@eatfreepizza<\/a>). Soon fans could buy their crackery pies at Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport. Next the trio decamped to suburban Westmont to open Kim\u2019s Uncle Pizza. After a viral New York Times story got people around the country slavering, their pizza became the golden fleece of Chicago dining. Without the option of delivery or online ordering, patrons drove hours, waited patiently, and prayed just to try it.<\/p>\n![\"Zarella\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/C202511-T-Pizzamici-Zarella-Pizzeria-and-Taverna-Review-Zarella-interior-798x1024.jpg\")
Zarella <\/p>\n
Shorten remains in Westmont, but the Federighis have split off and settled into a good groove at Pizz\u2019amici. A table is a hot ticket but not impossible, particularly if you\u2019re willing to eat late. Behind the red neon sign lies a perfect little room\u2009\u2014\u2009noisy, warm, and boxy, with precisely the number of seats (42) it can comfortably fit.<\/p>\n
A limited number of pies are available for carryout, but for those who dine in, there\u2019s booze and pretty swift appetizers. The Caesar salad with breadcrumbs is a gamble\u2009\u2014\u2009it can be overdressed or a thing of lemony beauty\u2009\u2014\u2009but worth the risk. The house focaccia is a marvel: two inches high, all stretchy puff and oily, crunchy crust\u2009\u2014\u2009and even better alongside sweet-sour eggplant caponata.<\/p>\n
The focaccia uses a biga\u2009\u2014\u2009a pre-fermented starter \u2014 while the pizza is made with a sourdough starter that\u2019s naturally fermented and cured for seven days. It\u2019s a tweak from the Kim\u2019s Uncle recipe, and fans argue the difference. I get the obsession because it has a texture you both know and have never had. It\u2019s well done, with a little snap. The pies boom with flavor from the crust\u2019s tang, the caramelized tomato sauce, and the browned sharp provolone-mozz mix. Get pep cups if you want (they\u2019re good!), but don\u2019t miss the sausage and giardiniera.<\/p>\n
I should point out that the pleasure I derive from this pizza is matched only by the amount of fat that goes into it. When I brought a pie home, it congealed into a firm mass during the 10-minute ride but reclaimed much of its former glory after a reheat. Three squares in, my brain pleaded for more, while my stomach begged me to stop.<\/p>\n
![\"Pizz\u2019amici\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/C202511-T-Pizzamici-Zarella-Pizzeria-and-Taverna-Review-sausage-and-giardiniera.jpg\")
Pizz\u2019amici\u2019s sausage and giardiniera <\/p>\n
In comparison, the thin crust at Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna in River North, which opened in March, isn\u2019t quite as tasty but is something I could eat on the regular. The tavern-style is thinner and drier than that of Pizz\u2019amici, Novel, Dicey\u2019s, and other party-cut newbies; a stubble of cornmeal on its undercarriage enhances the tug and crackle of the crust.<\/p>\n
Chris Pandel\u2019s innovation is using Italian 00 flour (the same required in Neapolitan crusts), which contributes to its unusually supple texture. Pandel (Swift & Sons) is one of two chefs at this Boka Restaurant Group joint. The other, Lee Wolen (Boka), contributes an \u201cartisan\u201d pizza, a version of the one he serves at Alla Vita. Take your pick, or order from the roster of Italian American dishes. Zarella aims to please.<\/p>\n
This restaurant gets you at hello with thoughtful cocktails like the Suze Sbagliato and by-the-glass wines that hit every niche (love the chilled Nebbiolo). Appetizers are a dream: calamari as tender, greaseless, and crisp as it gets, a hummus-y roasted carrot dip with a platter of crackers and crudit\u00e9s. A stack of shredded, tender kale in bright Caesar dressing shows how it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n
But judging from a mealy chicken piccata, I\u2019d stick to pizza for your main. As much as I enjoy the thin, I crush on the artisan, which is the idealized version of the crust I grew up eating in a part of America (the mid-Atlantic) not known for pizza. It has a crisp bottom and a puffed rim you\u2019ll want to eat all of. This plus a salad, a glass of red, and good company is my ideal dinner.<\/p>\n
One caveat: You, too, may feel the need to select the toppings yourself. I\u2019ve yet to try a specialty pie that works as is. The soppressata and mortadella with hot honey and arugula was too spicy and salty, while the mushroom-truffle had an unannounced Sour Patch Kids hit of dreaded balsamic drizzle. But saut\u00e9ed mushrooms with sausage? Now that\u2019s the ticket.<\/p>\n
The decor aims for a kind of ready-made Italian restaurant look, with checkered tiles, tufted leather booths, and walls crammed with framed pictures. It\u2019s all a bit Maggiano\u2019s. Ask for a table downstairs. That space is cool, like its own mini-restaurant, with a scattering of tables and a snug bar. In fact, it\u2019s just the right place to celebrate this golden age of Chicago pizza.<\/p>\n