill that intrigue. Likely, you will order it again because the soft creamy taleggio cheese mixed with the sweet grapes on a firm crust is unexpected, and quite enjoyable.

Matzo Pizza – Not Just for Passover

There comes a time at every Weight Watchers meeting where the moderator asks, “What foods do you miss the most.” Unanimously the group will shout pizza and a discussion will follow as to ways to enjoy a lower fat version. Most of the suggestions however tend to be unappealing like leaving off the cheese, using an English muffin as the crust or just having one small slice.

Pizza Hut Commercials

I don't know why the new Pizza Hut commercial where the woman pretends that she made pizza and then says she was lying and it's really Pizza Hut. It's a weird commercial because it implies that Pizza Hut pizza sucks. I used to work for Pizza Hut and have many reasons to hate the pizza but surprisingly crave it at times. It was my first restaurant job. But that was a long time ago when they ran commercials like this:
 

Apart Pizza

    After a night of holiday drinking we came home to find nothing in the fridge and a hankering for pizza.  Knowing that our favorite deep dish from Guillivers in Rogers Park would take much longer than our hunger could stand we decided to go in the opposite direction (both in location and pizza style) and order traditional Italian style pizza from Apart Pizza in Andersonville.  Since we had never ordered from there the guy on the phone was very helpful in making recommendations as they have 24 different varieties on the menu to choose from. 

Crust

The plan was to have dinner at our favorite pizza place, Spacca Napoli, but once we found out it was closed from Labor Day to September 16th, we quickly came up with a contingency plan. The emerging (actually, full-fledged) green/organic trend had introduced Crust to Chicago via Wicker Park, and we were eager to justify the amount of carb intake with "but we're eating well"!

Crust's slogan "Eat Real" boasts their status as the "Midwest's First Certified Organic Restaurant," with most ingredients promised as organic. The ones that aren't, are noted dutifully at the bottom of the menu. The restaurant uses bright welcoming colors with red chairs, and even a tented patio for rainy days like the one we experienced.

Ian's Pizza By the Slice

Ian's Pizza By the Slice has found an appropriate home in the middle of often loud and bustling Wrigleyville. With eyebrow-raising menu items such as the Mac n' Cheese pizza or the Lasagna Marinara pizza, Ian's has managed to keep the attention span of the Millenials frequenting the joint.

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder: Beating the Crowds

Judging by the inevitable crowds lined up outside, the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder almost doesn't require a review of any sort.   The classic early-1970s dark carved wood atmosphere as been left relatively untouched and it reminds me of a Shakey's pizza parlor near home (even the website and menus evoke the vintage feel).   When I got there shortly past 5 on a Sunday there was already a 20-minute wait. 

Domino's Brooklyn Style Pizza

OK... I saw the ad for Domino's Brooklyn style pizza and thought. Hmm. That should work. My problem with Domino's is that their crust is rarely cooked through and the cheese has that uniform crispy bubbling. I would think they're cooking them in ovens that are too high.

Candlelite

From the light-up sign one could correctly guess that the Candlelite has been around for a long time. They did close but quickly reopened when a group of regulars bought them back into existence. Obviously people like the place. The crowd included families and a section inside had a reunion going on... Congrats to the Class of '77.

Spacca Napoli

A nice walk to a new pizza place would be a good appetite stimulant and help digestion on the way home. The only problem was when we realized that Spacca Napoli was on Sunnyside, not Summerdale. So we stopped at Joie de Vin, next to Pauline's on Balmoral, had a glass of wine and then started our additional mile-long march for pizza.

A total of 2.7 miles usually means eat like a pig but somehow we didn't. We simply ordered the four cheese pie, two more glasses of wine and the antipasti plate. While it's not enough to really judge this place, it was a tasty evening and delivered on the artisanal wood-fire style pizza where we were disappointed by Pizza D.O.C.

Pizzeria Uno vs. "Uno Chicago Grill"

First there was Uno. Now it's "Uno Chicago Grill." When I was a kid I remember loving dinners at Uno. The walk down to the eating area, the scratched up tables... the pizza. Then I left town and reminisced for many years. Imagine my surprise one day, in Madison Wisconsin, seeing on the corner an Uno's. I dragged my then girlfriend inside. Oops. The long and the short is that it wasn't Pizzeria Uno. It was an Edwardo's or a Gino's or a Giordano's or a _____. It was not an Uno. It's part of the reason I won't recommend any place other than Unos or Dues on Wabash and Ohio...  Looking at their website... www.unos.com I cringe at the language:

"The new Uno Chicago Grill menu, introduced in fall 2005, offers hip and intense new tastes that are built on Uno's history of artisanal fare."

What? The place made freakin Pizza. It wasn't an Italian gourmet restaurant. There were no wood burning ovens, no artisianal ingredients. Mozzarella. Tomatoes... a handcrafted bread we all call "crust."

Gulliver's

The first restaurant I remember ever going to was Gulliver's and while people are bound to disagree – I  find it to be the best pizza in Chicago. When I lived further south I had fixes of Lou Malnati's which is a very similar pie. It's cheesy, the crust is thick and the sauce is more tomatoes than sauce. Gulliver's differs by seasoning. It is heavier on the oregano/basil than other similar pies.

I will also have to say that Chicago pizza is the best pizza in the world – so far. This makes Gulliver's the best pizza in the world. Wouldn't you drive north to Howard for the best pizza in the world?