Conscious Choice: Homemade Pizza: Not Your Typical Chicago ’Za

October 2006 | Conscious Dining

Homemade Pizza: Not Your Typical Chicago ’Za

By Tanya Fritz

Chicago has recently topped the national culinary scene with food writers and critics lauding it as the best city in the nation for fine dining. Yet, while watermelon balloons and white truffle foam have garnered most of the recent press, our fine city has always been known for one of America’s favorite dishes: pizza, more precisely, Chicago deep dish pizza. The layers of cheese and tomato sauce served in a slice the size of an outrageously large piece of cake have sated many a Chicagoland diner. But truly, while deep dish is an indulgence some enjoy, if you are reading this article you are most likely not among the deep dish crowd nor among the many who cherish the greasy fare to which we lend our city’s name.

I have never really enjoyed indulging in the slippery snack myself and have just about sworn off the food genre altogether. However, after tasting HomeMade Pizza Company’s fresh flavorful pizza pies, my own distaste for the dish has now changed forever. The light healthy ingredients topping every HomeMade pizza have made me a fresh-ingredient pizza lover.

HomeMade Pizza was Chicago’s first bake-at-home pizza company and has been converting Chicagoans to fresh healthy pizza for close to 10 years now. It started in 1997 when Eric Fosse, wife Audrey Fosse and brother-in-law Matt Weinstein saw they could create a pizza that was rooted in the classics but fresher, healthier and more convenient than traditional takeout pizzas. Being both pizza fanatics and accomplished home cooks, they researched and road-tested numerous recipes, using the best ingredients available, before creating their signature pies. They then launched the first HomeMade Pizza Company out of a small, chic storefront in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, selling their hand-crafted, made-to-order, unbaked pizzas and salads. Having created a buzz as the first take and bake concept in Chicago pizza history, their classic pizza for the modern world is now a favorite of foodies and families alike.

I took my fiancé with me to try my first pizza from this locally famed eatery as he is an unswerving food snob. It’s not that he needs French sauces and exotic ingredients at every meal. No, instead he is a fanatic about fresh ingredients, so I knew he would be the perfect skeptic for a self-proclaimed local and organic ingredient pizza dinner. Immediately upon stepping into the clean bright Southport Avenue headquarters, we were greeted by the entire kitchen team with broad smiles and cheery hellos; as a stickler for customer service, I knew we were off to a sound start. The open kitchens showcase the making of each pizza, all crafted by hand. The design of every HomeMade Pizza Company store draws its inspiration from architect Mies van der Rohe’s Less is More philosophy. The stores are purposefully modern, clean and bright, with plenty of uncluttered space to allow the quality and freshness of the food to shine through.

While we debated creating our own pizza or going with one of the 11 house favorites, the encouraging counterperson patiently guided us through our options. We chose the daily special with Vidalia onions, Italian sausage, Fontina cheese and green peppers all atop a fresh, deep tomato sauce base. We also tried two salads: the daily special which was a crisp Greek salad with a fantastically light feta, meaty and rich Kalamata olives, onions, tomatoes and crunchy garden-fresh greens. HomeMade Pizza Company believes in supporting local farmers and offering their customers sustainable produce so they source local ingredients whenever they can. They collaborate with City Farm—an organic not-for-profit farm in the heart of the city where they buy the lettuces, herbs and tomatoes during the growing season. All of the 40-plus HomeMade Pizza Company ingredient choices are prepared daily in-house.

We tried HomeMade Pizza Company three separate times, twice in-store and once via delivery and we were thrilled with each experience. From the jovial staff to the welcoming storefront and the fresh flavorsome ingredients, every occasion was a delight.

The HomeMade Pizza headquarters is at 3430 North Southport Ave., phone: 773.529.5900. The website is a comprehensive resource providing menus, locations, hours and cooking instructions: homemadepizza.com. Currently the company has seven stores in the Chicagoland area and they expect to open seven new stores by early next year.

The ridiculously tasty pizzas start at $9.75, the salads range from $3.95 to $6.50 and the home-baked cookie is $4.95.

HomeMade Pizza Company store hours are: City stores: Monday through Friday 3pm to 9pm; Saturday through Sunday 1pm to 9pm. Suburban locations: Monday through Thursday 3pm to 8pm; Friday through Sunday 1pm to 8pm. Cheerful delivery available every day after 4:30pm.

Tanya Fritz is a professionally trained chef, oenophile, slow food fanatic and yoga enthusiast. She has covered the restaurant scene in her former hometowns of New York, San Francisco, Dallas and Lyon, France.

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