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Libertyville's Pizzeria DeVille surprises with wood-fired pizza, intricate menu

Pizzeria DeVille in downtown Libertyville is fine cuisine in a local eatery costume.

Local ingredients and intricate menu items are augmented by a hefty craft beer list and a large wine selection. This is a friendly, laid-back restaurant where you feel like a regular even if it's your first time. Pizza from the wood-burning grill is accompanied by traditional Italian appetizers and flatbreads, and the scent of fresh-baked goodies wafts through the restaurant. The fire's fuel sits stacked in the middle of the dining room, lending to the eatery's rustic atmosphere.

For appetizers, we sampled the Spicy Beet Salad, Meatballs al Forno, Sirloin Bacon cheddar Sliders, Salumi DeVille and two types of bruschetta.

To me, beets and soft cheese together are a no-brainer and Pizzeria DeVille took it to a new level with slow-roasted beets, pickled red onion, spicy cherry pepper relish, ricotta, toasted walnuts, arugula, olive oil and a Zinfandel vinaigrette. And yes, “spicy” is in all caps on the menu for a reason. This little salad will give you a lasting burn if you're not careful. Have water on standby. The dish has a lot of intense flavors, but the balance is just right.

For both the Meatballs al Forno (meat mixed with pecorino and Romano, served with chopped basil, tomato sauce and flatbread) and the Sirloin Bacon cheddar Sliders (little burgers made with beef, bacon and cheddar, served on Hawaiian rolls with your choice of sauce), the meat was tender and the flavoring subtle. And they were versatile — the meatballs would be just as delicious on a bomber, in pasta or on their own.

The Salumi DeVille was a wooden platter of soppressata picante, salami calabrese, coppa, aged beef bresaola and prosciutto. On a typical salumi plate, the meats tend to be dry and hard, but these were easy to bite and packed with flavor. Make sure to ask which is which, though; by looks alone, they're hard to distinguish.

The bruschetta was a true gourmet affair. We ordered two kinds: one with whipped ricotta, chopped olives, pistachios, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper; the other with anchovies, roasted cauliflower, garlic lemon and parsley. On both, the stronger flavors overpowered, whether it was a bit too much olive or prevailing lemon. But the combinations were quite good and enough to entice me to try any of the seven other options during my next visit.

Our dinners were the Drunken Pork Flatbread sandwich, Pulled Chicken Pesto pizza, Queen's Pizza and the Motorino Omaggio pizza. The flatbread sounded amazing: Italian-seasoned pulled pork, roasted garlic spread, fontina, baby arugula and a vodka sauce, but the sad reality was flavorless pork, too much arugula and, basically, just a folded-in-half pizza. The sandwich comes with slaw and chips and they much improve the sandwich if you pile everything on.

The Pulled Chicken Pesto pizza with roasted Amish chicken, caramelized onions, pecorino, mozzarella, tomato sauce and pesto fared better. We were surprised by the largeness of the chicken chunks, but the meat was flavored well and moist. I would have liked more few more dollops of pesto, but overall this was a great pie with ample toppings.

If you like caprese salad, get the Queen's Pizza. It's more or less caprese (mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato sauce) on a crust. Simple and delicious.

The Motorino Omaggio was far and away my favorite pizza. It has thick-cut bacon, brussels sprouts leaves, garlic, olive oil, pecorino, mozzarella and a balsamic reduction. Anything that can replicate the taste of brussels sprouts and bacon on the grill is a winner in my book. Add in the balsamic, and you have a beautiful combination of comfort food and a delightful burst of unexpected tanginess.

Dessert was limited — the only options were a Nutella pizza or tiramisu. We left the tiramisu for next time. Nutella lovers will swoon over this pizza. You can smell it coming, like a mixture of French silk pie and hot chocolate. The Nutella is warm and gooey and has powdered sugar sprinkled on top. As an added bonus and delicious complement to the hazelnut spread, you can have it served with pistachios and extra Nutella on the side, which is a perfect dip for the crust.

Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

Meet Libertyville man who gave up banking to make pizza

  Have a glass of water on hand if you order the beet salad Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville. The menu calls it spicy, and that's no lie. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Meatballs al Forno is one of the starters at Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  A pizza comes out of the wood-burning oven at Pizzeria DeVille. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Pizzeria DeVille's dining room welcomes diners with its casually rustic atmosphere. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  A pizza cooks under a flame in the wood-fired oven at Libertyville's Pizzeria DeVille. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Nutella pizza ends the night on a sweet note. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  John Durning opened Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville in 2014. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Meatballs cook near the fire at Pizzeria DeVille. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville opened in 2014. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Pizzeria DeVille's Motorino Omaggio pizza comes with bacon, Brussels sprout leaves and a balsamic reduction. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Have a glass of water on hand if you order the beet salad. The menu calls it spicy, and that's no lie. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com

Pizzeria DeVille

404 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 367-4992 (36-PIZZA), <a href="http://www.pizzeriadeville.com/">pizzeriadeville.com</a>

<b>Cuisine:</b> Wood-fired pizza

<b>Setting:</b> Casually rustic

<b>Entrees:</b> $11-$18

<b>Winter hours:</b> 4 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday

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