Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Location: 737 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661

A Quick Word:
Two of my friends arrived in the city late Friday night and we knew Saturday would be a perfect day for day drinking.  We decided on Haymarket Pub & Brewery to enjoy a couple of drinks while sitting on their outdoor patio.  The service was excellent and the variety of beers was extensive.  They offer several sizes which allows customers to try a variety of beers without dipping too deep into their wallets or losing their minds.  I haven't had the food yet, but from the beers and service, I am confident with a 3.5 mile rating.  I hope the food will bump this bar even higher!

Disclaimer:  I just started to learn more about beers and still do not consider myself adequate at rating them or describing them.  I certainly tried, but like all my other posts, these thoughts are just my opinions!

What I Drank:

3 - 4oz. Sampler

After arriving at Haymarket, I noticed they had a huge selection of IPAs and wheat ales.  These were great for summer drinking and where else would be better to drink than the outdoor street patio.  I ordered several of the 4oz. samplers to give more of their beers a chance.   (Described from L to R)

Unfortunately, I forgot the first beer I chose.  I know it was Haymarket's try at a Hefewiezen which is also a wheat beer.  It was crisp and I believe had some lemon flavors that shined through.  I probably would prefer the other two over this beer.

A Mash Made in Heaven VI - White Peach Wit.  This beer is a belgium style wheat ale that reminded me of a blue moon but even lighter.  Rather than just an orange flavor, a few peach notes were tasted by both myself and my friends.  It was lighter and sweeter than expected and an incredible beer for the summer.

Mathias Imperial I.P.A. was a higher alcohol content beer at 10%.  It is extremely hoppy, but does have a few citrus notes that made it a little more palatable.  I am starting to love the hoppiness of I.P.A.s, but my friends weren't big fans.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do come for sports games.  They have plenty of TVs and lots of seating both indoor and out!

DON'T:
- Don't drink bottled beers or other draft... stick with Haymarket's brand!

How far would I walk for this beer?

Toni's Pizza & Organic Pasta

Location: 455 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60654

A Quick Word:
So, I have been living in Chicago for the past six years of my life and I thought I had heard about or tasted every deep dish pizza slice ever created.  Somehow I missed the organic option.. Toni's Pizza.  This small, mainly take-out, restaurant is located in West Loop.  Upon walking in, you see they have about 6 stools and a small TV for those Blackhawks games!  The best part about this restaurant is the pizza by the slice option.  They have a warmer including three or four pizzas--a mixture of both deep dish and thin crust.  The deep dish option tastes great.  It actually reminds me of a healthier slice, making me feel better about eating a couple extra slices.  The only main problem was the lack of butter did make the crust a little less tasty.  I can't consider it the best of Chicago's deep dish, but it is definitely up there and that is why this healthier option gets a 4-mile rating.

What I Ate:

Spinach Deep Dish Pizza

After stumbling across Toni's, I heard the spinach deep dish pizza was their specialty.  This organic style deep dish pizza is just as it sounds... lots of spinach, cheese, chunky tomato sauce, and deep, thick pizza crust.  It comes with a side of extra sauce if you ask.  After my first bite, I finally found a slice of deep dish pizza that has a crust not full of butter.  It actually tasted somewhat healthy, but I knew I was still splurging.  The spinach flavor is much stronger than most places because I think their cheese to spinach ratio favors the latter.  The crust is like a thinner version of Giordano's... lacks a little flavor, but when dipping into the side of marinara it was great.  And at $4.50 a slice, you can't go wrong.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Pizza by the slice!  If you are craving deep dish pizza, but don't want to purchase an entire pizza, this places is the best.

DON'T:
- Don't forget to ask for extra sauce on the side.

How far would I walk for this food?

BellyQ

Location: 1400 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Work:
Good Asian restaurants are hard to come by outside of the Chinatown or other ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago.  And on Randolph, I have tasted some of the worst Asian food ever.  Luckily, at the very end of this "restaurant row," BellyQ continues to bring a great reputation to Asian cuisine.  I believe BellyQ is influenced by several Asian countries cuisines, but mainly Thailand and Korea.  The menu consists of a huge selection of "cook-it-yourself" Asian BBQ alongside dozens of twists on traditional meals.  Upon entering, you encounter both a beautiful dining room and an excellent, friendly staff.  I came for lunch and found most of the food to be incredible.  Keyword: Most... unfortunately, some of it was more on the bland side.  I am confident, however, in declaring them the home of my ALL TIME FAVORITE ice cream, but for rating purposes, I couldn't look beyond the lack of flavors in a couple of the main dishes we ordered.  And for that reason, I could only give them a 4 mile rating at this time.  I know I will be back for dinner and their ice cream so watch for an update and a possible increase in their rating!

What We Ate:

Marinated Curly Kale

To start of the meal, my friend and I decided on the marinated curly kale salad.  Kale is the newly popularized vegetable now, right?  This salad is simply kale sliced into bite sized pieces, curried cauliflower, toasted almonds, and a little oil/vinaigrette mixture.  The kale was more on the bland side and the cauliflower didn't add much either.  The toasted almonds gave a nice crunch.  If it wasn't for the thai style chicken (listed below), I probably wouldn't have been too happy with this choice.  However, in the end, it was addicting and I found myself reaching for additional bites.

Thai Style Chicken

This may be the weirdest categorized dish I have ever come across.  Rather than being listed under the appetizer or entree section, the Thai Style Chicken was listed as a side... alongside french fries, kimchee, and grilled veggies.  But anyway, this dish consists of three boneless pieces of chicken that have been lightly breaded, deep fried, and covered in their sweet and sour thai chili sauce.  I absolutely loved this dish.  The chicken was crispy and the sauce had just enough heat to make the tip of my nose sweat.  The portion size was perfect and the cost, even better.  At only $6.00 for three of these chicken breast pieces, I can't see any reason not to order the dish.  It accompanies any of the salads really well.

Rice Cake Pad Thai

The pad thai was probably the most interesting dish of the day.  Surprising since everyone thinks pad thai is such a standard dish.  At BellyQ, they take pad thai to the next level.  Rather than the typical rice noodles, their pad thai has sliced rice cake mixed with olive oil poached shrimp, chili dusted peanuts, and fresh cilantro.  The typical bean sprouts and carrots are also mixed into the dish.  Initially, I was confused on what the rice cake actually was.  It has a firm, chewy consistency and is extremely addicting.  The shrimp on the other hand were boring and bland.  I did enjoy the chili peanuts, but I prefer double or triple the amount in my pad thai.  It doesn't compare to the noodles I had in Thailand, but it was a clever twist to spice up this classic meal.

Taco of the Day (Pork Belly)

Each day, BellyQ changes up their taco.  They offer a combination of the taco of the day and the soup of the day for a reasonable price of $4 and $2, respectively.  I just stuck with the taco, which happened to be pork belly.  Two white corn tortillas were lightly steamed before being topped with a fried pork belly mixture, pickled red onion, a little cilantro, and a sweet, almost hoisin-like, sauce.  It was great.  My friend only wanted to try a bite, but ended up eating half of it.  The pork belly had a perfect crunch, but the sauce made it feel more like a stew.  I prefer tacos with simple toppings so the pickled onion and cilantro is ideal.  Maybe a couple slices of fresh jalapeño would make it better.  Another great option to try!

Nuoc Cham Vinegar Fries

How could anyway resist a side of $3 french fries?  I couldn't and that is how this dish came to the table.  The french fries were supposedly covered with a nuoc cham vinegar sauce, which is a classic vietnamese dipping sauce that consists of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty components.  Honestly, these fries had nothing of that nature, but the crispiness was addicting.  I was disappointed in overall flavor, but I found myself even dipping them into the soft serve ice cream.  Obviously I enjoyed them.

Kimchi

Whenever kimchi is on the menu, I tend to order a small side of it.  The pickled/fermented cabbage dish has plenty of Korean spices and is fairly acidic.  This kimchee had both cabbage and cucumber giving it great crunch and freshness.  It definitely breaks up the meal with more of a fresh dish (despite being fermented).  The smell is pretty strong, so I only suggest ordering it if you have had it in the past or if you consider yourself to have a strong stomach.  And, definitely do not bring it home... the smell is just weird.

Passion Fruit Ice

ABSOLUTELY A MUST HAVE DESSERT... at least the ICE CREAM!!!  BellyQ is now home to my all-time FAVORITE ice cream.  Unbelievable is an understatement.  For this dessert, their vanilla soft serve is topped with a passion fruit ice (almost like a granite) and a few young coconut jelly cubes. The passion fruit ice was strongly flavored and the consistency was like shaved ice.  But the star was that vanilla soft serve.  The creaminess was perfection and I found out that a coconut water was mixed into the ice cream as it is made... giving it that extra depth and complexity that makes it incredible.  I asked to buy just the soft serve, but they don't sell it in "to go" containers.  Hopefully they will reconsider next time, otherwise I will be order several desserts for take out!  Don't miss out!

Passion Fruit and Coconut Vinegar Drinks

Once I heard vinegar drinks, I knew I was going to order them.  One was passion fruit and the other coconut.  And, they taste exactly how their name describes... vinegar.  The acidity from the vinegar was strong enough to make my eye twitch.  It wasn't really refreshing, but at the same time, I wanted to keep drinking more of it.  The waitress said the drinks are great for cleansing the GI system so I figured sounds like a great idea.  Would I order them again?  Maybe... depending on the day's flavors.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Parking is ridiculous in this area... even at lunch time, it took me at least 10 minutes to find a parking spot.  Do valet park your car at dinner time.
- Share food family style!
- BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER EATEN!

DON'T:
- I probably wouldn't order the vinegar drinks again. It is tempting to try something new, but after a few drinks, it isn't worth it.

How far would I walk for this food?

The Tamale Spaceship

Location: Mobile... location varies each day.  Follow them on Twitter to find their location!
Twitter: Tamalespace101

A Quick Word:
Another well-established food truck in Chicago is The Tamale Spaceship.  Home to the masked-sombrero-wearing owner, this silver vehicle parks in various locations of downtown Chicago to serve homemade tamales to city goers.  They have a huge variety of tamales from vegetarian to the typical shredded pork ones.  Each comes with some kind of sauce that adds much needed moisture to the tamale.  I was disappointed in the fact that each order came with two of the same tamale.  I wish you could do a mix and match so I could try more than one type of tamale.  When it comes to all the food trucks in the city, I would consider this to be above average, thus giving them a 3.5 mile rating.

What I Ate:

Picturesque de Puerco

After staring at all the different tamale options, I just went ahead and asked for a recommendation.  The masked man in a sombrero recommended the Picturesque de Puerco (which happened to be the first item on the menu).  This roasted pork tamale was made with traditional massa and wrapped in a corn husk.  It comes with a tomato-habanero sauce and supposed to have a side of purple pickled onions.  After unwrapping both of the tamales, dump the sauce all over.  The massa will quickly absorb most of the sauce, giving that spicy mexican flavor we all love.  Unfortunately, my order lacked the advertised purple pickled onion.  That was disappointing because I truly thought some kind of acidity was needed to complement the dish.  The pork was nothing special, just shredded and a little chewy.  When comparing to other tamales I have had the past... I thought these were a little on the dry side still.  They are good size, so one order is all that is needed for a filling lunch.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do follow them on twitter.  This is the only way to find their location.

DON'T:
- Don't come by yourself... the tamales come with two in a container and no mixing and matching allowed.  It is very disappointing if you don't share with someone.

How far would I walk for this food?

Bijan's Bistro

Location: 663 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60611

A Quick Word:
Late night meals have become extremely popular in the city, especially on the weekends.  Some places are starting to serve late-night menus, but Bijan's Bistro has been doing this for years.  This American bistro, located in the River North area, is open until 3AM on Mondays - Friday's and 4AM on Saturdays.  They have a huge variety of food, so everyone will find something they want to try.  Unfortunately, as I was eating, I found a flaw or two in every dish.  They try to put a contemporary twist on some dishes and fall short. The cost is definitely a little higher, which is difficult for student budgets.  The staff is extremely friendly and patient with the more intoxicated crowds.  Regardless of the amazing atmosphere and late night options, the food was just above par, so I gave it a just above average review of 3.5 miles.

What We Ate:

Spinach Artichoke Dip

After searching through the extensive list of appetizers, the spinach artichoke dip stood out as the best for sharing.  Made simply with spinach, artichoke, and cheeses, this dip was spruced up a little by serving it with lavash style crackers rather than pita bread.  The dip was great... lots of flavor from garlic and of course the artichoke.  It came out piping hot, but that didn't stop anyone from taking a huge bite.  Dipping everything into this dip was always a possibility.  We used the chicken sandwich and the french fries as vessels.  Unfortunately, the lavash-like crackers were not good.  They were way too thin to support the heavier dip.  It was next to impossible to scoop with the crackers.  I wish they just kept it simple with sliced french bread or pita bread.

Macaroni and Cheese with Applewood Smoked Bacon

One of the main entrees we all shared was the mac and cheese.  Here, they make it with applewood smoked bacon and plenty of different cheeses.  I am unsure exactly which cheese, but a sharp cheddar was definitely the dominating flavor.  Unfortunately, we were a little disappointed in the amount of bacon used... it was just way too much.  Some of the bites were 100% bacon flavored while others had an OK balance.  The dish has a little bit of a breadcrumb topping.  A lot of people love this mac and cheese... I think the bacon was just a little too much.

Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast Sandwich

We decided to share a sandwich as well.  This grilled marinated chicken breast sandwich had the typical toppings of lettuce, tomato, and onion.  It also had a pesto mayonnaise.  The sandwich was delicious, but the bun was on the disappointing side.  It was simply a hamburger bun that was lightly toasted.  I really enjoy pesto and it was heavily basil, less garlic flavored.  The chicken was moist and well seasoned.  It came with some amazing french fries.  I loved dipping the extra fries into the spinach artichoke dip.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Great late night spot.  Open till the earliest hours.  It does get packed pretty fast.

DON'T:
- Don't expect to leave with a cheap bill.  It is pricier for late night food.

How far would I walk for this food?

Paulina Meat Market

Location: 3501 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60657


A Quick Word:
After I discovered Paulina Meat Market, I was excited to finally get a variety of smoked snack sticks.  When walking into the store, you will find an exceptional, yet limited variety.  The butchers are very helpful, offering tips on different flavors and even giving samples if you ask.  They have a huge variety of mustards that complement the different types of sausage available.  I purchased a spicy dijon German mustard which was excellent.  Unfortunately, this place is located pretty far from the downtown area.  And, they don't offer much game meat options.  Hope one day they offer venison or bison.  But, for now, I will rate it at 3.5 miles with plenty of room to grow.

What We Ate:

Spicy Lamb Stick, Linguisa, Salami Stick, Honey Pork Sausage

Finally, after searching far and wide, I was able to find a place that serves smoked snack sticks.  Paulina Meat Market was a great find.  They offer smoked meats from lamb to chicken to even huge pork tenderloins.  Everything is just under $10.00 per lb., which is pretty pricey considering I can get similar products back at home for half the cost.  I was pleasantly surprised by all the different sausages however.  The flavors were great and they offer both a more dried option and the softer less air dried type.  I prefer the honey pork sausage (bottom right picture).  It is shaped like a pig tail and has an incredible sweetness to it.  The honey really shines.  The spicy lamb stick (top left picture) was also great.  Add a little mustard to it and you can't complain.  The other two sticks were just ok.  Nothing too spectacular.  I just wished they had more game meat... venison, bison, etc.  Maybe they can consider making some?

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Plenty of parking around the area.  I suggest visiting during the week if possible.

DON'T:
- Don't expect to walk out with a small bill.  The smoked meats weigh quite a bit and the price rises fairly fast.  A pound of meat will get you 3 maybe 4 sausages, depending on the sizes.

How far would I walk for this place?

Hot Doug's

Location: 3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60618

A Quick Word:
Whenever I mention the word hot dog in Chicago, everyone always suggests Hot Doug's.  And for years, I have been meaning to try it out.  Finally, I made it to this self-proclaimed "Sausage Superstore."  While waiting in a short line (we arrived about 15 minutes after they opened), we looked at all the different wild game options and also other creative hot dog combinations named after celebrities.  Some of the game meat included buffalo, alligator, and duck.  It is difficult to decide, so I took some advice from one of my buddies... order one "weird one" and one "normal one."  Choosing between the game sausages was the most difficult part, but once the food order arrived, we knew made the right decision.  The service is very friendly and pretty fast.  They clean up after you, so just leave the trays on the table.  Upon first bite of the game meat, I fell in love with the restaurant.  Great food, great atmosphere, memorable experience... I instantly thought this is going to go the distance.  However, I was surprised by an inaccurate Chicago-style hot dog that was more awful than it was great... and for that reason, a 4 mile rating was all I could give.

What We Ate:

"Game of the Week" (Smoked Buffalo Sausage)

The first sausage we decided to split was the "game of the week."  It happened to be a smoked buffalo sausage that was made with both red wine and bacon.  It was topped with a roasted red pepper dijonnaise and plenty of smoked gouda cheese.  The buffalo sausage was on the leaner side, not leaving that fatty residue behind.  The red wine and bacon were both very subtle which was pleasant to the palate.  I thought it needed a little more of the red pepper dijonnaise which I believe was a combo of both dijon mustard and mayo.  The cheese was definitely overdone.  Smoked gouda has a very strong smokey flavor which actually overpowers any other flavors.  Scrape some of it off if you want to actually taste the sausage.

"The Leroy Powell" (Smoked Crayfish and Pork Sausage)

My buddy and I shared the crayfish, or what I call crawfish, sausage also.  This sausage was made of both crawfish and pork and topped with a cajoun remoulade, jarlsberg cheese, and chunks of crawfish for an added garnish effect.  Upon first bite, an extremely fishy flavor was encountered.  I mean, it tasted like crawfish, but it was a little more overwhelming than I expected.  I still really enjoyed the creaminess from the cheese and the sausage as a whole.  The cajun seasoning was nice.  However, I will say that I doubt many people will like this option.  Like I said, fishy is the main flavor, so just be aware.

"The Dog" (Chicago-Style Hot Dog)

This Chicago-style hot dog singlehandedly kept Hot Doug's from reaching perfection on my blog.  And it was bad enough that I dropped it an entire 1 mile rating.  Their version of this Chicago classic is made  with your choice of char-grilled or steamed dog that is topped with mustard, CARAMELIZED oninion (awful), neon green relish, tomato, pickle, and celery salt.  Why caramelized onions?  It makes everything too soggy.  And, they don't consider sports peppers as a normal topping?  This is absurd.  I was so disappointed that I even forgot to take a picture of the hot dog.  But maybe that will remind you to not order "the dog" at Hot Doug's.  But, at $2, it can be a filler.

"The Dave Pound" (Corn Dog)

This may be one of the best deals in the city.  For $1.50, you get an all-beef hot dog that is dipped in corn meal batter and deep fried... aka a corn dog.  They come out golden brown and crispy.  Just add a little mustard or ketchup (whatever you prefer) and enjoy.  Can't really mess this up, unless its burnt.

French Fries

So be aware that the french fries order is HUGE.  The large is way too many for two people.  Sometimes I wonder why obesity is such a problem in America... then I see an order of fries that is just outrageous.  At $2.25, it is definitely worth it.  The fries are hand cut, extremely crispy, and not as oily as I was expecting.  Great side, but I would rather have a corn dog to act as a filler.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do come on the off hours.  Otherwise you will wait in line for easily 30 minutes or longer.  It is sort of ridiculous but everyone loves this place.
- Share an order of large fries... it is big enough for 3 people if not more.
- CASH ONLY!

DON'T:
- Parking is difficult so reduce the number of cars if possible.

How far would I walk for this food?

Mr. Greek Gyros

Location: 234 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661

A Quick Word:
So, it is late night eating time... and we are wondering around the city.  My friends and I tend to gravitate towards the Greektown area, mainly because of proximity.  We always end up at either Taco Burrito King or Mr. Greek Gyros.  This time was gyro night.  When walking into Mr. Greek Gyros, you will most likely encounter a line full of intoxicated students.  Everyone orders the gyros, which is a huge meal.  They cook everything to order, so it takes several minutes and comes out piping hot.  Unfortunately, the food on a night without drinking is pretty bad.  Bland, fatty, and covered in sauces to disguise the other flavors is how I see the restaurant.  The service is pretty bad as well.  The restaurant is not clean at all.  I would definitely give this restaurant an average 3 mile rating after a night of drinking, but a 1 mile rating is all it truly deserves.

What I Ate:

Gyros Meal

Whenever we end up in Greektown after a night of drinking, Mr. Greek Gyros is one of our most frequented stops.  I always order the Gyros Meal which includes a huge gyro and fries.  The gyro has plenty of beef/lamb meat, tomato, raw onions, tzatziki sauce, and is all served on a thick pita.  They definitely do not skimp on the meat, and in fact, it can be overwhelming how much is on the gyro.  The are a little heavy on the tzatziki, so if you don't like your gyro covered, be sure to specify a lighter amount.  The raw onions are a rough after a night of drinking.  I once made the mistake of ordering this for a normal lunch... I felt awful and never wanted it again.  The fries are extremely plain.  There is absolutely no salt on them.  I am addicted to their sweeter ketchup though.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do come here for late night.

DON'T:
- Don't eat here for an actual meal during the day.  It will not only ruin your late night spot, but it will also make your stomach hurt.

How far would I walk for this food?

(But, definitely 3 mile rating after a night of drinking!)

Dimo's Pizza

Location: 3463 N. Clark Street., Chicago, IL 60657

A Quick Word:
After falling in love with Ian's Pizza and hearing that it had closed... I was disappointed.  Luckily, a similar joint, Dimo's Pizza, opened in its space.  I still am a little confused on the actual story behind Dimo's and whether or not Ian's renamed itself as Dimo's, but regardless, I encountered delicious pizza with the most interesting toppings.  A thin crust pizza has toppings that could be eaten alone or toppings that are typically served on other vessels.  Unfortunately, some of the slices are big misses--blandness is the first word that comes to mind.  I can't wait to try more of the toppings... especially the s'more slice, but overall I could only give Dimo's a 4 mile rating.  Maybe because some slices are struggles, but more likely because Ian's Pizza was imitated and not perfected.

What We Ate:

Guacamole Burrito Pizza

Our first choice was the burrito pizza.  We chose the guacamole burrito slice which contained black beans, rice, guacamole, cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of sour cream.  The other option would be a spicy chicken burrito, but guacamole sounded better.  When you first bite into the slice, you really get confused if you are at a mexican joint or a pizza place.  The burrito actually tasted somewhat authentic and was tasty.  The guac gave a nice creamy consistency.

Chicken n' Waffles Pizza & Spicy Chicken Taco Pizza

Once I saw Fried Chicken and Waffles on the menu, I knew I had to try this slice.  The slice was made with breaded chicken fingers and mini waffles chopped into bite sized pieces.  They were sitting on a creme fraiche base, topped with mozzarella cheese, and drizzled with both maple syrup and melted butter.  Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the slice.  There was no flavor whatsoever.  In fact, I couldn't tell you if it was chicken, waffles, or even pizza at all.  I would never order this again unless they find someway to make the chicken more moist and have more flavor.

Mexican themed pizzas are very popular at Dimo's.  This spicy chicken taco slice is honestly their buffalo chicken with a Mexican twist.  It is topped with marinated buffalo chicken, pico de gallo, mexican seasonings, and both mozzarella and cheddar cheese.  There was a really good spice to the pizza slice; I wasn't sure if it was from the buffalo seasoning or the jalapeños in the pico de gallo.  It really tastes like a taco and I really suggest getting this slice.

Spinach Feta Pesto Pizza & Tomato Pesto Pizza

For a more fresh slice of pizza, the spinach feta pesto slice is the way to go.  It is topped with sautéed spinach, mozzarella cheese, and crumbled feta cheese.  A pesto base is used which gives that Italian flavor.  It was another great slice to enjoy.  It broke up the greasy feel from some of the other slices.  The spinach and feta combo also reminded me of Greek flavors... so maybe this slice is a little confused, yet still very tasty.

After ordering so many intricate slices of pizza, we all decided to try a simple one.  The tomato pesto pizza is exactly what it's name describes... sliced tomatoes, extra mozzarella cheese, and a pesto based sauce.  The thin crust is still a perfect vessel for the toppings.  The pesto is basil heavy so I really enjoyed it.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- I encourage sharing.  There are so many different slices that sharing is the only way to try a majority of them.
- Do call ahead and ask for the specials.  They have a weekly rotating slices.

DON'T:
- Don't come during Cubs games... the place is ridiculously packed.
- Don't drive to this area.  Street parking is scarce and sometimes impossible.

How far would I walk for this food?