Gino’s East River North reinvents itself. Henceforth a microbrewer of craft beer…

Eat It Like a Man! 1st ed. See related article in  DNAinfo Chicago.

…you can get an awesome draught here. If you’re not in a deep-dish mood, or traditional pizza is more your style, or if you crave beef jerky… Dude! They’ve got some options worth your while!

Gino’s East River North

Grand Opening Event

Feb 7, 2014

♣

From Molise PR, via CFB:

A Chicago institution since 1966 reinvents itself as Gino’s East River North with mastered favorites like Chicago-style deep dish pizza and innovative new culinary options, craft beer and premium spirits. Their new location is historic: a building that once powered the city’s cable car system.

Vintage Gino’s East

Grand Opening Event

Gino’s East, 500 N Lasalle St, Chicago

The folks at Gino’s East were kind enough to offer Jeff the Chef the courtesy of attending a grand opening event last night at their new downtown location, 500 N Lasalle. JC doesn’t attend these things without his one-man entourage, Randy (miLam’s IT consultant and chief wingman). But enough backchat. Let’s do this.

Andres Araya, 5 Rabbit Cervecería

I had two satisfying beers

I had a “5 Rabbit” American blonde ale (5 Rabbit Cervecería, Chicago) and an “Elliot Ness” Vienna lager (Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland).  The ale was light and tasty. The sweetness of the malt was balanced by the briskness of the hops, both of which were subdued, making this beer easy to enjoy. The lager was a nice follow-up to the ale. Beautiful amber, clean, well-defined flavor profile that allows the hops to shine. Great Lakes is a prominent regional craft brewery. Unless you’re the kind of Chicagoan who drinks PBR for the irony, I’d be surprised if you haven’t had a Great Lakes brew. The 5 Rabbit and the Elliot Ness are both on tap at Gino’s East River North. By the way, they’re installing an in-house brewery, due by May.

River North

Diavola!

Now let’s talk food, and let’s get right to the point. We’re talking Gino’s East. Thus, that I mopped those beers up with pizza won’t surprise you. But what may is that it was thin-crust pizza. Gino’s East is synonymous with Chicago-style deep-dish, but I’m a pizza traditionalist. I won’t go Jon Stewart on you, but traditional is my preference. Randy and I sampled ^[1] a traditional-style thin-crust pepperoni pizza they call “Diavola,” which had a fiendishly spicy pepperoni – of the caliber that would corrupt even a Lakeview vegetarian – balanced by a tasty tomato sauce and a chiffonade of basil. Oh, and as if you needed to be bribed, they top it off with white truffle oil.^[2] This is the pizza that will take you down. After you’ve had your first slice, it’s just one long, slow ride to eating nothing but Diavola. That plus the craft beers, I’m all in.

Notes:

Next Up:

It’s been so cold for so long, that my meatloaf is living in a igloo.

Igloo Meatloaf