Pizza and a pint: Riverside brings winning formula to South Elgin
How do you set yourself apart from the crush of new restaurants opening every month? Brian Panozzo, one of the owners of South Elgin's Riverside Pizza & Pub, says "make your own food with plenty of flavor as an alternative to standard fare."
Surrounded by corporate chain restaurants, the casual spot - open since late June - must be filling a void because it's packed nearly every night.
Motif: Riverside Pizza & Pub is just that - a pizza pub as opposed to sports bar, although there are a half-dozen or so large televisions broadcasting games and two pool tables offering friendly competition.
Food: If "pizza" is in the eatery's name, ordering a pie is a pretty good bet and most tables succumb to the enticing scent wafting through the space. When Panozzo says he doesn't skimp on ingredients, that's not an exaggeration. You won't get flecks of toppings, but complete coverage. For example, many restaurants use cooked sausage that's frozen which ekes out flavor. Riverside's kitchen caps the pie with sausage in its raw state, so the spices bloom aboard the housemade sauce. Pies exit the ovens with crusts that are thin, gluten-free, double crust, pan and Chicago style pan (they're all half-price for dine-in on Tuesdays).
Full half-pound burgers are popular and the salads are a substantial bowl of veggies and fixings.
Wings keep the kitchen humming, too: The sizable flappers are hand-seasoned, breaded and baked in house. Come by on a Thursday night and try them for 50 cents a pop. Riverside Pasta blends penne, sautéd bacon, spinach and vodka sauce and the pub's surf and turf consists of a half pound of Panko breaded fried shrimp with a half rack of ribs. Get it with the house made cole slaw which manages to be a nice combo of creamy and tart.
Riverside gets creative with a burger and pizza of the month, too. How about a Coney Dog pizza featuring beanless chili, slices of 100 percent Angus franks, cheese, a sprinkle of raw diced onion and a drizzle of mustard?
Liquid consumption: Two buck domestic drafts and a kids-eat-free promotion attract diners on Monday while grape consumers are keen on the half-off wine (glasses and bottles) on Wednesday. Panozzo thinks you'll go for his Bloody Mary on Sunday ($5) that sports sturdy seasoning and a splash of Guinness. Well drinks go for $3 on Thursdays. The pub likes to feature hyper-local craft beers (currently some from Crystal Lake and Forest Park) in rotation, plus all the staples.
Service: We found Riverside's staff attentive and friendly.
Crowd: With 1,500 homes in subdivisions behind the eatery, expect to see lots of families and kids in the late afternoon and early evening. Later, the lights dim and couples and friends fill the bar and tables for cocktails and vittles.
Music: The South Elgin pub will give live acoustic music a go Saturday nights beginning in January.
Parking: Riverside is tucked away in an area of rolling strip malls, so it's never an issue.
Overall: The owners' first outpost, in St. Charles, is located along the Fox River, hence the name. While the new spot lacks water views, it offers a great choice for pizza and a pint.
Riverside Pizza & Pub
456 Redington Drive, South Elgin, (224) 227-7744,
riversidepizzapub.comHours: 10:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday