Twenty-one years ago, Edwardo’s dared to break into Chicago’s entrenched pizza restaurant scene. The idea was simple. Use only the freshest ingredients, including fresh basil. The signature stuffed pizza was spinach, followed closely by one made with pesto, that Italian sauce that combines basil with olive oil, nuts and Parmesan cheese.
Today, all but two of the Edwardo’s restaurants are owned by Bravo Restaurants. The chain includes 19 Midwest restaurants. But the commitment to fresh ingredients remains, judging by recent visits to one location in Printers Row.
You can choose from five kinds each of stuffed and thin pizzas and from nine “international” pizzas. Stuffed pesto pizza (regular, $13.30; deluxe $16.90; ultimo, $20.50) brings a fragrant aroma of basil to the table. The pesto sauce, made with walnuts instead of more expensive pine nuts, tastes great, but the abundance of mozzarella overwhelms it. The richness is offset by the tangy, tomato topping.
The Edwardo’s “special” thin-crust pizza mixes mild Italian sausage with mushrooms and still-crunchy green peppers and sweet onions. It’s $9.95 for a small pizza, which is big enough to serve two modestly hungry people. Plenty of mozzarella cheese covers ingredients. The crust is almost cracker thin and crisp. You also can order a whole-wheat crust (for 75 cents more) and extra ingredients ($1.50 to $2).
International pizzas include primavera, Tex-Mex, bella basil, Hawaiian luau, bbq chicken, Thai, three cheese and spicy buffalo (chicken) ($6.29-$7.29). The spicy, delicious Tex-Mex version ($7.29) offers a base of refried beans sprinkled with chopped tomatoes, taco-flavored ground beef, cheese, onions, peppers and jalapeno rounds. The thin, crisp crust holds up admirably under all the toppings.
The rest of the menu has grown beyond pizzas since the early days. You now can choose from six appetizers, six salads and eight pastas. On the appetizer list, the spinach sticks ($4.59) sound like a typical fried starter, but these arrive hot and surprisingly light in texturea delight. The fresh, chopped spinach mixed with mozzarella is lightly breaded and fried until crispy. The marinara sauce on the side provides a perfect tomatoey dipping sauce.
Salads provide another starting point. The house salad ($2.59) includes crispy iceberg and romaine with red cabbage, carrots, red onion rings, tomato slices and black olives and is unusual only in its sparkling freshness. We like the creamy Parmesan-pepper dressing, but next time would order it on the side. The house Italian dressing is a lighter option with a sweet-sour note. The generous fresh basil salad ($4.99) combines thin mozzarella slices resting on pretty, ripe tomato rounds over mixed greens and basil leaves. The vinaigrette dressing gives it tang.
Pasta dinners include a large house salad and garlic bread, making them truly bargain-priced. Spinach lasagna ($8.69) is made for cheese lovers. The spinach is fresh and the noodles fine, but the huge portion of mozzarella almost sinks the ship. Not so with the meat sauce on the mostaccioli Milano ($7.69). It’s a bit skimpy, but tastes homemade and clings nicely to the pasta. The soft garlic bread tastes of garlic salt.
Edwardo’s rich food requires a liquid partner. The house wine is C.K. Mondavi, supplemented by four other brands in a limited wine list ($15 to $19 per bottle). Beers on draft can be ordered by the pitcher ($7.95 pitcher, $2.05 glass). The very good iced tea ($1.40) is cheerfully refilled. In fact, service is cheerful throughout the meal.
Surprisingly, cookies (99 cents each) are the only dessert offered. They change daily from chocolate chip to oatmeal raisin, macadamia nut, or M&Ms.
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Edwardo’s Natural Pizza Restaurant
(Three forks)
521 S. Dearborn St.
312-939-3366
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat; noon-10 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A,D,DC,M,V
Ratings: 4 forks: Top of the class
3 forks: Better than most
2 forks: Very good fare
1 fork: Middle of the road
Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members. The meals are paid for by the Tribune.
