It's finally here: the long-awaited Costco visit. Oh, it was just me that had been waiting this time to check out this pizza?

I've heard about it often but didn't have easy access to a Costco card until moving in with Dani, so on Sunday we packed up and headed to Costco with a plan: hit the food court before shopping (and filling up on free samples) so I could finally get a taste of this pie.

My first feeling on getting in line was confusion - there was no clear line, and seeming chaos behind the counter, but we eventually managed to shout out that we wanted two pieces of cheese pizza. It was just coming out of the oven, so it was super fresh, which was a good sign. Excitedly, I grabbed some waters and we found the place we would take on these slices. 

The cheese on it was globby in a great way - not too much, and melted exactly right. To be honest, I didn't have very high hopes - I don't typically like really soft or doughy crusts, which this pizza hast. I was super surprised when I bit into it, though!

 

Can you identify the source of this #pizza? #desidoespizza #chicago #windycitybloggers #food

A post shared by Desi (@desidoespizza) on Jun 11, 2017 at 11:31am PDT

The crust wasn't insufferably doughy, and it was a nice partner to the cheese, which is really the star of this show. The sauce wasn't too seasoned, and its nice flavor sits back to let the crust and cheese be the focus. 

If I can figure out the confusion at the ordering counter, the next Costco trip will definitely include another pre-shop snack here!

I've been sitting on this review for a little while, because the food was so good it made me a little emotional. I wanted to wait awhile to revisit it so I could savor it again after some mediocre pizza. Last summer long after Chicago fever had set in big time, my roommate Dani sent me one of those food videos that litter our Facebook messages. This time, though, rather than a recipe, it was for a restaurant. And by restaurant, I mean it looked better than heaven. 

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company is a little hole-in-the-wall brownstone in Lincoln Park. They're only open for dinner service on weeknights and for brunch and dinner on weekends and they fill up FAST - when Dani's family went on move-in day back in January, their wait was almost two hours. The intern and I went in early March - we arrived right at opening and still had a 45 minute wait. 

Wood paneled walls and low lighting screamed 1970s, and it even looked a little Cheers-like. We waited in the (packed) bar area and tried to wait patiently for the man to come over and seat us. Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company doesn't take names or reservations - just a host that remembers every party and seats them in turn. They feature a simple menu and don't take too many customizations, because the pizza pot pies are made in advance. In addition to the pot pies they're known for, their mediterranean bread is also the most popular appetizer. We were ready to order before our server even came by.

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With all the pizza products in the world, of course there's a lot of pizza fashion! Today's post explores home decor - ways you can display your pizza pride around the house, obviously or subtly. 

Boxer & Pizza framed print: Those who follow my personal Instagram account know that I love boxers (well, one in particular, but all of them are so nice and snuggly.) I stumbled upon this art on Society 6 and you can get it on anything from a shower curtain to a rug, but there's a special spot on our gallery wall that I think this print would do just fine. 

After This We're Getting Pizza yoga mat: You might not consider a yoga mat traditional "home decor," but I leave my yoga mat all the time as inspiration that I can't escape. (After all, with the amount of pizza I eat, I have to do a little extra work to keep that #pizzabody!) I have loved this ban.do line since it came out around my birthday last year - it's almost like they knew.

Neon Sign: I don't know what it is about neon signs that I love so much, but anytime we drive past a neon sign store in Chicago, I flail wildly and want to go on a shopping spree. In Brooklyn, we would often pass a pizza shop that had its name in neon symbols, and I lusted thinking how cute that would be in my house. Someday, I will have one of these signs at home.

Plush Pizza Pillow: My mama llama takes really good care of me, and continues to feed my pizza passion even though I'm out of the house. She gave me this pizza pillow for Valentine's Day (pizza is my soulmate, after all) and it's nice to cuddle up with it on the couch, light the fire, and settle in for a nice marathon of true crime TV. With Walmart's new two-day free shipping, you too can be snuggling in record time! 

Pepperoni Pizza Queen Duvet Cover With Red Pepper And Parmesan Pillow Shams: This is the dream: a pizza duvet and condiment shams. Can you imagine the saucy dreams you'd have between these sheets?

Handmade Pizza Lighter and Pizza Candle: I can't stand a house without candles lit, and this combo will let you feel like there's a pizza in your oven all the time! 

Pizza Love Art Print: Etsy is so full of cute pizza prints, I would be hard pressed to select just one. This pizza with hearts is super cute, though, and it matches my office colors, so it's ranking at the top of my "loved" products there for sure! 

Do you pay tribute to your pizza affection around the house? Share your favorites with us in the comments! 

I've talked about Old Style's Pizza Summit before, and I have a chance to go! Vote for me here - the pizza eaters with the most votes will win a pair of tickets! 

This was originally posted on my lifestyle blog, A Northern Girl, for my 2016 gift guide. You should share the pizza love all year long, though!
  We’re just a few weeks out from Christmas, and in the crunch for wrapping up the holiday shopping lists! If you’re feeling stuck on gift ideas, I’ve put together a week of ideas to help you get inspired. It's no secret that I love pizza - especially if you follow me on Instagram, where I recently started a hashtag to document all the slices I've been taking in. Chances are about 100% that you also have a pizza lover in your life, so here are some gift ideas for the aficionado in you love!

ban.do After This We're Getting Pizza yoga mat: I've been super obsessed with this line since I first saw it at Paper Source last winter. I have the water bottle, and in the new year I'm getting back to my gym rat ways - what better inspiration than the thought of pizza staring me in the face as I struggle through a yoga class? Pizza
Blanket: I'm in love with this, and need it desperately. This giant pizza shaped blanket (with heart-shaped pepperonis!!!) is even on mega-sale, all the way down to $25. The perfect size to cuddle up with on the couch, a pizza box, and a good TV binge.
Cassette Tape Pizza Cutter: Perfect for the music and pizza lover (like me,) I saw this little guy in a record store and thought it was so funny! It would look great in a kitchen next to one of my favorite kitchen utensils, drumstick-ended wooden spoons.
NY By the Slice Map: I wish I had heard about this company before I went to New York a few weeks ago. This map features 40 of NYC's best pizzerias according to the NY Pizza Project, and I can only hope my dear Anna Maria's made the list - I've been dreaming out those slices every day since I left.
Pizza Bikini: Some people might argue that in order to attain the perfect beach body, you might want to lay off the pizza. I wholeheartedly disagree - I think it should be embraced to the point that you wear it to the ocean. Plus, it could probably be a great icebreaker, resulting in a pizza date!
Pizza Seat Cushion: Get a cushion to go along with your pizza blanket - though this is built to be a seat cushion for dining room chairs, I bet you could just as easily snuggle up with it in your arms.
Pkew Pkew Pkew - Self Titled Album: I started listening to Pkew Pkew Pkew earlier this year when I heard their song "Let's Order A Pizza," which caught my ear and hasn't let go yet. The vinyl doesn't appear to come in a pizza colorway (a real missed opportunity) but both the physical and digital album are great listening for your next pizza party.

Honestly, I could go on and on with pizza gift suggestions, but I'll refrain ? are you always gung ho for a slice, or are your friends sick of hitting the pizzeria with you for the third time this week?

I was on Canada's Newstalk 1010's The Night Side last night - if you missed it, listen below!

Every party needs a great soundtrack, but a great pizza party requires a more specific set of tracks. Pizza rock is a small (but important) genre, and I highly recommend considering adding these jams to your next playlist!

Daddy Issues, "Pizza Girl" - I might be biased, but this is the greatest pizza song to date. Check out the rest of Daddy Issues' catalog while you're at it (I'm especially a fan of "Creepy Girl.")


Pkew Pkew Pkew, "Let's Order a Pizza" - I've been obsessed with Pkew Pkew Pkew since I first heard them, and as a warning, this song will be stuck in your head for weeks. A great anthem for for those of us who suffer from hanger, this song encourages a pre-dinner pizza, of which I'm always a fan.


Pizza Underground, "Cheese Days" - A 90's child star forming a tribute band about pizza? Sign. Me. Up. It's everything I love. My deepest Pizza Underground regret? Missing their show at Mercy Lounge when I lived in Nashville. There's nothing better than mowing down on a slice during a show! 


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, "Pizza Power" - An anthem of my youth, to be honest. Their love of pizza is, I would safely guess, at least 89% of the Turtles huge (and enduring) success. Who didn't want to scarf down pizza with Michaelangelo? I still want to.

 

Dean Martin, "That's Amore" - The track that truly expresses how I feel about pizza. Every love of my life will be compared to the feeling I get when I lay my eyes on that Spanky's buffet! 

And of course, the seminal classic, Gimme Pizza! 

What's on your perfect pizza playlist?

Hey! I'm Desi. I really, really like pizza. I first started cataloging my pizza thoughts using an Instagram hashtag to create a kind of scrapbook of cheese, tomato and crust, but I've found myself with a little more to say. Stop by every Tuesday and Thursday for pizza reviews and other news!