The Gray Lady has picked a particularly vibrant Chicago pizzeria as one of its “22 of the Best Pizza Places in America.”
Or, if you like, high brow has gone for middle brow.
That would be Bungalow by Middle Brow in Logan Square, 2840 W. Armitage, which has made The New York Times list.
“The crusts are fragrant and flavorful, with sturdy undercarriages, and the Neapolitan pizzas are always memorable, whether they’re topped with the barest amount of ingredients (order at least one with tomato sauce and yuzu oil) or the makings of a German potato salad, to name just one in the never-ending parade of specialty pies,” wrote the Times’ Brett Anderson in the June 26 piece.
If you order the special this week, it comes topped with a black-garlic glaze, wild flowers, chard stems and Manchego cheese.
Not bad for a couple of guys who were “hobbyist” pizza makers until about five years ago (Bungalow opened in 2011 as a brewery).
Anyone can make good pizza in a basement or a garage, says Bungalow co-owner Pete Ternes.
“That’s easy,” Ternes said. “The thing that’s hard is to make 1,500 pizzas in a week consistently good.”
What makes their pizza so good? Organic farm ingredients that come only from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana: “Our menu is likely more ‘local’ than any other restaurant in the country.”
Ternes said the pizza specials tend to be “less influenced by Italy and more by the farms around here.”
It’s not the first time Bungalow has appeared on a “best of” list or in the Times. The Times highlighted Bungalow’s home-made wine in a story earlier this year.
“It’s never really old hat to see your hard work recognized,” Ternes said. “It’s fun to see ourselves on the list, but we know it could be fleeting.”
