Apart Pizza Company is the best kind of neighborhood pizza joint: great pizza, warm service, and community involvement. On top of that, they’re diverging from the Chicago norm with some very thin crust pies. Join us as Tom Wells and Gerad Soman chat about the importance of ingredients, the art in Apart, and thinking outside of the pizza box.

If you’re looking for variety, Apart’s menu has you covered. Menu items range from fresh champignons, to Italian Anchovies, and the creamy cheese companion Brie. Apart’s expertise and flavor derives from its perfect balance of flavorful ingredients, bright sauce, and yeasty thin crust. If you enjoy the process of food being prepared, Apart’s open kitchen allows you to see the pie maker take the dough to a paper thin status. And as a bonus: many of their signature pies can double as vegan!

One of the things I love about pizza is it’s ability to bring people together. Though it’s probably scientifically true that anyone can make a pizza, Apart’s ability to move around the counter and be a part of their customers lives is a very cool thing. These folks are all about community involvement. Tom and Gerad are shining examples of great people making an equally great product. Their friendliness provided great hosts, and added to the whole experience. With two locations you have double the reason to go enjoy some of what Apart is bringing to Chicago!

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The beautiful thing about pizza is that is comes in all shapes and sizes. The good folks at Apart Pizza Company are representing the thinner side of things, including their Francese Pizza. Ever had an egg on your pizza? Well, what are you waiting for? Join Apart Pizza Company’s Tom Wells for an egg, brie, and ham adventure.

Here are some extra slices of information to note while watching the video:

- Apart’s toppings are the true stars of the menu’s lineup. In addition to the Francese, I got to try their Capra-Ruccola (goat cheese & arugula) while there and it was light, flavorful, and heavy handed on the goat cheese (amazing). Their deep menu offers a great variety of toppings, most with a Mediterranean touch.

- The Apart Crew heat up their pies in a Baker’s Pride Deck Oven at 500 degrees for 5 minutes.

- Apart’s Crust is amazingly thin. It is delicious in all occasions, but best eaten as quickly as possible to retain the proper crunch.

- Apart offers gluten free pies. Yay!

- Word on the street is that their homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette is legit. If you’re a fan of dressings, I’d ask them to throw some in with your next order.

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Looking for a pie that’s anything but typical? Jason Petrie is serving up some great combinations at Revolution Brewing. Grab a cold one, sit back, and enjoy as Jason walks us through the making of their Autumn Harvest pie (featuring a butternut squash puree, goat & mozzarella cheese, roasted cauliflower, red onion, brussel sprout leaf, rosemary, molasses gastrique).

Here are some extra slices of information to note while watching the video:

- Revolution is known for their sauces. Included in their line-up are (but not limited to) butternut squash puree (used in this pie), Goat cheese béchamel, Smoked and regular tomato sauce, potato goat cheese puree, and salsa verde.

- Revolution’s crew are slinging pies in a gas oven (with an open rear flame) at 500 degrees for 7 minutes.

- Revolution flour is a low ash/high protein variety.

- Flavor combinations dominate the menu. Meat lovers will enjoy the house-made sausage. Vegans and vegetarians will enjoy Jason’s seitan (he was a chef at Chicago’s Handlebar restaurant for a year).

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Chef Jason Petrie has been serving up some vivid, eclectic, and memorable dishes from his kitchen at Revolution Brewing. Join us as Chef Petrie tells us about the importance of sauce, pairing pizzas with Revolution’s bold and hoppy brews, and is there a possibility of a food truck in Revolution’s future?

Crusts are pleasantly yeasty with a thin, crisp bottom. But ingredients are the big stars in Revolution’s pie lineup. Meat fans will enjoy the Smokehouse and house-made Italian Sausage, complete with smoked tomato sauce. A more adventurous soul will love the full flavors of the Autumn Harvest pie, and the smooth earth tones in the Cremini Mushroom pie. Vegetarians have options too! Look out for the Italian Seitan, also featuring the house smoked tomato sauce.

Chef Petrie is constantly mixing up Revolution’s menu with a variety of fresh, seasonal options and new combinations. If you’re a fan of a fluctuating menu with a variety of flavors, this is your place. Menu offerings to look for (aside from pizzas) include Bacon Fat Popcorn, Fish and Chips, and the Workingman Burger. Revolution being a brewery, let’s not forget the beers. Around 35 different flavors will grace Rev’s fist-clenching taps. I, being a major IPA fan, really dug the Anti-Hero IPA.

Revolution Brewing is the holy trinity for people like myself; hoppy/bold beers, well-crafted food, with a vibrant eating space. It is easy to feel at home amongst the hanging whiskey barrels, tin ceiling tiles, and wood carved bar space. Go enjoy all that Revolution has to offer, and let us know what you think!

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Jeff Bush is a business man turned master pie creator. And we’re all the better for it. Join us as Jeff chats about his very un-Chicago pizzas, using the ingredients around you, and the story behind the always popular Pope Head.

Bricks cozy pie shop is in the basement level of an apartment building in Chicago’s Old Town/Lincoln Park area. A dark walkway leads to a warm, 60-seat pizzeria whose interior structure has bricks that pre-date the great Chicago fire! (This is where their name came from) The menu features a truly great variety of pizza toppings and combinations. Local favorites include the Popeye (spinach, tomatoes, garlic, feta & motz), and the Julius Peppers (everything named “pepper” in the kitchen). The menu rounds out with the addition of pasta, salads and sandwiches. Beer fans will enjoy the restaurant’s well-stocked taps that always include smaller microbrews. Around Christmas each year Bricks features a vertical tapping of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale.

Bricks has gained some local and national attention with the addition to their heat-enthusiasts pie called the Super Painful (featuring Endorphin Rush Hot Sauce, jalapeños and Scotch Bonnet peppers). Food Network’s Heat Seekers featured the spicy pie in a recent episode. The Super Painful comes in a much more palatable version simply called the Painful, and a pesto version called Mean Green.

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Chef Jeff Bush from Bricks Pizza takes us on a journey of adventurous dough handling and pepperoni perfection. Watch and enjoy Bricks version of a classic Pepperoni Pizza.

Here are some extra slices of information to note while watching the video:

- If Bricks’ menu offerings give off a California vibe, it’s because owner Bill Brandt is an expat from the Golden State.

- Bricks’ oven is a deck with stones on the oven floor.

- Fresh ingredients are the name of the game at Bricks. Most if not all items in the kitchen are sourced or purchased locally for quality.

- Bricks is known in the heat community for their Super Painful Pizza, featuring Endorphin Rush Hot Sauce, jalapenos and Scotch Bonnet peppers.

- Bricks will be opening another location called Big Bricks, which expands the menu with smoked meats and BBQ.

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Rich Aronson has the finely tuned skills that only comes from a rich family history in baking. Rich sat down to chat about his dad’s unique first day as a pie maker, his pizza history, My Pie’s unique family atmosphere, and keeping pizza traditions.

My Pie is most well known for being the first deep dish pizzeria to expand outside of Illinois, helping with the original deep dish revolution. My Pie offers 6 specialty pizza varieties, 3 of which are white pies. Ready to go slices of both Deep Dish and Thin Crust are available, as well as the perfect choco-holic dessert called Chocolate Insanity.

Unfortunately, as of this posting, the Northbrook restaurant we visited for the episode has closed its doors. We wish Rich and his family all the best and hope their pie making adventures can flourish and continue at their Bucktown location.

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Buckle in as Rich Aronson from My Pie Pizza takes us on a deep dish baking bonanza, featuring his signature My Pie Special.

Here are some extra slices of information to note while watching the video:

- The My Pie Special is made with Pepperoni, Onions, Green Peppers and Mushrooms sautéed in butter and spices.

- The sauce is made with a San Marzano tomatoes from california specifically for their low acidity level.

- The Deep Dish goes in a 500 degree oven for a cooking time of 20-25 minutes.

- The deep dish dough has a three-stage proofing process: bulk, in-pan, and in oven.

- All cheeses used are from Wisconsin dairy farms.

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Join us as Gary Bougie of SLYCE Coal Fired Pizza Company takes us through the making of their Pepperoni / Sausage Pie.

Here are some extra slices of information to note while watching the video:

- SLYCE’s dough goes through a 36-hour fermentation process (both cold and room-raised) before it hits the oven floor.

- SLYCE uses two kinds of mozzarella, hand-made and commercial.

- The sausage is not currently made in-house, but Gary and crew are adding cracked fennel and other spices to the mix.

- Baking times are between 3 and 4 minutes in a 850-950 degree coal-fired oven.

Gary Bougie is a true master of his craft. SLYCE Coal Fired Pizza Co. has grown from humble suburban beginnings into a nationally recognized pizzeria. Gary was kind enough to spare some time (on his day off) to chat about his pizza beginnings as a youngster, how SLYCE began, his thoughts on traditional American pies, and his philosophy on pizza.

Recently Zagat rated, this small northwest Chicago pizzeria crafts pies with precision, quality ingredients and bold simplicity. SLYCE is one of Chicago’s few coal fired pizza offerings, and rightfully earns their spot in Chicago’s pizza scene. The warm atmosphere and comfortable seating are complemented by the wonderful aroma.

Menu features to look out for are 15 specialty pies, including 5 white pizzas, with a build your own option. Sandwiches, small plates and salads round out the rest of the food offerings. For beverages, SLYCE is offering some great Italian-influenced wines, along with a tremendous beer selection both tap and bottled.

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