Roots Chef Series is Back and Better Than Ever

What do Dos Urban Cantina, Salero, Green Zebra, and Osteria Langhe have in common? Not only are they all exceptional, destination-worthy restaurants in their own rights, but their respective chefs are all participating in this month's Roots Chef Series, wherein guest chefs custom design pizzas at the West Town pizzeria and bar. Roots Handmade Pizza is calling in the big guns, drawing talent from across the city to concoct highly unique and exciting pizzas like never before. 

 

Roots Handmade Pizza

These specialty pizzas are available now through November 23. The Chef Series serves to showcase just how versatile pizza can truly be, far beyond the usual toppings like pepperoni and sausage and even into diverse cuisines like Spanish, Japanese and Mexican. 

Brian Enyart of Dos Urban Cantina showcases his flare for haute Mexican cuisine with his albondigas and tomatillo pizza. It’s made with chorizo meatballs (aka albondigas), tomatillo-chipotle pizza sauce, Chihuahua cheese, Quad Cities mozzarella blend, pickled red onion, avocado, cilantro leaves, and cilantro vinaigrette. 

Green Zebra’s David Chapman is on board with his squash and shiitake pizza, a lush homage to his vegetable-driven restaurant just down the street in West Town. For his pizza, the chef combines roasted squash, shiitake mushrooms, tomatillo salsa sauce, queso fresco, Quad Cities mozzarella blend, avocado, and cilantro. 

 

Roots Handmade Pizza


 
Be sure and try Salero’s contribution, courtesy of chef Ashlee Aubin. His is a Spanish-inspired chorizo and shishito pepper pizza made with kalamata olives, Manchego cheese, Quad Cities mozzarella blend, and Roots pizza sauce. 

Pizza gets even more Italian thanks to Cameron Grant of Osteria Langhe, who’s crafted a roasted pork belly and octopus pie for the occasion. Along with the meat and braised octopus, there’s San Marzano plum tomato sauce, fontina cheese, capers, sliced pepperoncini, chili flakes, arugula, and extra virgin olive oil.

Then there’s the lemongrass sausage pizza by Bill Kim of Urban Belly fame. It’s outfitted with Belly Fire sauce, cilantro, Quad Cities mozzarella blend, and Roots pizza sauce. 

This roster joins Roots Chef Series staples on the menu, which include the Antique Taco pizza by Rick Ortiz with chorizo chili, Brunkow cheddar cheese curds, Chihuahua cheese, Quad Cities mozzarella blend, pickled jalapenos, pickled onions, avocado cream, tortilla strips, black olives, and scallions.

- Matt Kirouac

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