Elmhurst pizzeria delivers pleasant pies, cheerful service

Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen, but — whether run-of-the-mill or legitimately delish — they have staying power. Piazza di Pizza in Elmhurst, located in a cheery, yellow and wood-walled storefront downtown, falls somewhere in between, with a familiar lineup of wood-burning, oven-turned pizzas, salads dressed in sprightly vinaigrettes, and classic pastas and proteins.

Decked in combination of tables and sweeping booths along the perimeter of the small space, its walls are adorned with art and photos and large, looming light fixtures light the area. What takes up a lot of room, though, is the open kitchen, where its signature pizzas are popped in the oven. In summer, patio seating expands options at the jovial, family- and group-friendly place.

As for the menu, expect a rustic lineup from “the boot.” As such, we started with an order of soppli alla Romana, fried Arborio rice balls, stuffed with a mixture of sirloin and peas, alongside bright, tangy red sauce. Crisp, without being greasy, their gooey cheese center was hard to resist. The chewy-enough rice was perfectly cooked.

Sharing menu space in this category are plates of Italian sausage with garlicky rapini; a caprese salad that's bumped up with roasted peppers, olives and a drizzle of balsamic reduction; and lightly battered calamari.

Instead, though, we opted for Mela salad and were very glad we did. The large, certainly shareable plate held a mixture of crunchy hearts of Romaine, tart Granny Smith apples, sweet, dried cranberries, walnuts and big chunks of Gorgonzola tied together by lightly creamy balsamic vinaigrette.

There are six salad options total, from a classic Caesar to one with bold roasted peppers, squash, eggplant and radicchio.

The pizza options number 16, from a classic Margherita to a version topped with fior di latte mozzarella, sausage and mushrooms. There are also biache (red sauce-free) takes. We, however, settled on the Diavola, a spicy red-sauced number with hot salami and crushed red pepper. When it arrived in its cloak of cheese, it looked limp, but the pleasantly chewy crust was anything but.

Among pastas, we enjoyed the rigatoni vodka, its creamy sauce just acidic enough and its portion large enough for two meals beyond. Other choices include bucatini Amatriciana and pesto-sauced farfalle with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and walnuts.

The least enjoyable dish we chose was the pollo limone, if only because its lemon sauce lacked punch. Add another spurt and it may be been a different story. However, it — and the vibrant steamed veg alongside — wasn't exactly bad.

Desserts are limited, but the lemon sorbet proves a refreshing scoop finale, and the light, airy tiramisu is definitely something worth making room for. There's also chocolate cake, along with a selection of hazelnut, chocolate and vanilla ice gelato.

The restaurant has a full, but limited bar, and an Italian-centric wine list with several options by the glass. Overall, it's priced slightly higher than I'd expect from a neighborhood place.

All in all, this pizza and pasta purveyor does its job and does it well. Service is friendly, if paced for conversation, and the food delivers on a promise. I'm not sure it's something you'd drive the distance for since — odds are — there's something similar in your own 'hood.

Ÿ Reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

Piazza di Pizza

105 S. York St., Elmhurst

(630) 279-2323, <a href="http://www.piazzidipizza.co" target="_blank">piazzidipizza.co</a>

<b>Cuisine: </b>Italian

<b>Setting: </b>Cheery, jovial storefront

<b>Entrees: </b>$8.95 to $15.95

<b>Winter hours: </b>4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday