Why I Oughta...

After MUCH experimentation, the High Priests of Pizzanerds over at Slice are able to claim that these plum tomatoes from Trader Joe's are the BEST tomatoes for pizza .  (Go check out their spreadsheet.  There's nothing I like more than a food-based experiment tracking spreadsheet!  Seriously!) Many of you know that for the past five years or so, I've been using 6 in 1's - and liking the results.   In fact, I was a 6 in 1 evangelist - telling everyone that I knew about these canned beauties.  So, considering a new tomato product for my pizza making is serious business.  Upon some inspection, the key difference is that with these from Trader Joe's (that Slice recommends), you have whole tomatoes whereas the 6 in 1's are mostly sauce/pureed.  For my deep dish pizzas, the chunkage is nice, but when I'm making my skins thin, I want my pizza sauce to be smooth.   Nothing a stick blender can't fix, right?  I don't think I'll totally convert over

I dropped Nat off at an appointment in the city yesterday and had an hour or so before we were going to head to the Renegade Craft Fair to fill.  What better way to fill said hour than knocking one of the 25 Top Pizza places in Chicago off the list.  Fortunately for me, Art of Pizza on Ashland was only a few blocks away. It was a snowy day, so pulling into the parking lot at lunchtime was a quiet appealing.  I didn't have to fit for a parking spot with some bozo who had dibs nor did I have to circle the block searching for a spot.  The Art of Pizza is a counter-joint, where you order at the counter and you get a slice to walk away with.  I'm guessing you can order pies, too,  but it seems like the bulk of their business is in slices. All of their slices are $3.19 - thick or thin.  Not bad. The dining room is big, but pretty plain.  There was a LOUD group of boys that showed up.  They couldn't help themselves from yelling about some video game.  They got me out of t

We got back on the top 25 pizza places in Chicago routine with a stop at Louisa's on the southside in Crestwood.  Nat described this as the "best pizza she's ever tasted" and would not only come back for it, but would recommend this place to ANYONE.  That's how good this was.  My only complaint was that our crust was a bit burnt - and not in a good Pequods/Burt's Place-type of carmelized burnt.  This was just plain burnt. I think we had sausage, pepperoni and spinach, but I don't totally remember.  This place has all the charm of your buddy's parent's basement that hasn't been renovated since the mid 1980's.  Carpet on the floors, Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, etc.  But...they do churn out a great pie. You know you're on the south side when the front door specifies that men can't walk in wearing a tank top.  I am guessing that JP McCarthy's in Winnetka doesn't have the same problem. The pie in all of it&

Coalfire Chicago  ( site ) 1321 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL  60642, (312)226-6447 Pizza Snob Says:  Coalfire is the ONLY coal-fired pizza oven in Chicago.  They churn (and I really mean churn) out Neapolitan pies with a chewy crust with the true burnt/charred edges around the perimeter.  Although they don't use fresh mozzarella, they don't skimp on the toppings like most Neapolitan places.  They're kid-friendly and the owners/staff couldn't be more pleased to have you in their restaurant.   Is this *the best* pizza in Chicago and suburbs?  Nah...but it is good enough to warrant a return trip. Rating:    Five "Ats-a-Nice" First things, first.  This is the first of 23 trips to the top 23 pizza places in Chicago that Nat and I are attempting to make in a calendar year! Sitting in (what I would call) the West Loop is this unassuming storefront pizza joint.  Looks a lot like plenty of places scattered across the city.  The big difference here?  Behind that gla

York Tavern 3702 York Road, Oak Brook, IL  60523, (630)323-5090 Pizza Snob Says: The York Tavern puts out (as one would expect with such a name) tavern-cut crackery pies that come out a bit cold, under-cooked, under-seasoned and served on styrofoam plates.  Come for the beer and the Hinsdale "slumming-it" crowd. Rating:   Two "Ats-a-Nice" They list five Speciality pizzas on their menu including "The York's Special" - which is a SMOP (sausage, mushroom, onion and green peppers), "The Hawaiian" - with pineapple, bbq sauce and bacon, a Vegetarian, classic Margherita, and the pie we ordered: The Pizza Bianca: a olive oil-based artichoke/garlic/parmesan combo.  The place is owned by the same folks who own Roberto's in Elmhurst and the pizza menu looks surprisingly similar .  (compare the link to the image below) Unfortunately, I didn't grab a photo of the pie we ordered, but I can tell you that it looked nothing like the on