Restaurant review: Chicago Pizza Cafe in Frisco

by Wenter Blair of Frisco-Online

“What is it in the dough that makes this deep dish pizza so wonderful?” I asked the owner of Chicago Pizza Café. “Cheese!” she replied as if I should have realized the answer before I asked. Tradition in Chicago mandates that a deep-dish pizza is made in reverse to what I would expect. Layered deep on the dough is oodles of warm, gooey mozzarella cheese, atop it is layers of meat then the pizza is crowned with sauce and baked with parmesan cheese as the hint of heaven I was tasting. It was wonderful and at least two inches deep, hence the perfect Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

My guest and I ordered all of our favorites off of the menu then took a seat at a table indoors. Chicago Pizza Café has a patio but this day was a bit windy so we dined inside the restaurant. We feasted on an incredibly fresh salad that was large enough for two people to share. The house dressing, a luscious and tart blend of roasted tomatoes and oven-baked garlic, was the perfect complement to the other flavors setting before us on our table. We had ordered mozzarella sticks with a homemade marinara that had been blended just that morning; it was almost effervescent in its lightness yet still rich with flavor. We had also ordered a side of garlic bread that was not something we enjoyed and will not order again, but seeing as how everything else was so delicious, it was easy to just push it aside and enjoy the balance of our lunch. I had ordered a regular slice of pepperoni in addition to my deep-dish piece of Italian delight. I asked the owner if she could dress my thin slice of pepperoni pizza with jalapeños and she was happy to oblige me. She took the piece from the round warming bin, added the peppers and then ran it through the oven to warm up the slice. Believe it or not, it added just enough to the slice to make me believe it had been originally baked that way.

My guest had also ordered pizza and while she was impressed with the texture and flavor, she was more impressed with the farm freshness of each item. Our sodas were all you could drink and the atmosphere was truly conducive to easy conversation.

The menu is loaded with a plethora of alternative Italian favorites such as pastas, sandwiches, and salads that I am certain would please any palate looking to sooth a hankering for Mediterranean fare. Their desserts were lovely and included classics such as cannoli, tiramisu and cheesecakes. The lunch specials at Chicago Pizza Café make it an easy and affordable choice with each meal costing between $6 and $8 -- and this included your beverage. Chicago Pizza Café does deliver all over Frisco and I can easily imagine that this will be my new source for pizza on the go when my family is hurried or when we need a hot meal that is substantial.