Connie's Pizza
www.conniespizza.com1170 Iroquois Ave
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 753-9633
Get directions
We went to Connie's Pizza the night before my birthday, February 7th, 2009.
We were on our way out to see a move at Classic Cinemas' Ogden 6 theater, which is across Iroquois Avenue from Connie's.
We'd never been to this particular Connie's location before, and to be honest we stopped in out of of convenience because of where we were going and how much time we had available. What a lucky break that was!
The interior decor at Connie's is kind of Northwoods campy - old license plates fron Alaska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, etc. Canoes, stuffed brown bears, chain saw-carved bears, life-sized. Old fishing photos. Pine furniture. In three words, relaxed and comfortable. Very.
I felt de-stressed there, almost as if I were on vacation.
The server was a pleasant young fellow named Justin with a great attitude, who was attentive without being interruptive. That is an art a lot of wait staff could stand to learn. We had everything we needed in a timely fashion, and even though we had to be at the theater on time, we never felt rushed.
We were seated in an area that was half under ground level, with a windowed upper half wall looking out on a planted area of the grounds. It was like sitting inside a woodsy terrarium. Pleasant.
On the menu for my wife:
Fountain root beer and a spinach calzone with fresh fruit on the side.
On the menue for me:
Bruschetta to start.
Iced tea and a Sicilian club panini sandwich.
We were served also a shared round loaf of Italian flatbread with butter while waiting. (I wouldn't have minded a bit if they'd put out olive oil for dipping as an alternative to butter. I grew up with Italian grandparents and I like the healthy alternative, especially if you throw a bit of Italian herb seasoning in the olive oil.)
The food was absolutely wonderful, from the bread and bruschetta to the sandwiches and fruit.
The bruschetta was particularly good, a unique blend of tomato, vinegar & oil, spices, and kalamata olives diced. It's a unique recipe and the toasted flats they serve with it are wonderful and plentiful. There's easily enough for four people. I took the remainder home for later.
The Sicilian panini was over the top. It absolutely rocked.
Since this was actually my birthday dinner, we asked if they do anything for birthday diners. They do include a free dessert, and I'd have had my choice. However, a man at the table next to us ordered coffee, and it smelled so good that I actually traded my dessert for a cup of coffee. I dearly love fine coffee, and this did not dissapoint.
Odering off the non-pizza menu, the food was so good, it was like buying a 45rpm vinyl recording and finding that the B-side song was even better than the A-side.
In all, we had a wonderful meal in a pleasant environment with great service, and I left in a glowing mood despite having been awake over twenty four hours because of my Friday work schedule.
Order # 256334
Rating: Connie's Naperville location is a rock-solid four-star establishment. The only thing missing from five stars is the fancy-schmancy decor and gourmet food. Wait - I would've been really stressed to have to dress up for a fine dinner and struggling to meet my movie schedule. I loved the campy decor and the food, and the service. They overcame. I'm giving them a five.
*****
Thank you for reading.
Dan Stafford
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