If you're going to hang out at a place that has specialty cocktails featuring easy-to-drink liquor like mango vodka and St. Germain; more than a dozen craft draft beers; and Jameson on tap, there is going to come a point in the evening when you're going to want a pizza.
The Boiler Room, a new bar and pizzeria in Logan Square, has you covered. Owner Russ Grant, who also owns Simone's Bar and Streetside Café, said his vision for his latest venture is to create "a great tavern that also serves food." The entire California Avenue space is fashioned out of reclaimed materials. The seats on the bar stools are made from old fire hoses, elementary school desks are repurposed as tables, the bathroom doors are real New York subway doors, and I'm pretty sure the light fixtures were created using overhead bins from airplanes. Even without a drink list to suit any taste, occasion or mood, the clever décor makes this place a "great tavern"but the best part is that, unlike at a lot of bars, the food here isn't an afterthought.
Chef Cody Butler perfected his craft at upscale restaurants in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, and most recently worked at Aldino's here in Chicago. Butler's gourmet training is subtly evident in his pizza concoctions. All of the pizzas are super-thin with crisp bubbled crust on the edgesthe kind you could fold in half and eat off of a paper plate on a street corner in New York. But, far from your standard cheese and pepperoni, Butler's pizzas delight with unexpected toppings like pulled pork, mole sauce and Chihuahua cheese, all of which you will find on the "Logan," a fantastic pie topped with crispy fried onions.
I predict that the namesake "Boiler Room" will sell like gangbusters right around last call. Topped with not-too-spicy giardinera and PBR-marinated meatballs, this pizza is guaranteed to satisfy a lot of post-cocktail cravings.
Speaking of cocktails, if you want to wash down your pizza with something other than beer, Boiler Room's kitschy specialty drinks are a good alternative. Just for the novelty of it, try the "1988," a cool, creamy mixture of rum, Absolut vanilla and Van Gogh espresso. It's served in a champagne coupe with a "shot" of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, which will bring you right back to the breakfast table of your childhood ( assuming your mom served vodka with breakfast ) .
The Boiler Room is at 2210 N. California; 773-276-5625.