Frato's Pizza, Schaumburg

While most restaurants boast about being a "community cornerstone" or "community-driven," few live it like Frato's Culinary Kitchen. This quick-service pizzeria employs young culinary students at the beginning of their careers through Frato's Culinary Trainee Program. This one-of-a-kind program invests in young culinary talent to provide them experience working in and managing a restaurant, eventually becoming Authentic Personal Chef's within Frato's catering department and culinary leaders throughout the community. With such a bevy of young talent, it's no surprise that the menu at Frato's boasts numerous made-from-scratch dishes and traditional cooking techniques, including its traditional stone pizza oven. Read on to discover some of the signature dishes that placed Frato's as one of the top independent restaurants according to Chicago's Best on WGN.

• Mozzarella sticks: A classic pizzeria staple, only these were named the "Best Mozz Sticks in the World" by Only in Illinois Magazine in 2017.
• Prime rib pizza: Slow cooked prime rib and red wine marinated mushrooms sleep beneath a layer of peppers and a shower of beef-infused fennel sauce.
• Bacon and Beef Burgers: Handmade patties ranging from turkey and chicken to veggie and Frato's specialty bacon-and-beef-blended burgers. Veggie and Salmon options are also on standby.