Meet Journal Star food and dining reporter Cas Waigand
Journal Star reporter Cas Waigand covers food and restaurant news throughout the Peoria area.
Illinois has plenty of places to find pizza – from thin St. Louis style and deep-dish to wood-fired Neapolitan.
This year, two Illinois eateries were among 50 pizzerias in the U.S. to be recognized by the Italian platform “50 Top Pizza.” Here’s where the restaurants fall on the 2025 list:
Robert’s, Chicago
Robert’s Pizza & Dough Company ranked No. 6 on the U.S. list. Comments about the Chicago pizzeria noted:
“Playwright and journalist, entrepreneur and teacher. But above all, a successful pizzaiolo since 2016 when he decided to open the restaurant with a fixed idea, typical of engineers: to create the perfect pizza. So Robert Garvey, after an endless series of trials and a course in Neapolitan pizza, puts himself on the line with a series of proposals, from pizza to chicken to the classic pepperoni, transforming his beautiful pizzeria, airy and dominated by a large bar counter, into a neighborhood gathering place. Professional and attentive service that leaves nothing to be desired, making visitors feel like guests and not customers. Unmissable.”
Details: 465 N. McClurg Court, Chicago; (312) 265-1328, https://www.robertspizzacompany.com/
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. 9 p.m. Sunday.
Coda di Volpe, Chicago
Coda di Volpe came in at No. 44 on the list. When discussing the pizzeria, the 50 Top Pizza website stated:
“Chicago is definitely one of the great pizza cities in the world, known for its own style of pizza that bears its name, the quality of its pizzerias, and the variety of offerings. Coda di Volpe, named after a white grape variety cultivated in Campania, is a reference point for Neapolitan-style pizza in the Windy City. The restaurant is elegant with seating on couches around the tables on one side, and chairs on the other. The menu is well-structured and mostly focused on the South of Italy, with a selection of high-quality pasta dishes. The pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven, precise as it should be for this type of pizza, and the dough, elastic and soft, is truly enjoyable. Among the pizzas, we recommend trying the marinara, a real gem that is hard to find elsewhere. The wine list is also good. The prices are average for this type of pizza in the city, but the quality is significantly higher. The service is attentive and welcoming.”
Details: 3335 N. Southport Ave., Chicago; (773) 687-8568, https://www.cdvolpe.com/
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Here are the top 10 U.S. Pizzerias listedUna Pizza Napoletana – New YorkPizzeria Sei – Los AngelesTony’s Pizza Napoletana – San FranciscoJay’s – KenmoreRibalta – New YorkRobert’s – ChicagoDon Antonio – New YorkKen’s Artisan Pizza – PortlandTruly Pizza – Dana Point‘O Munaciello – Miami
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