I first discovered Forno Rosso a short time after TV maven Steve Dolinsky did a short piece on it for ABC channel 7. My mother in law had just relocated to a retirement facility that was a short drive away, and we all were interested in seeing if it was as good as Dolinsky said it was.
On our first visit, I discovered that this may be the best thin crust pizza I've had in my entire life! The crust was crisp with light char, it possesed complex yeasty flavors and had just the right amount of chewiness. The toppings, ranging from custom-made sausage to fresh mozzarella were fresh and tasty. And there was plenty more - great salads, the most intensely flavored caponata I've ever had, and Peroni AND Moretti on tap. The space was nice and unpretentious, and the service was good.
So I kept coming back, and every time, I was rewarded with great pizza, and an ownership that took their product seriously. And in the Dunning neighborhood (just south of the intersection of Irving Park and Harlem) it was pretty much alone as a high quality dining resource. So I think the combination of location and quality makes this a classic nomination for GNR status.
And I am not alone; many LTH'ers have made visits in the past 2 years, their comments seem uniformly supportive of the high standards set by Forno Rosso.
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38569Forno Rosso Pizzeria Napoletana
3719 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL
http://fornorossochicago.wix.com/fornorosso1(773) 295-5697