From Pumpkin to Pizza: Twitter Tells Us Where to Find it

From Pumpkin to Pizza:
Twitter Tells Us Where to Find it

Posted by Bridget at 12:59 am

Oct 312009

Everywere you go, they're avertising pumpkin somethin'. But what's the best?

Everywhere you go, they're pushin' pumpkin somethin'. But what's the best?

Halloween is upon us, which means it’s the season for all things pumpkin! In fact, we discovered that Golden Nugget Pancake House is now serving pumpkin pancakes. Yea!

But that made us wonder where else we could go to feed our pumpkin cravings. So we asked Twitter:

@jillierose 7/11 pumpkin spice latte…beats out Starbucks in taste and price

@misac Milk & Honey Cafe! Pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin bars and pumpkin muffins this week.

@RichChocolates We’ll have pumpkin pie truffles starting this weekend!

@dulcita518 starbucks – pumpkin spice latte.

@ccguinto Pumpkin chai from argo tea by far best pumpkin beverage!

What Chicago pizza makes the best leftovers?

Then, things got a little heated (or not) when we asked which Chicago pizza re-heats best the next day. We like Pizano’s ourselves. But apparently, there are some die-hard cold pizza eaters out there who contend that reheating is entirely unnecessary. No matter if you prefer it hot or not, these leftovers don’t disappoint:

@imadedinner petes on montrose

@BurgerDogBoy I think JJ Twigs in Lake Zurich is excellent after sitting on the counter all nite, that’s the real test!!

@ForrestRead Pizanos is the best Pizza in Chicago hands down.

@ChiFoodPlanet Lou Malnatti’s

@mikethebig1 Reheats? why would you reheat left over pizza. Everybody knows it’s best cold!!

@chanthana @mikethebig1 @ChicagoBites Noooo! I reheat my ‘zza!

@richardmalone Calo pan pizza in Avlle

@ChicagoShares We second the Malnati’s vote

@lacuisineparis always been a fan of Medici on 57th

@swimdixie lou malnatis for sure

Happy Halloween! We look forward to hearing more from you on Twitter.

Castel Gandolfo - A First Look

Posted by Bridget at 5:30 pm

Aug 142009

The house salad is wonderful, served with peppers, olives, and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Castel Gandolfo, the new pizzeria on the corner of Dearborn and Chicago, is housed in a building that’s been home to doomed restaurants.
The first was a shady BBQ place that was there for years. I have no idea how it survived. I never saw more than two people in there at any one time and there were no signs that they made frequent deliveries. It’s still a mystery that plagues me.

Then, Iggy’s 3 moved in, painted the walls a garish red and black, and served up late-night eats that totally missed the mark. Iggy’s didn’t last long, and after that the space was vacant for ages, its windows a popular surface for graffiti.

Now, the building is all spruced up again, sporting a fresh coat of yellow paint on the outside, and new fixtures, tables, and green and white walls on the inside.

But will Castel Gandolfo manage to break the slow business/ lousy food curse of the restaurants that came before it?

Maybe. The jury is still out.

Its menu is simple and focused. You’ve got a few decent wine selections, two salads, a long list of pizza toppings, and a few desserts to choose from. All of the pizza is thin crust and is prepared in a brick oven. Pretty straight forward right? You’d think. But then it took ages to get our pizza.
All of the tables around us ordered the daily special – a pizza topped with arugula – and they were served right away. But my dining companion and I were in the mood for sausage, and we had to wait and wait to get it. Were all the special pizzas pre-made? Did they mess up our order? While we waited, we wondered.

When our pizza arrived, it was really good. I even enjoyed the leftovers the next day! But since Chicago prides itself on outstanding pizza, I must admit it was no standout.

I’m skeptical that a new mediocre pizza place can survive in this town, especially when it only accepts cash and doesn’t deliver in a neighborhood littered with TV watching apartment dwellers.

Still, I’m not ready to count Castel Gandolfo out just yet. I wish them luck because they’re going to need it, and I’ll be going back.

Our pizza was good, but we had to wait for it.

Castel Gandolfo
800 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 787-2211
Get directions

Renaldi's
Chicago Bites Podcast #134

Posted by Bridget at 7:00 am

Mar 312009

Renaldi's thin crust pizza hits the spot when you dine there or have it delivered.

I have a confession to make. I like thin crust pizza. It’s not that I don’t appreciate Chicago-style… after enduring this winter’s chill, I certainly see the merit of a stuffed crust more than ever. It sticks to your bones and may provide a little insulation. Still, when it comes to the quality of taste, thin crust pizza wins hands down. And you can find a solid example of what it should be at Renaldi’s. There’s no frou-frou pizza here, just classic favorites that hit the spot whether you dine-in or call for delivery.

Let me apologize now, gentle listeners. I must have gotten a little carried away with excitement somewhere in between talking about plastic pitchers of coke and marinara dipping sauces because I mispronounce “Renaldi’s” in this podcast. But T and I like the restaurant enough to post our review anyway. I misspoke, but Renaldi’s is still worth talking about.

(7.5 M)

Show Notes:
00:00 – 01:37 Classic thin crust pizza in a classic place
01:38 – 02:42 Dipping sauce for the pizza… awesome
02:43 – 03:19 Brown crunchy appetizers
03:20 – 05:14 They deliver! And it’s as good as eating in
05:13 – 06:04 Service, ambiance, and the merits of a big lazy Susan
06:05 – 08:06 Wrap-up & sign-off

Renaldi’s
2827 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
Get directions