ORD Pizzeria on Montrose in Ravenswood

So I'm wondering along Montrose Ave. in Ravenswood one snowy April night and I happen upon ORD Pizzeria. At first glance I like the decor and I think, "Someone has put a lot of thought and care into the appearance, let me go inside and check it out." I look at the menu. I quickly decide as much, if not more care has gone into selecting the ingredients and the names of their specialty pies. Among the most popular are the Venus, Rose and the Louie. I also notice that the salads listed on the menu appeal to me greatly. So I plunk myself down and order an Oscar salad (half - $5): arugula, red onion, roasted red pepper, shaved Parmesan with a lemon-honey vinaigrette and a Colt pizza (12" - $15.99): herb roasted chicken, smoked bacon, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted garlic, mozzarella and crushed tomatoes. Daniel, the proprietor, gives me an overview of his root beer choices and I realize, this guy has attention to detail (something I treasure and value greatly!) and he has very good taste. I go with his "old school" suggestion even though I also thoroughly appreciate the range offered. Frostie Root Beer. Yes! Not too sugary sweet. Mellow. Just like he said it would be. I have to add that my phone battery had died and I really wanted to 'check-in' so my Twitter followers knew where I was ('cause, you know!) and I wanted to take some photos, Daniel kindly offered to allow me to charge my phone. 

ORD Pizzeria 1607 W. Montrose Ave.

I sat and as I waited for my pie I watched Daniel in action. I saw him interact with his crew, he actually made a coffee run at one point during my visit and he called the team to ask what they wanted. I heard him answer calls on the phone and walk customers through their options. I watched him interact with sit-down guests as well as pick-up order guests who he positively ensured were completely satisfied. Suffice it to say: Daniel is incredibly gracious and he cares immensely, he wants his customers to be happy. He is immediately likable. He knows what he is doing and he shows a genuine interest in his customers and the community. 

Colt: Chicken, Bacon...

Okay, so my salad comes. Now, I love arugula, as any of my co-workers know because they see my own personal - I'll say it - amaze-balls - arugula salad creations on an almost daily basis. This Oscar salad that I ordered at ORD Pizzeria comes out and it is so perfect that I need someone to hit me. It is perfectly dressed in a wonderful vinaigrette, the red onion is just the right amount and perfectly sliced - how you slice red onion is of massive importance because it dictates the overall impact of the onion on the dish at hand - there is an ample amount of good parmesan cheese. Daniel offers me freshly ground pepper. Yes, please! It is also a very generous portion and it is only the half size order! So to start, I am pretty thrilled. 

Kevin and Stephanie.

When my pizza comes I let it sit. I can see it came right out of the oven and needs some time to cool down a bit. The ingredients are carefully arranged, not all sliding to the center, the cheese looks delicious, not too much sauce… I can not wait to sink my teeth in! 

I give it about 10 minutes. I've learned and I'm not about to burn the roof of my mouth being overly eager. Then I dig in. I use a fork for the first bite because the piece is sizable enough that the inner most corner has a lot to hold up and I don't want anything sliding off. The flavor delivers me. The bacon! The cheese! The chicken! The garlic! This pizza reminds me of something kind of forgotten in pizza land... that a crust is something that is to be enjoyed! I don't like thick crusts, I like thin crusts but I don't like cracker thin crusts, I don't want blistered dough. HOLY COW is this the perfect crust! This is not some skimpy cracker-crust. It is also not some overly doughy crust that fills you up and makes you all bloated way too soon leaving you no room for more pizza, hello! Mighty fine crust. Mighty fine.

The full menu includes even more pizzas and they do a 'guest' pizza!

I tell you, a friend once told me that bread is the perfect palate cleanser when you're tasting wines. Now this place is BYOB and you are going to want to bring some wine. This is pizza to be savored. 

I only ate half of my pizza. So I took the rest home. Day later, when I opened that bad boy up to have me some left overs… let me tell you what!! It was JUST AS GOOD if not better than those first bites. And the crust held up perfectly!

Opened at the end of 2013 this establishment is set to offer unparalleled pizza to the surrounding area. They have a crazy huge-ass cool oven - which you have to see - with six tiers of capacity so order up! If there's one thing that I know better than any other it is customer service and hospitality and Daniel has that down. And his crew is pretty fun loving and dedicated too. Go get you some ORD Pizza, and ENJOY!

ORD Pizzeria

Mott St. at Blackhawk and Ashland in WPB. Killing me softly...

Mott St. that awesome red building at the corner of Blackhawk and Ashland. This restaurant is another creation by the team that runs Ruxbin, also on Ashland but a little closer to Chicago Ave.

Per their own words: "Mott St is family style dining and eclectic cuisine paired with a pointed beverage selection." I'd say that's an accurate description.

Mott St. at 1401 N. Ashland (Blackhawk)

I love Mott St. for four main reasons:

1. The food is spot on perfect and accessible (not too pricey, considering the expertise and quality of ingredients)

2. The energy is fun, it's lively, upbeat, worldly and not overpowering or intrusive; the atmosphere lends itself to a good time

3. The people are gracious and fun and the service is, quite honestly, unparalleled - more on that later…

4. They also have a really great beverage program, inventive and tasty cocktails, well parred down selection of wines, beers and sakes. Check out the fun subtitles to their cocktails. Some of my favorites include: "Korean Cowboy Rides off into A Gochugaru Sunset" and "Fat Chinese Kid Eating Konbu Candy at the Beach." So you know you're having fun! 

Kimchilada Astra

I also appreciate that the menu is simple and fun, I like the way it is organized and I like the fact that everything goes well together and is shareable.

 My favorite appetizer at Mott St, one that I dream about, is their Brussels Sprouts, wok fried with lamb pancetta and maple brown butter! Maple brown butter. Need I say more??? Okay, I will, it is melt in your mouth delicious. Of all the Brussels sprouts dishes I have tasted it is second to none. I also really like the Kimchi & Oaxaca Empanadas, masa shell served with chimichurri crème-fraiche - just a hint of heat and rich… and the Imperial Rolls, crispy rolls stuffed with force meat of the day, bean sprouts, basil, mint, nuoc cham. I don't remember what nuoc cham is but these rolls are refreshing to say the least.

Wok fried Brussels Sprouts.

I'm a Virginia raised boy so I love me some pork butt, can't pass it up. And I also happen to LOVE me some Korean food so I almost always go for their Stuffed Cabbage, napa kimchi stuffed with pork butt and sticky rice, pan seared. It is served like a neat little slab of lasagna with the cabbage surprisingly taking a back seat, neatly layered below the melt in your mouth pork and sticky rice that has that crustiness where the real flavor lies from being slightly caramelized. OH MY GOODNESS.

Kimchi & Oaxaca Empanadas

When I say the service is unparalleled… I don't say stuff like that so I really mean it. And I've been around the block a time or two. They are tending to every possible thing but not making a fuss about it. They catch tiny details like this one time… I was there… and the music was playing and it was just awesome and I - of course - was like, "OMG, What is this song?" so I was trying to Shazam it. Well, my Shazam app was not picking up the song so I tried again. No luck. About a minute later, Nate, one of the partners in the business and the fella in charge of the drinks hands me a slip of paper with the artist and song that was playing at the time neatly written down for me. Did he see me trying to Shazam it twice? I don't know. Did he see my jamming' to the grooves. I don't know, I guess he must have. THAT, my friends, THAT is attention to detail. You're not finding that happening other places. And it isn't something that I would ever expect. It is something that just happens and I only open myself to that opportunity. You see?

Pork, stuffed cabbage

I have been on five different occasions, three of which I was solo and dining solo affords me a really unique vantage point to take in all the details and observe how the team interacts, how other customers are responding, etc. You know what I think? I think everyone that works at Mott St. is passionate about what they are doing. I think they like a good time, I think they like seeing people enjoy themselves and I think they like creating something truly special. You know what I see customers doing? Having an absolutely fabulous time.

I tell you, this place is magical… truly magical. A lot of care and passion is going into every aspect of dining and drinking at this favorite spot. No surprise from such an incredible team.

'Bap' on Over to Andersonville for It's A Major Plus Meet Up!

Thursday, April 17th let's meet up for some good grub and what will be the first It's A Major Plus Meet Up. It's a chance to meet up with friends, old and new, eat some great food and have a good ole time!

I've chosen Andersonville, where it all started for me, one of my favorite neighborhoods for the first meet up. So Bi Bim 'Bap' on over to Andersonville for dinner at Jin Ju. Jin Ju is a fantastic, fun place with a great menu of Korean cuisine and fabulous sojutinis! Among my favorite dishes are the Sang Sun Jun and Mandoo (fried or steamed) appetizers as well as the Kim Bap and of course their Dak Gan Jang! For an entrée, while I have tried everything on the menu, I simply die for and am unable to steer away from their Dol Sut Bi Bim Bap, probably because it's served in a sizzling hot stone pot!

Meet time is 6:30. Everyone pays their own way. If we get ten people to RSVP by the 14th we'll be able to order their special pot roast dish (not on the menu). With drinks and appetizers you can anticipate spending between $50 and $60 per person. You can also expect some great shoulder slappin' & fun lovin' service and even a couple of door prizes.

To save a spot please email itsamajorplus@gmail.com by April 14th. 15 spots are available.

Hope to see you there!!

5203 N. Clark St. at Foster.

jinjurestaurant.com/menu/