Washington Gardens Pizza

"Chicago’s streets are practically paved with tavern-style pizza. To stand out, a spot needs to be pretty special. WG, a suburban transplant operating out of a takeout-only kitchen in Avondale, is good, but not great. You won’t be disappointed if one of these pies shows up at your house, but they’re not worth going out of your way for. WG’s pizza has a buttery cracker crust that holds up well to toppings. With the exception of the very edges, the crust is more chewy than crispy, likely due to a thick blanket of cheese on every pie. It tastes like buttered toast, and makes a delightful vehicle for the creative topping combos happening here. Those unexpected options are what WG does best—like italian beef with spicy giardiniera, or the “black and white,” a sauceless little number topped with parmesan and balsamic. Stick with the fun stuff if you’re going to order from here. But with so many other spots in Chicago, including places where you can sit down and have a drink with your just-fine pizza, there’s really no reason to. Food Rundown photo credit: Adrian Kane Black & White The buttery crust really shines in this simple, sauceless pie. The dough has a pseudo-lamination thing happening, reminiscent of the inside of a croissant. That flavor combined with parmesan and balsamic is a nice counterpoint. photo credit: Adrian Kane Italian Beef We’re fans of this one. It’s covered in a generous amount of beef, and the giardiniera is truly very spicy. It doesn’t taste like a pizza so much as an italian beef on a giant cracker, and we’re here for it. photo credit: Adrian Kane Pepperoni This is a boring pie. The sweet tomato sauce probably tastes perfectly fine, but no one will ever know because it’s overwhelmed with a mattress of mozzarella. WG forgoes crispy pepperoni cups for flaccid discs and there’s no char in sight. Plenty of tavern-style spots make the same decision (Phil’s comes to mind), but the mild tomato base and thick blanket of cheese cover up any flavor." - Adrian Kane