Boiler Room
2210 N California Ave., Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Logan Square

Boiler Room.

From the first day it opened several weeks ago, Rob and I have been dying to try out Logan Square’s newest bar/pizza place, the Boiler Room.  We finally stopped by earlier this week and although we had a few complaints (cash only, too crowded, etc), we were mostly pleased by the latest addition to our neighborhood.  Designed to look like a boiler room/train car, the restaurant features some of the best decor Rob and I have ever seen.  From the train cables that hold up the booths, to the industrial light fixtures, to the recycled CTA doors that lead to the men and women’s bathrooms, the Boiler Room owners definitely went above and beyond when they designed their establishment.  Food-wise, the Boiler Room excels as well.  Rob and I both tried two slices, the purist (fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic) and the boiler room (PBR Meatballs, giardinera, oregano).  The purist was a classic slice with a great flavor that we would both definitely get again.  The boiler room was good too, but it was a bit too spicy, which took away from the flavor of the cheese and meatballs.  Still though, the PBR meatballs make it a worthwhile slice.  Overall, between the excellent beer selection (see our drink choices below) and cheap slices ($3-4 each, pies are $20), Boiler Room is a great new addition to Logan Square.

-Anna

Rob’s Lion Stout and Anna’s Seadog Blueberry Wheat, complete with real blueberries.

The Purist on the left and The Boiler Room on the right.

Great Lake
1477 W Balmoral Ave., Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Edgewater

Great Lake.

Rob and I first became aware of Great Lake last November when a New York Times reviewer called it the best pizza that he had ever eaten in his life.  After reading the review and hearing stories of how good their pizza is, we made it our mission to dine at the fourteen-seater, shoebox-sized restaurant.  On a whim, we stopped by this weekend and were shocked to find that—on a Friday night at 7:30—there was no wait.  Out of the three pizza choices on the menu (see below), we shared a pizza with thinly sliced cremini mushrooms, dante aged cheese, and black pepper.  Words sincerely do not do this pizza justice.  Not only did the mushrooms and cheese combine together perfectly, but the crust is in a league of its own.  It almost tastes like a piece of fluffy bread rather than the crust of a pizza.  The crust was also flaked with salt, a unique touch, but one we enjoyed as we kept eating.  Unlike many other pizza places, Great Lake’s pizza has no grease whatsoever and is incredibly light.  There’s a reason Great Lake has received so many rave reviews, it is definitely worth the hype.  If you don’t have the patience to wait for a table, they also offer a pick-up service as well, another nice touch at this family owned and operated gem.

-Anna

The menu on the wall features information about the various food suppliers and also includes ice cream from famed Chicago pastry chef and owner of Hot Chocolate, Mindy Segal.

One of the best pizzas we’ve ever consumed.

Castel Gandolfo
800 N Dearborn Ave., Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Near North Side

Castel Gandolfo.

Castel Gandolfo is a relatively new brick-oven pizzeria in the Near North Side neighborhood of Chicago.  Anna and I don’t normally dine in this area of the city, but we were meeting up with her aunt before catching a movie at River East, which gave us an opportunity to finally try Castel Gandolfo’s Neapolitan-style pizza.  We went with two large pizzas, both were specials that night—a mushroom pizza with red onions and goat cheese and the second with prosciutto, arugula, and fresh mozzarella.  Both were great, and I particularly loved the crust.  It was thin and crispy and had some charring from the brick-oven.  It’s really a shame Castel Gandolfo is located in this part of the city, as there isn’t much going on in that part of the neighborhood.  Hopefully, Castel Gandolfo can stay busy and keep customers happy with their tasty pizzas.

-Rob

Mushroom special.

The prosciutto and arugula special.

Coalfire Pizza
1321 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: West Town

Coalfire Pizza.

Anna and I decided to skip making dinner tonight and opted to try Coalfire Pizza in West Town instead.  Coalfire’s claim to fame is serving Neapolitan style pizza, hot and ready from an 800° F coal fired oven.  Tonight we started off by sharing a house salad that was huge and delicious, then we had a medium prosciutto pizza that had fresh mozzarella cheese and Coalfire’s signature tomato sauce.  The pizza was really good and the perfect size for two people.  The crust was really crispy, and had a perfect balance of sauce and toppings as well.  Coalfire is very cozy and a perfect place for a first date or even for a family outing.  Unexpectedly, Coalfire also played some great music during our dinner, including The Cure and The Ramones, so big ups for that as well.

-Rob

Straight from the coal fired oven, the prosciutto pizza we shared.

Pequod’s Pizza
2207 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park

When people think about Chicago, immediate thoughts include Bears football, Barack Obama, and deep dish pizza.  Everyone knows about well known pizza spots like Gino’s East or Pizzeria Uno, which are fine and all, but tonight Anna and I visited Pequod’s in Lincoln Park to try their deep dish pizza for dinner.  Pequod’s has been in business since 1970 and is known for their famous caramelized crust, that looks burnt, but is purposely baked in cast iron pans that have been “blackened by decades of seasoning,” according to their website.  We ordered a 12” medium deep dish pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms.  It was pretty amazing, and one of the best deep dishes I have ever tried.  If deep dish pizza isn’t your thing, Pequod’s also serves thin crust pizza, sandwiches, and pasta.  Their prices are pretty reasonable, our entire meal (after tax and tip) was $25.  Plus, their kitchen is open until 2am and they have a decent beer selection, thus making Pequod’s a great spot for late night cravings.

-Rob

Check out that carmelized crust.  So good!

Pequod’s mascot is a whale that wears underwear on its head.  Don’t ask.  Also the pizza is served in a pan that is on top of a whale-shaped cutting board, which Rob is holding.