What The Hell Is This?: Punky's Taco Pizza

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 23, 2010 8:20PM

If you've tuned in to WGN in recent weeks, you've probably been pummeled into submission by the commercials for "Chicago's Best," which they're touting as a hipper version of "190 North." They already exceed the low bar set by "190 North" simply by being a lifestyle show not hosted by perky cryptkeeper Janet Davies. But then they throw a curve.

A recent Chicago's Best blog post was a call for local pizzerias to make a pizza taco. Punky's Pizza and Pasta (2600 S. Wallace, 312-842-2100), one of the go-to pizza joints in Bridgeport, answered the challenge and created this ghost of school lunches past. All that was missing was chocolate milk, tater tots, a pudding cup and a bully, and it would have been elementary school all over again.

This is the kind of food that would make Jamie Oliver leave the residents of Huntington, WV to fend for themselves while he made a beeline for Chicago in that rusty Ford Bronco he's been driving on "Food Revolution." But, damn if the combination of seasoned ground beef, pepperoni, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa didn't taste good. It ultimately leads to the good and evil argument of "this is why you're fat" versus "I don't care, this is tasty." This isn't as good as Punky's regular sausage pie, but owner Vince Scarlata, his family and crew can't be faulted for taking a chance and bringing the spotlight to them.

Punky's and their new taco pizza will be featured on "Chicago's Best" Sunday at 10 p.m. on WGN.