Pizza and Corn Meal

My favorite pizza of all time is long gone. It was served up by Basta Pasta in Edison Park. Basta Pasta closed a few years ago but it stopped making this version a few years prior to closing (probably the reason they are now closed!)

This particular pizza was thin, very crispy and served with sausage and fresh tomatoes. The best part of this pizza was that the pizza rested on loose corn meal (I think). Maybe they also put some corn meal in the dough because the crust had a bit of a corn taste enhancing the flour taste. Does anyone else remember this pizza? Is there anything like it in Chicago? Although I live near Edison Park, I am willing to travel far and wide for something that comes close to duplicating this near-nirvana experience.

Does anyone know the secret of this pizza?

Where can I find something close?

Does anyone know the owners of the place so I can get their recipe, rent a commercial oven and have someone make it again?

Barnaby's pizza is well-known for its cornmeal crust. I frequent the Niles location, which I think is right up there with the best thin-crust in the Chicago area.

Barnaby's Family Inn
7950 N Caldwell Ave
Niles, IL 60714-3323
(847) 967-8600

Try Moretti's

Doesn't Pizano's also use cornmeal in the crust?

Moretti's pizza is pretty good but I don't believe they use corn meal in the crust.

For a great thin corn meal crust pizza, I'd recommend Barnaby's.

Yeah, Seamus is correct. We order Moretti's quite often and it's cornmeal-less. I do believe Pizano's does use cornmeal, but not to the extent that Barnaby's does.

elakin wrote:Barnaby's pizza is well-known for its cornmeal crust. I frequent the Niles location, which I think is right up there with the best thin-crust in the Chicago area.

Barnaby's Family Inn
7950 N Caldwell Ave
Niles, IL 60714-3323
(847) 967-8600

I find the Northbrook location to be just as good and often better than Niles and the cornmeal is very much a part of their pizzas, too. There's more discussion about Barnaby's here.

You definitely can't go wrong at Pizano's, either but I'm not 100% sure they use cornmeal.

=R=

Barnaby's Family Inn - Northbrook
960 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, IL 60062-4005
(847) 498-3900

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta - Glenview (there are 2 other locations, as well)
1808 Waukegan Rd
Glenview, IL 60025-2112
(847) 486-1777

You definitely can't go wrong at Pizano's, either but I'm not 100% sure they use cornmeal.

No cornmeal, I don't know the exact recipe but I do the ordering and there's no cornmeal to be found.

Q's crust is coated with cornmeal too.

try francesca's [i believe their are 18 of them around chicago] they have a light dusting of cormeal on the bottom.

I believe cornmeal is used just to help transfer the pizza from th pizza peel into the oven. I do this when i make Pizza. I don't believe most places would add it to the dough.

gp60004 wrote:I believe cornmeal is used just to help transfer the pizza from th pizza peel into the oven. I do this when i make Pizza. I don't believe most places would add it to the dough.

I agree. A lot of times when you think it's cornmeal in the dough, it's actually semolina flour -- even at places that use cornmeal primarily to transfer the pies from peel to oven.

=R=

Thanks for the tip on Baranby's. I've passed this place a million times but have never stopped because the outside looks old and tired. I figured that since it's been around for a long time, that was their approach to making pizzas.

I have tried Moretti's and while the pizza is good, it doesn't approach that next level of greatness.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

elakin wrote:Barnaby's pizza is well-known for its cornmeal crust. I frequent the Niles location, which I think is right up there with the best thin-crust in the Chicago area.

Barnaby's Family Inn
7950 N Caldwell Ave
Niles, IL 60714-3323
(847) 967-8600

I find the Northbrook location to be just as good and often better than Niles and the cornmeal is very much a part of their pizzas, too. There's more discussion about Barnaby's here.

You definitely can't go wrong at Pizano's, either but I'm not 100% sure they use cornmeal.

=R=

Barnaby's Family Inn - Northbrook
960 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, IL 60062-4005
(847) 498-3900

Sorry Eddie, I agree with Ronnie, Barnaby's of Northbrook wins over Niles for me too. I still think that Barnaby's is one of the best thin crust pizzas anywhere. I've had Barnaby's elsewhere that are not only nothing like the Northbrook (or Niles) recipes, but downright horrible pizza. So I can see why Barnaby's gets a bad rap from the other locations, or the many that closed. I don't remember Pizano's having cornmeal on the bottom.

Bottom of Barnaby's


Interesting thing about Q's Pizza, their cornmeal is a less coarse version than Barnaby's. I think Bill's Pizza in Mundelein has a little cornmeal on theirs as well.

Bill's Pizza and Pub
624 Lake St (US 45)
Mundelein IL
(847) 566-5380

And if you want to take a little ride, Wells Brothers Restaurant in Racine is another paper thin, cornmeal bottom beauty.

Bottom of Wells Brothers (courtesy of DaBeef)


Wells Brothers Restaurant
2148 Mead St
Racine, WI 53403
(262) 632-4408

Thanks for the pics of the pizza bottoms. Looks like a trip to Racine is in my future. The bottom of that crust looks just like that of Basta Pasta's!

Barnaby's has long been my favorite thin crust pizza... grew up going to the Northbrook location. Haven't been there in years, but introduced my wife to Barnaby's in Niles a couple years ago.

For other corn meal crusts, Tomato Head offers one somewhat similar to Barnaby's -- locations in Lincoln Park, West Loop and Wilmette.

Tomato Head West Loop is okay. For West Loop thin crust, it's one of the better options to get delivered. Few places compare to Coalfire nearby, of course, but they lack a delivery option, as far as I know. Tomato Head is much better when overcooked a bit, rather than under. It still pales in comparison to a Pizano's thin crust, but is a somewhat different beast, and is quite a bit cheaper. It hits the spot when I'm craving cornmeal crust without the price.

Tomato Head West Loop
http://gettomatohead.com/
945 W Randolph
Chicago, IL
312.226.1616

Ahhh the cornmeal on the bottom of the crust makes my long for Armand's in Elmwood Park (the Armand's of 20 years ago as well)

They put cornmeal on the bottom of the crust. I'd always ask for extra cornmeal. It raises the pie above the pan allowing a more crispy crust.

uncommon1 wrote:Thanks for the pics of the pizza bottoms. Looks like a trip to Racine is in my future. The bottom of that crust looks just like that of Basta Pasta's!

We have a thread about Wells Brothers in the Beyond Chicagoland Forum. There is something you should know first. It's not in the best neighborhood, so keep an open mind. The good news is that the parking lot is actually guarded by a police officer everyday which makes it safer than most places in any neighborhood. They tend to shut down before 9pm so don't go too late.
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