FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Almost hidden in plain sight along Lopez Jaena Street in Jaro is an unassuming pizza joint. At first, it seems to proudly announce its specialty – Chicago Style Pizza but a closer look would reveal it’s actually the name of the restaurant. Initially, it never sparked my interest but when a fellow blogger, “Inday Hami” (www.iloveiloilo.com) revealed some very interesting notes (aside from her good reviews of the pizza), I became curious and wondered what makes a Chicago-style pizza different from all other pizzas. A Chicago-style pizza is a deep-dish pizza style developed in Chicago, USA in 1943. It has a buttery crust up to three inches tall at the edge, slightly higher than the large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce, acting as a large bowl. “And unlike most pizzas, it cannot be folded and usually cannot be eaten with hand.” answers Father Espiridion Celis, owner of the pizzeria. Father Boy as he is fondly called, is among the most familiar faces of the clergy in Iloilo City...

Almost hidden in plain sight along Lopez Jaena Street in Jaro is an unassuming pizza joint. At first, it seems to proudly announce its specialty – Chicago Style Pizza . But a closer look reveals it’s actually the name of the restaurant which aside from pizza, also serves pasta and hotdogs. But I never really got interested despite the claim but my curiosity was heightened when a fellow blogger - Inday Hami , revealed some very interesting info aside from her good reviews of the pizza. Yet I still wasn't able to drop since it operated only by delivery then and it's only within the city. But a few months back I was surprised to see that they've opened small space for the dine-in crowd and finally I was able to squeeze some time to visit the place one cloudy afternoon. I was the only customer that time - minutes past their opening, and the place was purposedly opened for me. They have a limited menu from five pizza variants to three pastas and a hotdog sandwich, all paying hom...