La Coco's Pizza & Pasta, Chicago

For more than 26 years, the LaCoco family has piled crusts with fresh toppings and served house-made italian ice and sandwiches. Beginning with thin, pan, or deep-dish crusts and 19 toppings, LaCoco's pie tossers craft all manner of regional pizza styles, including gourmet specialty pizzas that bury nontraditional toppings in melted cheese, such as the BLT or buffalo-chicken pizza. LaCoco's recently-added large dining room better hosts larger parties and standard-issue pizza launchers. For off-site occasions, the restaurant proffers a catering menu of hearty Italian entrees.