Life during COVID can feel stressful and isolating. So during this holiday season, responsible gatherings can be a soothing balm. We know the recent resurgence of the virus may curtail many plans, but small groups of vaccinated and tested friends and family can still come together to celebrate the gifts we still possess. One thing COVID has given us is a renewed focus on all the non-material abundance in our lives: family, friends, and co-workers.

Read More…

Everything is harder in 2020, especially writing this end of year top ten. Every time I start to think back on the year, I feel like I am getting assaulted with everything we have faced this year. It is like being hit with snowball after snowball – in the face. I am sitting at my actual desk for the first time in months writing this, by myself, with just a small lamp, hot cup of tea, great music on, no distractions – the perfect setting to write a blog. I have been staring at my screen for 30 minutes and now have come back to trying to write this blog for three days. How do you put into words in a one-page blog what this year has been like? How do you explain surviving as a company in a year where you were forced to cease doing the very thing that your business is about? How do you properly recognize the resiliency and amazing teamwork our team has shown this year to survive?

Read More…

It is so hard to believe that we are halfway through October and already thinking of Thanksgiving. One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is all the traditions and memories associated with the holiday. My job as a kid was to set the Thanksgiving table. I took this job very seriously. When I was about 7, I made salt dough turkey cut-outs and then hand-painted them with my sister and cousin. My mom still uses them at every place setting to this day. As I got older, I was in the kitchen with my mom all week leading up to the big day and those are some of my favorite memories cooking all day with my mom.

Read More…

If you are like everyone else in the world — you love pizza. There is just something about the way this gooey, cheesy delight satisfies the mind, soul, and body.

It’s this universal love for pizza that has restaurants all over vying for the title of best pizza pie.

With so many different opinions, it would be impossible to claim which pizza eatery has the best pie out there. But there is one thing for sure — Chicago Pizza Oven & Grinder has mastered the pizza pot pie and made it on our list of Chicago restaurants we love!

Setting The Scene: An Authentic & Cozy Pizza Haven

This cash-only eatery sits inside a historic Chicago brownstone and is best known for its famous pizza pot pies.

Just as you would expect, the setting is intimate, cozy, and overwhelmed by the aroma of fresh pizzas.

There is limited seating inside so the wait for a table can be upwards of two hours — even if you go early! The hosts are old school and only take down names, remembering faces when tables are ready. Though this means no fancy pagers or text messages alerting you that a table is ready, it’s an intriguing experience to watch the host keep things going without a hitch.

By the time you sit down the urge to eat everything in sight is so strong that we recommend feeding your inner hunger monster with some of their fresh Mediterranean flatbread. The pizza pot pies take awhile to bake but the flatbread comes out quickly to satiate your hunger while you wait. It’s made from thin pita bread and topped with flaky cheese and fresh herbs.

Chicago Pizza Oven & Grinder Menu: Sticking To The Basics

The menu is short and sweet, offering the following:

• Salads
• Mediterranean flatbread
• Grinders (subs)
• Pizza-pot-pies
• Tortoni (Italian ice cream)

(Photo credit: Chicago Pizza Oven & Grinder’s Facebook page)

Read More…