Albano's Pizzeria
5913 W. Roosevelt Rd (GoogleMaps)
Cicero
(708) 863-0060
CPC invaded Albano's on 3/4/08.
This Cicero establishment on Roosevelt Road is well known for its giant pizza puffs!
CPC arrived at Albano's Pizzeria at 8PM on a Tuesday night. Parking was easy as there is a lot adjacent to the restaurant off of Roosevelt Road. Albano's is set up more like a carry out establishment but has a dining room that is simple and clean with 6-8 red booths and 3-4 round tables. Orders can be placed at the window though the friendly staff provided us service at the tables and brought out soda, cups, ice, and plates. Pizza was served as it came out of the oven. Clientèle includes Chicago's Finest so plan your next heist at home before you come in to eat.
The menu is extensive but pizza is featured prominently on the first page. Also drawing attention on the menu is the claim "Chicagoland's Largest Homemade Pizza Puff". Nobody at our table was prepared to dispute this designation. Be aware that no alcohol is served at Albano's and it's not a BYOB.
Pizza sizes range from 10" - 18". Types include Regular, Pan, Stuffed, and Pizza Puff. There is also the option for thin or thick crust on request though thick crust will cost you an extra $1 to $1.50. There is an Albano's Special which is a bargain price for a pizza with 4 or 8( ! ) toppings. Topping choices are numerous and include shrimp, meatball, broccoli, bacon and tomato in addition to the standards you expect.
We had 7 members in attendance and ordered:
1) 16" Regular crust: bacon, sausage, onion, and tomato
2) 16" Pan crust: meatball, mushroom
3) Pizza puff: pepperoni
4) Pizza puff: sausage
5) Pizza puff: spinach and olives
Two 2 liter bottles of pop included with the order. (There is a coupon on the menu but they were included without us asking.)
Total price - $65 without tax.
The regular crust came in about 20 min and the three puffs followed 10 min later. The pan pizza took approximately 40 min.
The crust on the square-cut 16" bacon, sausage, onion, and tomato pizza was crisp and tasty throughout. No soggy middle pieces on this pie. Toppings were plentiful except for the tomatoes. Bacon was tasty with good sizes pieces and sausage had a nice amount of spice. The sauce was flavorful without being particularly sweet. Sauce fiends may be disappointed as it doesn't ooze out the sides of the square slices but there's enough to get a good taste. Onions were thin cut.
The pan crust was thick and crisp but on the dry side. The meatball topping was very tasty and well-liked though several CPC members commented the flavor was "steaky". Mushrooms were likely canned but well portioned. Overall, this was a popular choice for the group.
Now for the famous puffs! Basically it's an 8 inch pizza folded in half with a golden brown outer crust. They've been described as football-sized and this a pretty good literal estimate. We had underestimated the size and had plenty to box up and take home. If anyone out there was planning to knock one out solo they can do me a favor and to say hi to Kobayashi on the circuit. The fried browned crust is crispy and rich. Plenty of cheese and toppings pour out once the cutting begins. The only significant neg was the pepperoni slices that seemed a bit bland. The sausage and spinach/olive combinations were preferred at our table.
In summary, Albano's was a hit! The pizza puffs were huge and tasty. The table consensus was that a meatball puff would be a killer combination. Crust on the regular pizza was nice and crisp and toppings were generally tasty and plentiful. Minor complaints were the amount of sauce and the blandness of the pepperoni.
A delicious Pizza Puff... from the inside...
The Meatball Pan Pizza... mm... steaky...
The Bacon Pizza goes fast... as it should...
The CPC and the CPD...
Where it went down...
Fred enjoys Pizza Club leftovers...
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Albano's Pizzeria [Meeting #53]
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Pizza Rustica [Meeting #52]
Pizza Rustica
3913 N. Sheridan Rd (GoogleMaps)
(773) 404-8955
CPC invaded Pizza Rustica on 2/21/08.
Pizza Rustica is a BYOB spot on Sheridan Road just south of Irving Park, mere steps from the Sheridan Red Line stop. We arrived on a bitterly cold evening to find that we were not the only ones brave enough to face the elements in order to go to out for these pies.
We began with two of the finest bottles of red wine, which the waitress immediately opened for us. She then brought glasses to those who wanted them (though she neglected to tell us that each glass came with a $1.50 corkage fee - no biggy). The pizza clubbers were hungry and set to the task of selecting pizzas. Pizza Rustica offers 8 different specialty pizzas, so we did not even consider coming up with our own combinations. There were only five of us, but we decided to go for three pizzas. We quickly settled on Tutta Pizza ~ Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Black Olives & Bleu Cheese, as well as the Quattro Stagioni ~ Tomatoes, Artichoke, Mushrooms & Ham. The woman suggested Verdure Grigliate ~ Roasted Peppers, Zucchini & Mushrooms. The men initially humored her before suggesting Patate Rosmarino ~ Thinly Sliced Potatoes Seasoned with Rosemary, which is what we ultimately went with, a decision some would come to regret.
The ambience at Pizza Rustica is fairly cozy. There is a second room, but it was empty the night we visited. The tables were somewhat packed in, but they didn't seem to close together. Of course, we were outside of the main dining area so it's hard to be sure. Anyhow, there was nothing particularly memorable about the place other than the rather nifty oven which is out for all to see (pictured below).
About thirty minutes after we ordered, three hot pizzas were delivered to our table. The crust on the pies was a new one for me. It was almost like a thin (about 1/3 inch), slightly compressed focaccia. Very tasty, but with a mild enough flavor that it served its purpose of complementing the toppings. None of the pizzas had much sauce. Normally, that would be a big strike against it. In this case, it really didn't detract from the pizza. The crust, cheese and toppings were all so flavorful, that sauce wasn't necessary.
About the toppings. The Tutta Pizza was my personal favorite. I would have liked a little more bleu cheese as many bites had none, but I can understand why they skimp on it as that's such a strong flavor and nobody wants it to overwhelm the rest of the pie. The Quattro Stagioni was also excellent. Of particular note were the tomatoes. How Pizza Rustica got such flavorful tomatoes in Chicago in February is a testament to either some impressive connections, recent developments in hot house gardening technology, or dumb luck. In any event, everyone at the table seemed to love both of those pizzas.
The potato and rosemary pizza got a mixed review. Some actively disliked both the flavor and the undercooked potatoes on their pieces. My pizzas had only well-cooked potatoes and I really liked the simplicity of the potato and the rosemary (a lot of rosemary).
All in all, I was very happy with Pizza Rustica and I will definitely return there again, particularly in the summer when outdoor seating is available.
In other news, it has come to my attention that Big Cheese Pizza, home of Chicago Pizza Club meeting #36, has gone out of business. A moment of silence for the best chocolate calzones any of us have ever had.
Ambience to spare...
The oven!
Half and half...
Tutta Pizza ~ Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Black Olives & Bleu Cheese
Better grab that pizza fast...
Where it went down...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Pizza Capri [Meeting #51]
Pizza Capri
1733 N. Halsted St. (GoogleMaps)
(312) 280-5700
CPC invaded Pizza Capri on 2/04/08.
In college I basically tried every thing on Pizza Capri's menu multiple times. In Hyde Park, I was limited to a few restaurants that delivered to me when I didn't feel like losing my parking spot or walking in the ubiquitous Arctic wind blast. Looking back, I had Caffe Florian available to me as well, but when I wanted thin crust I usually went with my old standby.
So here I am, driving past a Pizza Capri every day on my way to and from work. I definitely had enough of it in college to last me a few lifetimes, but I decided that there must have been a reason I ate it so much in the first place.
- small rosemary, potato, and chicken pizza
- small shroom pizza, portabella, crimini, and shiitake mushrooms
- 4 cheese pizza with tomato and basil
- deep dish with spinach, Canadian bacon
The Four Cheese Pizza
"Shroom"
Rosemary, Potato and Chicken
Stuffed Spinach and Canadian Bacon
Mmm... Pizza...
Where it went down...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Bacino's Pizzeria [Meeting #50]
Bacino's
2204 N. Lincoln Ave (GoogleMaps)
(773) 472-7400
CPC invaded Bacino's on 1/15/08.
I owe my discovery of Bacino's to an envelope full of coupons I got from Money Mailer. Intrigued by the quote on the coupon from Crain's Chicago Business declaring Bacino's to have the best stuffed spinach in town, I checked out the website. Once there I found more high praise from respected voices like Charlie Trotter and Pat Bruno. I was sold - Bacino's would have to be tasted.
7 1/2 members of the Chicago Pizza Club descended on Bacino's on a cool Tuesday evening. The restaurant itself is fairly nondescript (as would be expected of a restaurant that occupies the ground floor of a building full of chiropractors' offices). The only detail that stood out was a small section of one wall decorated with portions of wood from wine cases. There is a tv in the main dining room, which is always a good thing.
At 7:40 p.m., we placed the following order with our attractive waitress of an indeterminate age (potentially young enough that both Stu and I risked feeling dirty): a Prosciutto Pizze (only offered in one size), a large stuffed spinach, a large thin crust brocoli, and a medium "special."
The prosciutto pizze was not in the pizza section of the menu. And on the online menu, it is only listed as a lunch item. Pizze is apparently Italian for really thin and delicious. The crust was almost like a cracker, and it was topped with mozzarella, arugula, and, of course, prosciutto. All of the ingredients seemed to be high quality and they worked well together.
The special, which like seemingly every special at every pizza place in Chicago, consisted of sausage, green peppers, onions and mushroom. The thin crust at Bacino's is a little thicker than most places, which I found to be a good thing as the pizza never became too soggy. I would have liked more sausage and less onion and green pepper, but that may be because I really like sausage and don't care for crunchy vegetables on my pizza. I think even if I weren't biased, I'd still think there was still insufficient sausage on the pie as, after eating a couple of pieces, I could not reach a conclusion as to the quality of the sausage one way or the other. Come to think of it, as one who thinks sausage is the signature pizza ingredient, I would propose that a simple sausage pizza always be ordered at Pizza Club meetings.
The thin crust broccoli, which had the same quality crust as the Special, was excellent. I had never had broccoli pizza before, but the fresh broccoli along with Bacino's "special blend of cheeses and spices" was a very pleasant surprise. And, I am happy to report, was just as good when I had it cold the following morning. The one drawback of the broccoli pizza was that it could have used some more sauce.
The stuffed spinach was outstanding. A couple of Pizza Clubbers claim they've had better, but I say it is the best stuffed spinach pizza I have ever had. The aforementioned "special blend" was outstanding. There is definitely some ricotta mixed in with the mozzarella. I have a feeling there was other cheese as well, but I couldn't tell you what they were. Thanks to a crust also a little thicker than the typical variety, the pizza held it's form well. The spinach special includes, if desired, fresh mushrooms. We opted for the addition, but I thought there wasn't enough mushroom to really impact the taste.
We ordered the pizza at 7:40. Our thin crust pies started rolling out at 8:09 and the stuffed spinach came to the table at 8:18. Service was attentive and friendly. And the bill (after our $10 off thanks to Money Mailer) was a mere $87.
Bacino's was a Pizza Club success.
Our fearless leader serves up some broccoli...
The newest Pizza Clubber gets ready to dive in...
The prosciutto pizze...
Stuffed!
Where it went down...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Fornello's [Meeting #49]
Fornello
1011 W. Irving Park Rd (GoogleMaps)
(773) 404-2210
CPC invaded Fornello's on 12/18/2007.
Don't listen to what Rachel Ray might tell you about this place. The pizza is mediocre and the service is poor. The high prices reflect that either the proprietors don't know this, or they thought we would not notice. We noticed. We are the Chicago Freaking Pizza Club! Didn't they see our t-shirts?
We ventured out to Fornello's on a very cold night for the last meeting of 2007. Fornello's is an Italian restaurant that offers a variety of pizzas in addition to standard Italian fare. It is situated along Irving Park Road in a good-sized space with big open windows facing the street. Above the front entrance is an enormous banner quoting Rachel Ray's proclamation that they have the best pizza in Chicago. Inside, the restaurant is occupied by white furniture, and features light-colored murals along the walls. The main restaurant was mostly empty, and they seated us in a private nook in the back of the restaurant.
Fornello's offers a few kinds of pizza, and we decided to try their pizza specialty - the thin crust pizzas from their brick oven. We ordered three different gourmet pizzas:
- Capricciosa: artichokes, black olives, capers, mushrooms, and mozzarella
- Quattro Stagioni: mozzarella, prosciutto ham, artichokes, mushrooms
- Quattro Formaggi: mozzarella, asiago, provolone, romano
The ingredients on all the pizzas were fresh, but the capricciosa and the quattro stagioni tasted pretty much the same aside from the capers. The main reason for this is that the "prosciutto ham" was not prosciutto by any stretch of the imagination. Prosciutto is a dried, cured ham that is sliced thin for serving. The ham on our pizza consisted of bland chunks of light pink meat that resembled the packs of styrovac Canadian Bacon sold at big grocery stores next to the string cheese. It was almost unnoticeable amidst the other ingredients. This was such an egregious misrepresentation (and a mistake for a place that tries to present authentic Italian ingredients) that I have to wonder if they just ran out of prosciutto and made a substitution without telling us.
Nevertheless, the four-cheese pizza was well-received. The texture and flavor of the cheese combination was very good, and it would probably lead to a return visit if I lived in the neighborhood.
The crust is not as thin as the Neopolitan-type pizza we thought we might be getting. It was pretty bland, but stayed firm during dinner and with leftovers the next day. The pizzas did not have much sauce, and they did have a generous amount of cheese, but (aside from the four-cheese pizza) there was nothing special about the mozzarella on the pizzas. Overall, nothing aside from the prosciutto was bad, but we were disappointed with the pizza.
Although we are here to judge the pizza, I must note that the service let us down. First, we were not sure how thin these thin crust pizzas were, and so we asked for a recommendation as to the sizes we should get to feed five moderately hungry people. Our server told us to get all three pizzas in their extra large size for an additional cost of $9 per pizza. We followed his suggestion, and we had more than twice as much pizza as we needed. As a result, we ended up with what I believe was the largest per person bill in pizza club history, though we had not even ordered drinks. We did, however, get leftovers.
Also, though after 30 minutes they brought pizza stands out and told us the pizza would be out shortly, it actually took them nearly an hour from the time of our order to bring our pizzas to the table. We were not given an explanation for the delay, though we ordered thin crust pizzas and there was only one other occupied table in the restaurant.
Petey gives Fornello's 5.325/10.
Looks promising inside...
Serve it up...
Four Cheeses will never let you down...
Tardy, but happy to eat!
"Prosciutto"
Where it went down...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Vito & Nick's Pizzeria [Meeting #48; Meeting #1 Revisited]
Vito & Nick's Pizzeria
8433 S. Pulaski Rd. (Google Maps)
(773) 735-2050
Pizza Club was found in 2003 when my then-roommate and I had a chat about pizza in Chicago. We are both essentially life-long Chicagoans and have enjoyed many a fine pizza, but we understood we had probably missed so many great places along the way as well. He pulled out an article from one of the local papers where someone had submitted a top ten list of pizzerias. We had already tried most of them, but Nick and Vito’s caught our eye because we hadn’t heard of it and because it was on the South Side. We figured that like most things, anything on the South Side was bound to be better than its North Side counterpart and we headed off to battle rush hour traffic. In retrospect, this was one of the best things I’ve ever done because we formed the Chicago Pizza Club on our drive home, stuffed with heavenly pizza and eager to regularly start sampling pizza around the city.
Much has changed since that time. For starters, many of the original crew have come and gone due to graduations and jobs leading them elsewhere. Additionally, this former roommate of mine is now married and has a baby – the smallest pizza club member. Since we have so many new faces, we have decided to break a long standing pizza club rule and start re-visiting pizzerias to allow new members to experience some of our greatest finds.
Enough sentimentality. Let’s get to the pizzas. Sadly, I have lost my piece of paper detailing our meal, but I can remember some of the pizzas. I also remember nothing was left of them.
- Shrimp and garlic
- Roast Beef
- Tomato and basil
On this visit, Petey gives Nick and Vito's a 9.
CPC invaded Vito & Nick's on 11/13/08.
The Chicago Pizza Club digs in...
Tomatoe & Basil!
Shrimp & Garlic!!
Francisco has a mouthful...
Italian Beef!
Leave your plastic at home...
A truly sad sight...
What do you mean it's all gone?
People with glasses like pizza too...
A very happy (and full) Chicago Pizza Club
Where it went down...
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Exchequer Restaurant & Pub [Meeting #47]
Exchequer Restaurant & Pub
226 S. Wabash Avenue (Google Maps)
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 939-5633
CPC invaded Exchequer on 11/01/07.
Searching the plastic tubes of the internet for new pizza locations, I came across Exchequer Restaurant & Pub, located in the heart of the loop. Initially, I was surprised that I had not heard of a downtown pizza location that resident extra large movie expert Roger Ebert identified as one of the four best pies in Chicago. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the portly cowriter of such cinematic masterpieces as Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens endorsed this place in 1984. Additionally, most of the rest of the endorsements came from Brits. Brits don't know shit about pizza. Still, the Chicago Tribune allegedly identified Exchequer as the best deep dish pizza in the loop in 2001. I say allegedly because the link to the article was conveniently broken.
I was intrigued enough to suggest the locale as the next Pizza Club destination. My first thought upon entering was that I can't wait for the smoking ban to go into effect in Chicago. My second thought as we walked to the back of the restaurant and passed walls completely covered in Chicago sports decor, movie posters and various photos of quasi-famous people, was that I was surprised how crowded the place was. My third thought was that I noticed I did not see anyone eating pizza.
I began to have serious doubts about the place when the waiter was shocked that we were there for the pizza. Despite the optimism his reaction instilled, we proceeded. Exchequer offers three different types of pizza, deep dish, thin crust and crispy crust. Of course, the club sampled one of each. We ordered a sausage and garlic deep dish, a spinach and feta thin crust, and a Meat Eaters crispy crust. For good measure, and in honor of the restaurant's Greek roots, we got the Aegean pizza as an appetizer.
The Aegean came first. Served on a crispy crust, it came with Artichoke, Plum Tomato, Red Onion, and Feta Cheese. It seemed as if they made a cheese pizza and then put the ingredients on. I liked the artichokes. That was about it.
Next up was the sausage and garlic. I tasted the garlic and I definitely saw the sausage, but this pizza was pretty much a pile of rapidly congealing cheese that overwhelmed the crust - a knife and fork was required. I finished my slice and it was fine. But I like cheese. However, I also like sauce and this pie had very little. In its favor, this particular pizza was just as tasty when I ate it cold the following morning.
The spinach on the thin crust was interesting. It tasted like creamed spinach. Seriously, I think the spinach was cooked with cheese before it was put on the pizza. That said, I like creamed spinach and this pie was interesting. The crust held up, but it was nothing special. Not bad, but not great.
The Meat Eaters pie had a lot of meat - Cheese, Sausage, Pepperoni, Ground Beef, Canadian Bacon. Honestly, I don't remember much about it other than it was a lot of meat, some cheese, and as was apparently the style at Exchequer, very little sauce. Meat and cheese is always good. The crust was virtually the same as the thin crust. In fact, I don't think there was a difference between the thin crust and the crispy one.
The pizza at Exchequer was edible, but with all the dining choices in the vicinity, I am confident I will never eat it again.
Petey gives Exchequer a 4/10.
Happy Pizza Clubbers... (and what awesome shirts they have...)
Thin crust & spinache
the Aegean appetizer pizza
The Meat Eaters crispy crust
Where it went down...
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