I have yet to meet someone who doesn't list pizza as one of their favorite foods. It is a perfect meal and, when done correctly, can change your life. When I found a deal for wood-fired pizza, I knew I had to check it out! Anything wood-fired is automatically legit and when it's pizza, it can be almost magical.
The restaurant offering the deal was Pizzeria del Mercato, a West Town joint serving up food with truly Italian flavors and incredible pizza. Yearning for some pizza on a weekday, my boyfriend and I drove out to satisfy our craving.
The Vibe
When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by our waitress and shown to a table by the window. We both slid into the booth and browsed the menu of Italian cuisine in order to decide what to order. There were a few other customers there on a weekday afternoon (a mother and her son, and an elderly couple) so we go to enjoy the whole place almost to ourselves. The restaurant itself is casual with a cozy atmosphere. The open floor plan of the pizzeria also allowed us to see the wood burning oven where our pizza was made.
The Food
For our appetizer, we ordered the Burrata: a buttery Italian cheese made from mozzarella mixed with cream. The ball of burrata was served atop an arugla salad tossed with olive oil, tomatoes, as well as prosciutto. It was absolutely delicious! The creaminess of the cheese mixed with thhe earthiness of the arugula and the saltiness of the prosciutto made an excellent combination. Every appetizer is served with fresh baked pizza bread that comes warm out of the wood-burning oven.
For our pizza, we selected the Pollo made with tomato sauce, chicken, homemade fiore di latte (Italian for mozzarella cheese), bell peppers, and fresh basil. All this came on top of a thin crust wood-fried pizza that had the perfect crunchy crust without being too thin and soggy. The restaurant provided the usual added toppings for pizza: parmesan, crushed red pepper, but also had olive oil AND spicy oil to also try atop each slice.
After having two slices each, we found ourselves fully satisfied and a little too full for dessert – although the options certainly sounded appetizing. They offer the classics of tiramisu and gelato but also feature a Nutella pizza that I am extremely interested in trying the next time I come.
And the Bonus!
The restaurant is currently BYOB and is hosting happy hour from 11am to 12pm AND 3pm to 6pm on weekdays. Patrons can enjoy their adult beverages along with a $6 Margherita pizza! There is also free street parking right outside on W Fulton Market. Sweet!
The Deal
I Spent: $29 $16
I Got: An appetizer and pizza for two
Click here to try Pizzeria del Mercato for yourself!
Restaurant Info:
1154 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226-6898
