Forno Rosso Pizzeria Napoletana

The food is awesome! The menu choices are not large but everything on the menu is very tasty and fresh. A friend and I had the salad with pears walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese the flavors meld together perfectly and were absolutely wonderful. That night we had the special pizza which consisted of pesto cheese herbs and shrimp. I was a bit skeptical with this combination but it turned out to be delicious and the crust was cooked perfectly a little chewy and a little hard perfect. I would’ve given this restaurant a five star rating however the staff although wonderful was a bit too attentive. I was interrupted constantly being asked how was your food, are you done with that plate, can I pour you more water, is everything OK, do you like everything, how was the pizza,. And although I was very pleased with the level of customer service the interruptions were almost too much and it was difficult for my friend and I to hold a conversation.
All in all, I would most definitely return to this restaurant the food was really worth the trip.

Good pizza. Just a little over rated. The appetizers suck. But THE PIZZA MAKES UP FOR IT

EXPECTATIONS BEAT
We heard about Forno from «Check, Please» and numerous friends, so we had to check it out. And I have to say, from the food to the service and even the décor, everything was extraordinary. Our server Heidi was AWESOME, so friendly and attentive. From start to finish, we felt very «important» and taken care of and NEVER rushed. They have a wide variety of pizzas (one of my favorite meals!) ranging from white to red sauce. You have to try the white sauce, it’s so much better than it sounds… I would definitely recommend trying out this family friendly and high-​quality restaurant for a family dinner or even a casual date night! Desserts are out of this world from the amazing homemade tiramisu to the pizza with Nutella! And we received a complimentary HOMEMADE lemoncello shot! Yum!
Thanks Forno Rosso for making me feel like money well spent!!!

I’ve been to this place at least 10 times which obviously means I love it. However, yesterday I fell out of love.
I invited a friend for dinner that recently purchased a condo across from the restaurant. We arrived at 6pm and were seated quickly. We ordered a glass of wine and the arancini to start which was delivered to our table within minutes of ordering. What really turned us off was the wait staff that made us feel like we were being rushed out the door from the minute we were seated. Within two minutes of the first bite one of four waiters came over to see if we were finished. They tried taking our plate that still had food on at least 5 times. Then the same thing occurred when our pizza arrived. Why did they feel the need to have a waiter hovering over our table every other minute? It was really annoying. On a Friday after a long work week the last thing I want is to be rushed through my glass of wine! The food is amazing but the service needs some adjustments.

BEST pizza in Chicago. There’s not much more to say than that really. Perfect char to chew ratio. Spacca Napoli was good but theirs is even better. Can’t wait to come back!

Awesome pizza choices that are really delicious, unique Italian beer selection but very expensive.

Let me start by saying, what a great place! When you walk in the Manger greets you and you are seated at your table fast. Entire staff ‘s friendly and ready to help. Servers are attentive and polite which makes for that much better experience. Food was delicious and served beautifully. This restaurant is an example of how a successful business should be ran. It’s always a pleasure to come here.

Pizza is a little pricey but absolute worth it. Amazing!!! I can’t recommend taking them home due to the style of pizza they are but they are worth the title of sit down restaurant food.

NOW, THAT’S ITALIAN!
Heard about «Check, Please» review and it’s in the hood, so why not.
Make sure you have your server tell you about their certification as a Neopolitan pizza maker (it’s all about the ovens) and how they use local farmers and butchers to craft their delicious dining options.
I’ve had their salads which are beautifully presented and the dressings are flavorful, yet light and definitely home made. Their homemade caponata (a marinated eggplant spread) is literally made by owner’s mother and grandmother. It’s soooooooo delicious and authentic. A must– try. The desserts are exquisite. The nutella crêpe is a family crowd– pleaser.
But the pizzas: Out of this world. The sauce is busting with freshness and compliments the crust which starts out chewy and crispy… and gets thinner and thinner til it’s paper thin at the smallest point. The meats and veggies contain perfect amount of spices and taste sooooo fresh. You’ll find some interesting pizza combos too in the menu like white pizza and arugala and prosciutto pizza. But even the less exotic margarita pizza will rock your world.
The reason it has 4 out of 5 stars is because i think they could improve on the ambience a bit. Better chairs and tables, better lighting. Also, parking could be a bit hectic depending on day/​time you go.

Well where should I start?
The food, was good for the neighborhood I live 10 min away from there ! But the management /​partners are more worried about taking care of theirs friends instead
Of regular customers .
Rule # 1 in this industry always take of every one the same .
Pizza; good
Salad; really good
Octopus; may be they need to stick to pizza
Tagliere; ok meats are cut ahead of time not fresh
Burrata; definitely not fresh
Dolce; anything with Nutella its good (not creative) but good
Espresso. Ok
I really wanted to love this place, I think the food will be better but they need to treat people the same not because we look NONE Italian it doesn’t mean we dont know good food !!
150.00 is later for two of us not worth it !
Server needs to be more attentive !!

Went here for the first time and boy was I in for a surprise. The pizza is absolutely delicious, it is a must try. Calamari was outstanding. The service was on point. The ambience is a little loud so not good for elderly folks (our fault we went there at 9 PM) … looking forward to returning!

I liked my pizza here, but my boyfriend’s pizza not so much. We expected quite a wait on a Saturday night but were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at 6:30 and there were a few tables and all of the bar seats open. WARNING: the crowds will show up and they only take reservations for tables of 4 or more.
We ordered the grilled octopus appetizer and it was really good. Just the right amount of dressing. I ordered the diavolo and he ordered the locale sausage. My pizza was great, it didn’t have much kick to it but we had plenty of chili oil or red pepper flakes at our disposal to add. The crust was soft, the cheese was plentiful, it would have been nice to have more pepperoni but that’s ok. The sausage pizza looked a little sad, almost as if it wasn’t fresh.
Our service was great. Our pizzas were ready in a matter of minutes after our appetizer plate was taken away. Our waitress was very sweet too. They take their orders on a cell phone which I’m sure helps speed things up.
It’s in a small shopping center on N Harlem, so you may need to park on the streets. Not much else out this way.

I was really looking forward to the new one in my neighborhood but it’s been «coming soon» forever, so I decided to check out the original on the way out to O’Hare. We started with a nice pear salad and then ordered two pizzas — a red and a white. While both were delicious, there was still something missing though I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe a little more herbs/​basil would help brighten things up. I’ll have to check back to be sure. Other than the food, service was good & efficient.

I went out of my way to check this place out. Overall, the pizza was very average. I expected more. I did enjoy watching them make pizzas and stuff them in the brick oven, which is visible from your seat.

Es un lugar chico, a las afueras de Chicago. Yo quería probar la tradicional pizza de pasta gruesa y casi me corren. Me enseñaron una certificación de «Vera Pizza». Los ingredientes los traen de Italia, refrescos también. La mayoría de las pizzas no llevan salsa de tomate. Yo ordené una pizza de prisciutto y arúgula que estaba de primera. Como postres hay helados, tiramisú y canolis. La carta de vinos es limitada pero de muy buen nivel. Todos itslianos. El expresso como en italia, fuerte, chico y rico.

Rosa J. and hubby have been missing the wood-​fired, Neapolitan-​style pizza. Our neighborhood pizzeria, unfortunately, failed to make it through the crucial first six (6)-month trial period for a newly-​established local restaurant. However, some time ago Rosa J. noticed «Forno Rosso» while riding the CTA #90 bus. Of course she did her Unilocal «thang» and had this place bookmarked.
After work this evening, feeling «famished» accurately described Rosa J.‘s state of being. Driving to Forno Rosso shouldn’t be too much of a struggle because free parking is available at the strip-​mall lot.
Here are some useful measurements you may want to know:
1) each wood-​fires pizza is a 12-​inch size
2) a 12-​inch size will be divided into six (6) slices
3) as a result, 12×12= 144 (square inches); 144/​6= 24 (square inches for a slice).
4) we need a dietician to calculate the calories for each slice.
Oh wait, before figuring out the calories for each slice so that you know how many hours you will be spending at the gym, I have to disclose the information on what kinds hubby and I had tonight.
— prosciutto e arugula: the utilization of arugula should be a mandatory ingredient for any pizza. The saltiness of prosciutto complements well with the naturally bitter taste from arugula.
— capricciosa: artichoke+olives+mozzarella= absolute satisfactions. Ok, I will stop with my nerdy equations from now on.
To be honest, I will definitely order the prosciutto e arugula again. Capricciosa was tasty, but I will opt for something else. Two (2) pizza cost us $ 33 after tax. We attempted to get a discount through the 5% off Unilocal check-​in offer, but George, the manager, respectfully explained to us that this was no longer valid.
Manager George D’Anna did his rounds and stopped at our table briefly. He chatted with hubby, gave his business card, and invited us to come back.
Other than the pizza menu, they have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, wine, and after-​dinner drinks. Service was attentive and informative if you ever have any question on the menu.

I came in for lunch. I had the Caponata Della Nonna and Locale pizza.
Pros:
— Clean dining room and bathroom
— Beautiful looking wood oven
— Food presentation is excellent and it looks delicious
— Food brought to the table very quickly.
Cons:
— Caponata Della Nonna was bland.
— Tasteless sauce on the pizza
— Tasteless crust
— «Local» sausage tasted like any other average sausage.
— Overpriced
Conclusion: I’ve been to Italy and had the pizza they are trying to imitate here. Food looks much better than it actually tastes. At $ 13 a pizza, you can get better value and better tasting pizza elsewhere. Don’t let the reviews here fool you.

I should’ve left my expectations at home for this one. This place was rated 4.5 out of 5, I beg to differ because the 2 dishes I had were totally underwhelming.
Locale pizza: kinda like a margherita pizza with sausage and mushrooms. The server suggested that this is their most popular pizza… Why??? Although the server claimed use of local ingredients, this pizza was more on the bland side for me. Perhaps more seasoning in their sauce and meat may be the answer but then I wasn’t happy with the crust either. It was soft and soggy in the middle making it impossible to pick up a piece… Ay Caramba!
My perpetual search for Italian pizza ends right here. I realized it’s mission impossible. It’s kinda like me going to Italy looking for the best Chicago style pizza. I give up!
Caponata (appetizer): it’s like an eggplant and olive salad with sweet vinegar dressing… the bread was so hard and literally hurt the top of my palate. The eggplant mix is ok, nothing spectacular. I wonder if it’s better served warm.
I had 1 slice of pizza and 1 bread slice with the eggplant. Needless to say, my appetite died along with my high expectations.
The service was great, the server was very knowledgeable and friendly, the price was way high, ambiance good, and variety of apps and pizzas were satisfactory. I saw the beer and mixed drinks were priced at $ 12. This place is way overpriced and way under-​tasty. Thank you for putting my search to rest Forno Rosso!
Prego!

It’s a 3.5 stars type place for me. Good, delicious pizza but didn’t find it to be great or wasn’t wowed by it. Have had better. We had their Rosso Diavolo and Venetto pizzas. Both had unique taste and tasty flavor. The sauce on Rosso had the right taste in terms of salt, tang & sweet flavors. It was fresh however, I thought the pizza could’ve used a bit more sauce. The hot soppressata was cooked just right in the baking of the pizza and the crust had a good balance of crispy & chewy textures.
Am not usually a fan of Bianchi pizzas cause I love red sauce but their Venetto was pretty good w/​sausage, prosciutto, caramelized onions and Asiago cheese. It could’ve used red sauce if you ask me to make it even better. There was some lack of cheese on this pizza.
Overall, both the pizzas were delicious and not bad or anything. However, of what I have read and heard about this places pizza, I wasn’t wowed or blown away by the taste. So for me it’s good to try once but not a frequent visit place.

Thank you «Check, Please!» for making me aware of this gem. The location is a little tough to deal with as there is limited parking and it’s on a busy section of Harlem Ave. Then again, what section of Harlem isn’t busy?
We were greeted promptly and seated near the window. I like that they have bottles of water at the table. We started with the calamari. The pieces were good-​sized and fried very lightly, they came out more yellow than golden-​brown. Also, they were well seasoned, you could taste the salt and pepper in the batter. The calamari still had a nice crispness and the marinara sauce they came with was perfect. Bits of fresh basil and garlic with the fresh tomatoes. I wish I had some crusty bread to finish that sauce off!
We had two pizzas: the bufalina and the local. Both pizzas are about 12 inches are so. The bufalina was basically a margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella cheese. And the crust was done properly, not too thin, not too thick. While it still had a great flavor, it wasn’t salty or oily, which a lot of crusts can be. The buffalo mozz had that sharp tang that gave that pizza a little extra punch. The tomato sauce was light and fresh, but still held its own. The only thing is I would have asked for some extra fresh basil, since I’m such a basil fan. But the ingredients were incredibly well proportioned, it was cooked well, and the taste was wonderful. The locale added a locally made crumbled sausage and organic mushrooms. The sausage was seasoned really well and the mushrooms were great quality too. It was awesome, esp with some grated cheese and black pepper.
I had an Italian craft beer as well. They have about five or six to choose from. They’re certainly not cheap, but it’s nice to be able to purchase a beer that you’re not likely to find anywhere else in Chicago. If you want to splurge, they even have a $ 16 IPA. The service was very nice, as our appetizer plates got taken away when we were done and the server helped us with pizza and drink recommendations. Also, George, one of the owners, came by and chatted with us for at least five minutes, if not longer.
The prices aren’t cheap, but the quality is on another level. It’s unfortunate this place is an hour away from where I live. I certainly plan to return when I’m in the area.

After seeing this place on Check, Please!, I realized that the location was about 5 minutes away from our jeweler in Harwood Heights. Since we had to head over there this weekend, it was a perfect time to try out this restaurant! It was pretty easy to get to, however the parking was MUCH smaller than what I had seen in pictures. It may be because I’m a suburban girl, use to giant parking lots: P
When we entered, we were greeted at the door and promptly seated. Inside it was nice and cozy, and you could see all the pizzas coming out of the oven from our table! I knew I wanted a white pizza even before we started, so rather than just looking at the menu, I just asked the server what white pizza she would recommend :)
Husband, kiddo and I started with the arancini, which had a great balance of the risotto, ground meat, peas, and a large chunk of cheese! They were delicious, served with a side of marinara sauce.
Husband had the panzarotti, which starts with red sauce and cheese, and he added sausage. I didn’t taste it (not a huge fan of red sauce… and frankly, my pizza kept me more than occupied!) but he couldn’t stop raving about it. He even commented (and I would agree!) that this was pretty close, if not just as good as the pizza we had at Eataly!
I did appreciate the kiddo menu, which was a basic pizza, but they shaped them into either Micky Mouse or Nimo. Kiddo had a Mickey Mouse cheese pizza, which came with sauce filled ears, and eyes made out of olives. Beware to those that are use to Americanized olives, these black olives are true from Italy, so they definitely don’t taste like the out-​of-​the-​can black olives (which was a disappointment to me, but that’s ok!) The size of the pizza was great! Kiddo was definitely full, and we even had a few bites of her crust ;)
I asked our awesome server for her recommendation of a white pizza. She said the most popular was the prosiutto and arugola pizza, but since I’ve had quite a few prosiutto and arugola pizzas, I opted for her second favorite which was the barese. This one had rampini (which was like a very flavorful broccili crossed with spinach), crumbly sausage, and burrata. I noticed that the burrata (imported from Italy) had a much saltier, and less cream flavor than burrata I’ve gotten from the grocery store. It definitely paired well with the rampini and sausage.
It was such great food, and awesome service! The waitress we had was great, super nice and knowledgeable. Than the manager, George came up to our table to thank us for coming. He wondered what brought us in, and really took an interest in us as guests. I heard about this type of service from all the reviews, and they didn’t disappoint. I saw George, as well as another manager, hit every single table while we were there, and were really having conversations with all the tables, even for just a few minutes. When we come back to Harwood Heights, we will definitely be back to Forno Rosso!