Coal Fire
Prices
Average pizza: $13.
Description
East Coast–style pizza in Chicago? Yep, right down to the namesake coal-fired oven. The pies these guys are turning out are immensely impressive, with slightly charred bubbles here and there and crisp edges that give way to a salty, yeasty chew. We’re fans of the sweet-heat combo on the Fiorentino, a marriage of red peppers and hot salami. The housemade sauce incorporates canned tomatoes, but they’re high quality and taste fresh and bright, not tinny and overly sweet. Fans of ricotta could skip red pies altogether and go with either the white pizza (ricotta dominates, but mozz, pecorino romano, oregano and fresh basil round out this light option) or the pesto (salty black olives combine with the fresh ricotta for perfect balance).
Hours
Dinner (closed Mon).
