Stop #11 - Angelo's Pizza

Gem off Main Street

One of my favorite places to go in the suburbs is downtown Downers Grove.  They have the Tivoli, Every Day's a Sundae, and now my next favorite place - Angelo's Pizza.  A HUGE thank you to a good portion of my extended family for joining us too!

(front: Marnee, Mya, Samantha, Brianna, Aunt Jody, Mom, Carly, Auntie M, Cynthia, & Josh; back: Dad, Chris, & Keith)

Location

I wish we would have thought of this sooner (because our niece would have LOVED it) but you can take the Metra to Downers Grove.  Head one street east of Main Street and south of the tracks you'll find Angelos. They don't take reservations so tables are first come first serve.  You also order at the counter and there is no wait service other than when they bring out your food and take your dirty dishes away (which is also a good time to ask for a box if you have left overs!)

Food

We started with a few appetizers - cheezy garlic bread, regular garlic bread, and buffalo wings.  Both versions of the garlic bread were good and each came with a side of marinara.  The buffalo wings were really good - breading and the sauce were both delicious.  The wings also came with a side of ranch dressing.  I also ordered a caesar salad which was fresh and the caesar dressing wasn't too overpowering.

9 of us shared a jumbo (20") pizza with thin crust- half pepperoni and half sausage.  The crust was good and pretty thin.  There was a good balance of toppings vs cheese - one didn't outweigh the other.  

We also ordered a medium pan pizza for the table to try (12" - 8 pieces).  The crust wasn't too buttery or heavy.  By heavy, I mean that for what the pizza looked like, I thought it would sit in my stomach like a brick, which was not the case at all.  The ingredients on both pizzas were fresh and the sausage especially was not overly spicy. 

Total people: 9 (on our bill) - $91.00

Total bill: $91.00 (8 sodas, 1 water, 3 appetizers, 3 salads, 1 jumbo pizza, 1 medium pan pizza)

Recommendation: Yes!!

The best parts about traveling to downtown Downers Grove is I get to make Chris happy with some good pizza and also treat my sweet tooth at Every Day's a Sundae (thank you to my Aunt Jody for introducing me when I was little!)  You could do so many things in this area for a wonderful date night - movie, dinner, and dessert.  It's like a one stop shop! So what are you waiting for? Oh yeah...your favorite part of the blog.  Here's the PeppeRhodes founder with a special guest to give you their review!

Stop #10 - Beggar's Pizza (Plainfield)

Should you be beggin' for Beggar's?
In this house, we won't be begging but one of us would request it more frequently than the other.  Chris and I headed out for lunch last Saturday to Plainfield to see if the White Sox's choice of pizzas is good in and out of the park.

Location

The original location is out by Midway and we didn't want to travel that far.  The Plainfield location is south on Rt. 59, just past the Renwick intersection.  When you turn in you don't see it at first but head to the smaller strip mall to the left and you'll find it.

When we walked it there was one other couple and us.  Maybe they are busier at dinner time but even the hostess stand when you walk in is empty.  I will tell you it wasn't the best first impression for a place that says you can order pizza by the slice and you don't have any displayed.  There was only one other couple that came in while we were waiting and they had pre-ordered their pizza before they came in.

Food
We didn't order any appetizers this time around and opted for a medium thin crust, half pepperoni / half sausage.  The sausage wasn't anything special and in fact neither one of us thought it tasted that good.
Chris thought the pepperoni was fine.  The cheese is laid on thick and the sauce was nothing special - more like a tomato paste with little seasoning, if any at all.

Total people: 2
Total bill: $21.78 (2 Pepsis & 1 medium pizza)

Rhode's Recommendation - Maybe
I personally would not crave pizza and suggest Beggar's Pizza.  I'd equate it to ordering Rosati's or Home Run Inn and I would still recommend one of those over Beggar's.  I expected a lot more flavor with the pizza and felt like the cheese drowned out what flavor there could have been.  Chris on the other hand, well watch his review here:

Stop #9 - Evviva (Lisle)

Just off the Tracks
If you live close to the BNSF Metra line, this is an easy way to take the kids (or yourselves) for a train ride to dinner.  We were joined by our friend Cari too and she gave us a great appetizer recommendation too!

Location
Take the Metra to the Lisle exit and head to the south side of the tracks.  Evviva is on the corner of Main Street and Front Street.  If you decide to drive, there is parking in their own (tiny) lot behind the building, street parking and of course the lot for the train station.  You will notice a larger lot next to the building but park there and risk being towed.

We met around 12:30 pm (they opened at noon) and took our time ordering an appetizer and our pizzas.  The service was good and with St. Patty's decor, everyone was in good spirits!  Plenty of TVs around too so that Chris and Cari could watch the Sox play the Cubs at Spring Training.

Food

Cari recommended Nacho Fries for our appetizer: waffle fries topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, bacon, green onion, and ground beef with guacamole and sour cream on the side.  Very delicious!

Pizza selection was pretty extensive.  There are several crust choices from thin, traditional, stuffed, and the Big Boy - a 24 x 26 sheet pizza.

We opted to try a small stuffed and an XL traditional crust both 1/2 pepperoni, 1/2 sausage.


While the stuffed pizza looked delicious, it was a little greasy and the flavor wasn't what we thought it would be.

The traditional crust is not quite as thick as hand-tossed but not a super thin crust.  The cheese was perfectly golden on top and toppings were plenty.  The sauce was evenly distributed and somewhat thick but not chunky.  The best way we could describe this was that it was a basic pizza sauce, not too sweet or tangy.

Rhode's Recommendation Yes
Although Chris and I have visited Evviva in Lisle before, we have always ordered carryout in our to-go pizza bag back to Plainfield.  Now that we live a bit further away, we decided to dine in and highly recommend that you do too.  The pizza tasted much better!

Stop #8 - Oregano's Pizza Bistro - Glendale, AZ

Chicago-style Pizza in AZ

The best part about being on vacation here is not having to bundle up every time we go outside.  The second best part is finding a pizza place that reminds you of home, but has put their own twist on Chicago-style pizza.  Giving a shout out to my date for letting me post this goofy pic of him and for giving me a good laugh!!

Location

2010 was the last time we were in AZ and are pretty sure we went to Oregano's Phoenix location.  This time we wanted to try a different location and we loved Glendale.  The patio area is enclosed with windows and a bar area.  Whether you dine indoors or out, it's still a very family friendly environment.


Food
We ordered baked ravioli to start.  It has a jalapeno cheese inside so if you're not a fan of spicy, you won't like this.  These were served with a side of marinara.  We ordered a 12" pan pizza (8 slices) and were not disappointed.

There is definitely a difference in the crust from the crust back home (maybe it really is the water) but the crust was more like a breadstick - crispy on the outside while being soft, light and airy on the inside.

It was all fully cooked too which made it even more delicious.  The cheese had a tang to it so we asked our waitress what type of cheese they use.  She confirmed with the manager that they use a mixture of mozzarella and provolone (and there's the tangy taste!)

Total people: 2

Total bill: $38.17 (1 Pepsi, 1 glass of wine, baked ravioli appetizer, & 12" pan pizza)

Rhode's Recommendation YES!
There is no reason to travel thousands of miles for this pizza (that would be some expensive pizza!!) but if you are going to be in the area, make a point to go to Oregano's. They also offer a thin crust, a stuffed pizza, and for dessert you have the option of their pizza cookie.  You won't be disappointed!