Every year on March 14 (3.14) Facebook reminds me it’s “Pi(e) Day” and I am presented with an onslaught of delicious pictures of pies. I am always a bit confused by this. Am I supposed to take a special day to appreciate pie? This is difficult for me because my pie (both dessert and pizza) appreciation capacity holds steadily at or around 100 percent every day, without fail. Granted, Pi Day is a great excuse to eat pie, but again, I’m not sure I ever really needed that excuse. This is why I decided to bring the spirit of Pi Day to our lives the rest of the year and round up (get it? Because … pies … round … #lamemomjokes) a list of places to get some great pizza pie up and down the Brown Line.
From north Brown Line stops to south…
Irving Park: Big Bricks
3832 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60613
Located in North Center, Big Bricks is great for kids, and also has some serious chops when it comes to pleasing the adults, too. They offer not just pizza, but barbecue and (I hope you’re sitting down, preferably in your Brown Line seat) $4 craft beers every day. Big Bricks offers delicious food and a cool atmosphere for the whole family. Big Bricks? Big win.
Paulina: Frasca
3358 N Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60657
Another neighborhood gem, Frasca serves up incredible brick oven pizza alongside other Italian dishes. Add to that a great brunch and wonderful patio seating when the weather is nice and you’ve got yourself yet another reason to hit Roscoe Village. Oh, and parents, on Mondays it’s half-priced bottles of wine and Tuesdays half-priced glasses of wine. Cheers!
Southport: Coalfire
3707 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
Coalfire Pizza offers coal oven pizzas (ah, I see, Coalfire! I get it!) in a family-friendly Southport location. Their pizza offerings are unique and the pizzas are unbelievably fast to come out after ordering. The owner is a family man himself and all the servers are always helpful in answering questions about their offerings for the little ones.
Belmont: Blaze
953 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
“It’s like Chipotle, but with [insert food type here]” is a super common business model these days. Assuming that business model doesn’t include norovirus or E. coli, it can be a great thing for us as consumers. Blaze Pizza can best be described as, “like Chipotle, but with pizza.” And just like Chipotle, it’s delicious. Sure, it’s a chain (ugh, yes, I know, I get it … ) but it’s delicious, family-friendly, fast and available for to-go orders, which sometimes as a family is all you can ask for.
Fullerton: Home Slice
938 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Entering Home Slice almost feels as if you’ve transported yourself straight to a funky neighborhood in Oregon in all the best ways (I’m always sure to put a bird on whatever I’m wearing as “Portlandia” has instructed me to do). This incredible Lincoln Park pizzeria has an outrageous patio and an eclectic interior. Add to that out-of-this world pizza and it’s a supremely winning combination.
