Encyclopizzeria 
Sometimes, I am drawn to a pizza restaurant because it tickles my senses—a faint whiff of a fresh pie as I walk past, or spotting someone’s slice in the sidewalk seating area. Other times, it’s a much less visceral suggestion, like when I spotted the menu board at Dante’s when I rode past on my bike. 
I wasn’t particularly hungry before I saw the board, but the board reminded me that it was noon. That was as good of an excuse as I’d ever need to drop in for a slice.
When I walked into Dante’s, I was apprehensive. It was a Monday afternoon and the restaurant was quiet and squeaky clean. The quietness made me a bit wary of the quality of the slices I’d get. I’ve been burnt by other pizzerias serving slices that had gone far beyond their expiration date, basking in the glow of a heat lamp.
Dante’s menu board announced the day’s special: a slice with sausage, giardiniera and bacon. This was an exciting combination, but in the interest of keeping a level playing field with my other reviews, I ordered a slice of sausage and a can of Coke for $5.75.
The sausage slice arrived on a small metal pizza pan covered with a sheet of wax paper. It was a New York style slice, perfect for folding in half and eating like a demented pizza taco of sorts.
The first thing I noticed about the pizza was the thick, puffy handle of crust that bordered the edge of the slice. The handle of crust on Dante’s slice maintained a crunchy bottom and was crisp and slightly flaky on top. The handle’s insides were soft, doughy and airy. While this blend of crunchy and soft made for a pleasurable contrast, the handle was largely flavorless. Just dough, water and a hell of lot of chewing. A real missed opportunity. Had the slice’s handle had a buttery flavor or some other characteristic to make it unique, I might be raving about Dante’s. The rest of the crust was thin enough to provide a solid crunch without drying out the slice, but still sturdy enough to support the toppings without flexing into a mess.
The slice’s surface was a blend of red, yellow and white suggesting a varied mixture of cheeses, a quality near to my heart. The cheese was flavorful, gooey and a bit sparse in spots. Some might attribute this to a thrifty pizzaiolo, but I wasn’t bothered. I appreciate when a slice has a varied texture, where some pockets of cheese are more dense than others. Just as I had originally feared, the cheese was a bit dry near the edges. A sign that the slice had been lounging around for a bit before appearing on my plate.
The sausage was enjoyable, though not noteworthy. Besides the crust, it was the sauce that was the standout feature. The sauce was smooth, tangy and a bit peppery. The sparseness of the cheese really allowed the sauce’s flavors to shine, especially along the shore of the slice where the cheese ended and a few waves of sauce hit the crust. Dante’s is BYOB, but I had neglected to pack my flask. I suspect that my slice would have paired well with some warmed over Maker’s Mark.
I’d offer Dante’s a positive recommendation, though not a particularly emphatic one. I appreciated how they offer New York style slices. Their creative specialty pizzas (which are named after figures from Greek mythology) and the promise of special daily slice is also appealing. Overall, the slice just wasn’t particularly filling. I left exactly as I had arrived: slightly hungry, and ready to be talked into ordering a slice of pizza.
Dante’s Pizzeria – Avondale
2825 N Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 773-348-3888
www.danteschicago.com
Hours
Everyday: 11:00 AM-11:00 PM
Notes
Dante’s is BYOB and has a second location in Logan Square at 3028 W Armitage.
