Coalfire Pizza

Earlier this week I went to Coalfire Pizza, which is west of the highway towards the United Center. This place had been getting a lot of buzz as a good pizza place, and as many of you may know, pizza is my ultimate favorite food, so I had to check it out. Chicago Eater recently listed them at number 4 on the list of 14 Chef-Approved Chicago Pizzerias. Thrillist has also written several articles on Coalfire, the most recent was including them in the article titled "The Most Ordered Menu Item At 20 Popular Chicago Restaurants," in which they highlighted the 'Nduja pizza that we ordered (of course).

My first impression walking in was not so great. The place has no ambiance, and I'd never seen pictures of the inside so I didn't know what to expect. That being said, I was happy with the rest of my experience. The staff was very friendly, and the menu & pizzas are truly amazing. Like the name suggests, the pizzas are baked in an oven fueled by burning coal. They are on a very thin crust and the toppings are so creative, and it shows that they are using high quality ingredients. The first pizza we ordered was the 'Nduja, which has salami, fresh mozzerela and basil. The second pizza we ordered was the Pesto - the giant globs of ricotta made this a winner in my book! I was definitely also craving the Prosciutto pizza; I might have to attempt to make something similar at home. We also ordered some of the cupcakes, which they apparently get from Chicago Cupcake, and they were out of this world good. Especially the red velvet.

Overall if you're local and looking for a very laid back night in which you'll get some great pizza, come here. I wouldn't recommend this place for an out of town guests outing, or as a MUST go to place though.