You love to go out. We love to go out. You love to eat. We love to eat. You love to drink. Well, you get the idea. So when you're itching for the lastest Chicago nightlife has to offer, check out The Extrovert for up-to-the minute details on the scene.
ALL BOTTLED UP: Coalfire
The spot: Inspired by coal-oven pizza joints like Frank Pepe's (New Haven, Conn.) and Lombardi's (New York City), Chicago bar industry vets Bill Carroll and J. Spillane opened Coalfire, a one-room West Town pizzeria in May. They've got the only coal-fired pizza oven in town, and because coal tends to heat more evenly than wood, it turns out near-perfect thin crusts. Coalfire's top-selling 14-inchers include an Italian sausage pie ($13.99) and a pizza margherita ($12.99), with the traditional fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato. We like the pesto pizza ($13.99), its crisp crust topped with a dash of olive oil, pesto, black olives, ricotta and a bit of mozzarella.
The bottle: It's a long walk to the closest liquor store, a CVS near the intersection of Ogden and Milwaukee Avenues, so Coalfire servers often steer customers across the street to Cafe Fresco. The Italian cafe is licensed to sell liquor to-go, so you can pick up a bottle for the road. Try the Gravity Hills Tumbling Tractor Zinfindel ($15), a juicy red with hints of currant and chocolate and enough acidity to stand up to tomato sauce. Coalfire doesn't charge a corkage fee, and if you're drinking beer or a lighter wine, they'll ice down your stash in a giant tomato can. (The containers double as pizza stands.) Carroll says he'll eventually apply for a liquor license and start serving beer and wine, but Coalfire will remain BYOB until at least the end of the year. --M. Kathleen Pratt, Metromix print editor
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