What's Up, D.O.C.?

By John & Susie Pratt in Food on Jan 11, 2005 4:55AM

Well, the New Year is only two weeks old, and already we have broken the vast majority of our resolutions – including the resolution to keep our resolutions. Damn. However, one hungover promise to ourselves remains intact: that 2005 be the Year of the Pizza – (take that, Rooster). Our goal – to find some of the best (and worst) pie Chicagoland has to offer. Uh, buhp, buhp…hold the suggestions for just a minute – first, take a look at where we began.

Chicagoist’s upstairs neighbor is from Rome (not that one, the real one) and has extolled the virtues of this spot since his arrival in our building, or in the country for all we know. So, though in Chicago, we did as the Romans do and headed to Pizza D.O.C. on Lawrence. A little dressier than your average pizza joint, Pizza D.O.C. provides cloth napkins and the service to match.

However, let us hasten to the point – the delicious, thin-crusted, relatively cheeseless point. The pizza is fantastic – served in individual 12” sizes, it is cooked in a wood-burning oven and comes with a variety of gourmet toppings. First we sampled the Pizza Patate & Rosmarino on which thinly-sliced potato was complemented by pungent rosemary and extra virgin olive oil making for a simple, yet decadent treat. For our second pie (hey, we have a resolution to keep here) we tried the prosciutto, olive, and artichoke pizza. The artichoke that dotted the pizza was freshly steamed, unmasking its true flavor and making us realize that 90% of the artichokes we eat are marinated (read: overwhelmed beyond recognition by Italian dressing) and therefore missing the point. The crust on both was perfection.

If you are in the mood for comforting and gooey pie, Pizza D.O.C. is not for you. The pizza is light on cheese, and even lighter on the sauce. But if you want to enjoy an authentic Italian treat – this is the spot.