Published November 16, 2009
Think Thin
The Mt. Vesuvius of Pizza Joints
In this town, pizza is not a meal. It's an art.
So we're pleased to announce there's a new gallery where you can appreciate the latest masterpieces:
Francesca’s Pizzeria Napoletana.
The artiste: a fourth-generation Italian-born
pizzaiola (a vet from Spacca Napoli), who has teamed
up with Scott Harris (of Mia Francesca fame) to apply her considerable skills with dough and join the ranks
of the city's thin-crust elite. She's one of only two women in the U.S. working with the official Italian
accreditation for making pizza—clearly, the mother country takes her pie very seriously—so we like her
odds.
To help her, she's brought in the big guns from Italy, oven artisans who created the Neapolitan version of a
microwave: a humongous furnace with bricks fired from the steps of Mt. Vesuvius, and capable of generating a
Hades-like 1200 degrees. It will turn out your
Quattro Formaggi,
Margherita and 14 other
pies in a mere 45 seconds.
But before the main event, find a seat near the warmth of the oven and relax with some antipasti—a plate
of fresh balsamic anchovies, some crispy calamari, a little prosciutto—while contemplating your pizza
options. Of course, your decision can't be made without first considering the finer points of the wine
list.
Nero d'Avola: another medium you appreciate.
VITALS
Francesca’s Pizzeria Napoletana
2423 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
773-327-3400
official website