Gettin’ Carried Away

I feel very privileged to have lived in several different locations over the past few years. My first home away from home was situated in Rogers Park, on the North Side of Chicago. I was attending Loyola University, and I was living on my own for the first time. I may not have trekked across the ocean for my first year of college, but I was stuck a good hour or so away from my hometown, and I found myself lost in an unfamiliar place. Since I came home every weekend, and I only went to Loyola for one year, I have always considered myself a visitor, rather than a resident, of Rogers Park.

While the area might not be the highlight of the North Side, it is still a very well-located community, full of college-aged kids who are always looking for something amusing to do. The neighborhood is nestled in between the C.T.A. Red Line Loyola and Granville stops. Nearby, there are well-known grocery stores, chain restaurants and, best of all, little hole-in-the-wall shops and bistros that you would otherwise never know about unless you spent a great deal of time in Rogers Park.

My favorite restaurant near Loyola happens to be a yummy pizza joint by the name of Carmen’s. It’s just a three-minute walk north of the Loyola Red Line stop! Because the station is across the street from the college campus, I never would have found Carmen’s if I didn’t venture down the west side of Sheridan Road one day after class.

If you want to try some authentic Chicago-style pizza without emptying your wallet, this is the place where you want to dine! Located in downtown Evanston, Carmen’s specializes in making one of the Windy City’s most significant dishes.

Although the exterior is a little run-down, you must venture into this cozy restaurant to truly experience fine, yet inexpensive Chicago/Italian dining. More often than not, there is rarely a huge crowd, so at any given time, the place boasts plenty of space for you and 20 of your closest friends! The gleaming wood tables are intimately lit by soft glows emanating from charming green and gold sconces.

My usual order is a thin crust, sausage pizza. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get from the oven to your table, which isn’t bad at all! The cheese-to-sausage-to-sauce ratio is perfect. There is also just enough crust at the edge of the pie for you to easily hold each delectable slice. Side note: if you eat your pizza with a knife and fork, you might as well forget about coming to Carmen’s with me!

Thin crust. Stuffed Crust. Small. Large. Pepperoni. Sausage. Green Peppers. etc, etc, etc! You can order your pizza any way you want it! And if you have a hankering for other Italian favorites, the place also serves a variety of pastas and sandwiches. Dessert is an easy choice: cheese cake or a cannoli. YUM!