Chicago.com
Nella Pizzeria Napoletana is the newest venture from the owners behind Francesca’s Restaurants in Chicago. Chef Scott Harris and partner Nella Grassano opened this authentic pizzeria in November of last year with the hope of bringing the passion and the craft of Italian pizza making to the heart of Lincoln Park. Their wood burning pizza oven was imported straight from Naples, and with the help of Corporate Chef of Mia Francesca Massimo Salatino, their recipes have stayed modern and yet still reminiscent of their originals.
We started out with a seafood salad to share. This insalata di mare was bright and fresh with large pieces of cuttlefish, squid, octopus and shrimp. It was served with arugula dressed in lemon juice, sweet peppers, fresh herbs and olive oil. It was a great combination of flavors and a complete surprise from the monotonous, one note seafood salads I’ve had before. This was perfect for a warm day and really whetted our appetites. And thank goodness, because we were in for a feast!
As for the pizza, we went with the recommendation of the General manager Jeff Downing – Prosciutto e Rucola, a white pizza with smoked mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, fresh arugula, shaved parmesan and olive oil. Let me tell you, growing up in the Midwest and living with the corn fed stereotypes most “Coastal Americans” give us, I really appreciate fresh, quality ingredients. Italian food isn’t always all about carbs. True Italian cooking almost always revolves around vegetables and seasonal local ingredients, and Chef Salatino has definitely taken advantage of this. I would absolutely recommend this pizza to every one of our readers. The leftovers were great too!
The next pizza (yes, we had two) was the Pizza Diavolo. Covered in homemade tomato sauce from my favorite San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, spicy salami, basil, and I think a hint of heaven, this pizza was definitely a keeper. Absolutely delicious. Their dough is so good with a slightly charred edge (what you’re looking for with a good wood burning oven) and soft center. This is not just a pepperoni pizza; far from it. The heat from the salami was just right and I’m pretty sure I had strands of melted mozzarella hanging from my face. Yes, I am that sexy. It was embarrassingly good. Perfect for a date, this pie is seductive.
For the lunch crowd, Nella offers a variety of fresh paninis as well. We tried a prosciutto crudo panino with fresh mozzarella, basil, and arugula. Noticing a theme? Prosciutto crudo is a different type of cured Italian ham, thicker than prosciutto di parma but just as savory. And talk about smart cooking, the sandwich bread is leftover pizza dough, cooked up in the oven into perfect rolls. This is a great idea for the local lunch crowd prowling the area. These hearty paninis would definitely keep me satisfied during a long work day and give me just enough incentive to go back for dinner.
Now, if you hang out with Cousin Vinnie, chances are you get treated right. Jeff and Chef Salatino had another surprise for us that wasn’t even on the menu yet. I’ll call it a Banana Galette. Or a Banana Tart. Or….a Banana Pizza. Whatever it’s called, it was amazing. Bananas were roasted in the pizza oven on fresh dough with sugar until they caramelized. Once it’s out of the oven, it gets doused with powdered sugar, mint, and a healthy scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. We enjoyed ours with a cup of strong Mati espresso, perfectly complementing our dessert. My photographer Lauren Palminteri doesn’t like bananas. Or so she told me. I still have the fork mark in my hand where she stabbed me to get the last bite. Let’s hope they keep this on the menu and have band aids available for customers.
Nella is perfect for just about any occasion and even offers a private room for parties or special dinners. Great for families, the menu also provides kid friendly pizzas at parent friendly prices. It really is a treat to get to have a meal that was so completely enjoyable and it definitely makes my job more fun. Timothy our waiter was awesome and took great care of us. He and Jeff obviously love their jobs which made our lunch even better.
Don’t wait for the opportunity to eat at Nellas. Make some time and get there, before the seats are taken. I see this place being a huge hit for a very long time. Make it one of your favorites today.
A special treat is coming to the south Loop just blocks away from Solder Field, Millennium Park and the museum campus. A’Cappella – Your Friendly Neighborhood Bistro is planning its grand opening this month to great hype. With a menu focusing on comfort food and home cooking, A’Cappella has a cozy neighborhood feel in the heart of the city. For those lovebirds that want to pick up a delicious sandwich served on spectacular Labriola bread and head to the lake for a picnic, A’Cappella offers a generous take out menu as well. Come visit for their soft-opening this Sunday for a Mother’s Day Brunch sneak preview people! The official opening is on Thursday, May 13th at 10am!! A’Cappella is exactly what south loop needs. Do yourself a favor and show your Mother how much you love her. Take her to A’Cappella and she’ll be singing your praises.
Just a sample of their menu:
Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet Details:
Located: 1301 S Michigan Avenue
Phone: 312.922.0600
website: www.acappellabistro.com
Hola amigos!
I don’t know about you but I’ve been craving tacos and cervesas since May 6, 2009. I’m heading over to my friend Maria’s joint tomorrow to celebrate and I am so freaking ready. You can join me and some of the Chicago.com Crew for a great Cinco de Mayo feast at El Nuevo Mexicano Restaurant. Check it out below and we hope to see you there!
Hasta Luego Amigos de Chicago!
Come celebrate Cinco de Mayo El Nuevo Mexicano Restaurant style. Join us for the biggest party of the year on Wednesday, May 5! We have live mariachi, drink specials, new menu offerings, sombreros, maracas, and best of all – A New Expanded Patio! The weather will be great and we expect a wonderful crowd. Come early and celebrate with us!
What is Cinco de Mayo? Click here for the skinny…
And don’t forget:
El Nuevo Mexicano is the perfect watering hole before or after the CUBS games, Timeline Theatre, Blue Man Group
or Landmark Century Theatres. Our cantina is always open, stocked with icy cold imported beers, fresh squeezed margaritas, mixed drinks and an impressive list of fine tequilas for sipping. Spring is here – so let’s get to it!
Hasta Pronto!
Maria Rodriguez & staff will be sure you have a excellent time.
El Nuevo Mexicano Restaurant
2914 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657
773-528-2131
When I found out about this tasting through www.drinktown.com , I said to myself this sound like fun. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Bourbon and then I went to PitchFork’s whiskey tasting. The host of the night was Evan Williams’s master distiller Craig Beam, Jim Beam’s great grandson.
The Bourbon
When you talk Bourbon with a man like Craig you learn a lot. By law, Bourbon must be made up of at least 51% corn and aged a minimum of two years in a new charred white oak barrel. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, though nearly all brands are made in Kentucky, and Kentucky is the only state allowed to put its name on the bottle. Bourbon is not Bourbon unless the label says so. The term proof originally referred to “gunpowder proof.” One of the ways early distillers checked, or “proved,” that their whiskey was strong enough was by mixing equal parts of whiskey and gunpowder, then setting the mixture on fire. A slow, yellow flame meant the spirit was too strong, while a steady blue flame “proved” it was good whiskey. Yellow flame spirits were diluted with water until they burned blue. Later, the whiskey which burned blue was found to be 50 percent alcohol. This level was considered to be 100 percent proved or, as we know it today, 100 proof. Today, the alcohol content is measured more scientifically in the distillery using a hydrometer. Proof is still calculated as 2 times the “alcohol by volume” of given Bourbon.
The BBQ
Besides the awesome information I learned about Whiskey we sampled some amazing BBQ. PitchFork has award-winning Cordis Brother’s ribs,so tender you can suck the meat off the bone. The sauce is a little on the thin side for consistency, has a noticeable deal of acidity, but it is balanced out by a good dose of sweet. The result is a full bodied base to the sauce that is phenomenal. Spiciness is done very well in this sauce. It produces a pleasing back heat that builds as you continue to eat the sauce. Not an overbearing heat just enough to give ya a kick in the kester. Ingredients that contribute to heat are usually easy to point out some include cayenne, chili powder and liquid smoke. But their sauce is a little more complex and harder to figure out. I think I also tasted other spices maybe nutmeg or allspice to round out the flavor. The sauce has the “one flavor” feeling that I like, no ingredient really dominates, and they all work together to make one taste. We also sampled the BBQ beef brisket and BBQ pork sangwiches and they were served on house made buttermilk biscuits “delicious”.
The Joint
The service was great! The Manager Pete Mazzone was friggen spot on. He constantly made sure that we had everything we needed and drinks were always replenished. During a jam packed event like that, it is rare to have such great service. PitchFork is like an old west corner saloon. If you bring your horse I even think there is a hitching post. Just kidding! This place is humongous. I am sure it would be great for private parties. Lakeview has tons of nightlife, but only one amazing saloon -PitchFork. You can sample their different whiskeys or try one of their house cocktails, either way you won’t be disappointed. Food and drink specials are no stranger to this joint either, every day of the week there is a different special. Be sure to check out their website for more details on their daily specials -www.pitchforkchicago.com. PitchFork is located at 2922 W Irving Park Road Chicago, IL 60618 or give them a call at 1(773)866.2010.
Here is a recipe I learned from the Bourbon prince himself Craig Beam.This is the perfect drink to enjoy the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Have fun and be safe. Thanks Craig!
Classic Mint Julep
Dissolve sugar into water. Bruise mint sprigs with fingers and rim the cup. Fill of cup with shaved ice. Add Bourbon, then sugar solution. Stir gently. Add ice to fill cup. Garnish with mint sprig.
The headlines these days seem to be filled with endless commentary about health care and budget cuts. And if you’re like me you can only take so much of that news before it begins driving you crazy. Don’t get me wrong, these issues are of the utmost importance, but sometimes it’s nice to sit back and enjoy the more ludicrous things that are happening around Chicago.
We’ve all had to cancel a gym membership at one point in our lives, and it usually goes something like this. I remember one gym in particular made me show them my proof of residency in Italy to cancel my membership, and I have refused to join another one since then. But when local artist Lucy Knisley attempted to quit her gym a couple weeks ago, she discovered that a written letter stating her intent to cancel her membership was required. While most of us would have typed up “Please cancel my membership,” signed it, and sent it off, Lucy took a slightly different approach.
Just in case you couldn’t muster up the will to walk down the block to the nearest McDonald’s, the downtown “restaurant” at 233 N. Michigan has begun delivering and catering. The catering manager said, “It’s not like a lot of the fast-food restaurants in the building that say they cater.” So it really is a nice opportunity for them. The only questions that remains unanswered is whether or not there’s actually a demand for McDonald’s to cater your company’s meetings.
Yeah, he’s still on television. This week our former governor asked a professional chef if he knew how to turn on a computer. Apparently the guy that we elected (twice) was never taught or took the initiative to learn how to use a computer. Oh, and he didn’t get fired. So stay tuned next week for more electoral regret.