Bonci • 161 N. Sangamon St.

Opened in 2017, Bonci Pizza is the literal “new kid on the block.” The only other location of Bonci Pizza is in Rome, Italy. They sell their pizza slices by weighing them based on which toppings are on the pizza.

Bonci Pizza serves Roman pizza or pizza al taglio, which translates to “pizza for cutting.” Pieces are cut from large pans with scissors.

Bonci’s cuttable Roman-style pizza is unique to Chicago. The crust is somewhat akin to a focaccia bread with a chewier center. The restaurant offers a range of toppings, from ricotta and zucchini to traditional sausage and tomato sauce. Other unique toppings include potato and goat cheese, different colored peppers, and a mushroom sauce. Roman pizza is not commonly found in Chicago, nor is the pizza being cut and weighed. With only about 15 stools, this is not a place to linger during the night, as it gets very busy. The slices typically cost between $5-7 and two is enough for a meal, and they do not accept cash.

Eataly • 43 E. Ohio St.

Opened in 2013, Eataly Chicago is owned in part by celebrity chef Mario Batali.  The Eataly restaurant area includes full-service and stations to buy food such as meat, cheese and pasta. Eataly has five locations in the United States and several throughout Europe and Asia.

Eataly primarily serves Neapolitan-style pizza, a style that comes from the city of Naples, Italy, and is made of thin-crusted dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella and olive oil. 

With the rich decor and classic pizza, Eataly charges $15 for a simple pie of about 1.5-2 servings. The crust has a light char, but the dough stays chewy despite the burnt edges. The pizzas range from very simple, with just fresh mozzarella balls and tomato sauce, to toppings like arugula and prosciutto. Airy and bright, the restaurants are open to the rest of the store. The ambience is light and modern, highlighted with white marble and furnishings throughout the grocery and restaurant. Seating includes tables and bar stools.

Union Squared • 125 S. Clark St.

With two locations, this Detroit-style pizza place serves up brick pizza both in Chicago and Evanston. Located inside Revival Food Hall, which opened in 2016, Union Squared is surrounded by other small vendors, each with its own seating area and common tables.

Detroit-style pizza has a rectangular thick crust. Thicker than a Chicago-style, it is also very crispy on the bottom.

Union Squared’s pizza, thick and chewy, has a lot of cheese, which means grease visible on the plate and top layer of the pizza. The thick coating of cheese gives the pizza a very heavy feel, but it satisfies in the moment and is filling. The restaurant offers toppings ranging from four-cheese to goat cheese with pesto. Bustling with the noise of the other restaurants and people, the food hall is perfect for a quick snack but not to have a lengthy meal or conversation. The pizzas cost from $23-26 for a pie that feeds three to four people and has eight slices. Half orders with four slices are also available.