Earlier this evening, I had an opportunity to sit down with some family at a well known "Chicago" pizza chain. And then someone asked if we had ever tried Nello's. I had never heard of this pizzeria but I am always willing to try a new restaurant. Even when they've been around for 33 years!
I've reviewed a few pizza joints recently and they were decent. None of them earned more than four stars because I knew there were places like Nello's out there. And it was only a matter of time until I found one worthy of five stars. And it didn't hurt that there was a Cubs game on.
Nello's is clearly more than a pizzeria, though. Just a glance at the menu will tell you that there are enough options to keep you happy if you want more than pizza. We started with the Mozzarella Platter which featured basil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and banana peppers, with toasted Italian bread and a side of olive oil with Parmesan cheese.... Amazing! This could be an appetizer at a fine dining Italian restaurant.
Our group couldn't decide on one or two large pizzas, so four, smaller customized pizzas were ordered. We all chose the pan style crust. This is a crust worthy of five stars without any toppings or sauce! For the record, I really like the pizza sauce here. It has a great tomato flavor with a heavy hint of garlic. And the Deluxe Combo is a solid choice because the Italian sausage used here is high quality stuff.
As I noted about the plethora of pizza joints popping up everywhere, this fad will come and go. But it's clear from one visit, that Nello's ain't going anywhere! Oh yeah... Cubs win! Cubs win!