Pronto 'Za

Cabrini Green, the notorious Chicago slum, is currently in the process of gentrification. Though considerably less dangerous than it used to be, it's still not a haven of safety, so if you're in Chicago and want to give Pronto Za a try, you might want to consider ordering for delivery instead of pick-up. Located on the corner of Halsted and Division, the tiny building faces grim-looking, still-occupied housing projects, and your likely to be hit up for change in the brisk walk from your car to the entrance door.

Pronto Za is really more a taste of New York than Chicago. Their thin crust pizza is overpriced, gooey and greasy as all get-out. The quirky toppings are also more East Coast than Midwestern. Walnuts, mango and oyster mushrooms are just some of their alternatives to the standard pepperoni-and-sausage fair. They also have a wide selection of cheeses, including swiss gruyere, gorgonzola and goat. You can buy it whole or by the slice. A wedge will put you out $3.75, while the pie prices mostly correspond to their circumference: a 14-inch is $14, 16-inch is $16, and the 18 is 18. Once you get to 20 inches they bounce it up a buck to $21. I don't know why.

One of their most popular pizza items is the Bleu Ribbon Chicken, which they tout as "chicken cordon bleu on a pie." The roasted chicken always tastes fresh and the white sauce is thick, rich and flavorful. What some customers complain about is that on this and all their other pies, the spread of toppings isn't especially generous: there's a whole lot of empty space between the Bleu Ribbon's chunks of chicken. While I understand why some are unhappy about this, I actually like their spare approach. The toppings are zesty enough that a little bit really does go a long way. If their dough was a little better - it gets soggy quickly if you don't wolf it down fast - the balance of toppings, sauce and crust would be just about perfect.

They're also known for their sandwiches and wraps. The "Whatdachuck" is my favorite: chicken and bacon with swiss cheese, pineapple and citrus chipolte; weird but yummy. Like their pizza, the sandwiches are nothing spectacular, but they present a refreshing alternative to the fairly basic "Chicago style" of greasy grub - and the service is unusually bright and cheerful.

Pronto 'Za can be at your door in a jiffy - just pop on to Delivery.com and punch in your zip code to find the Pronto 'Za nearest you. Point, click, eat!