Now Open: Take-and-bake HomeMade Pizza is fresh, crisp and tasty

The HomeMade Pizza Co. has done the impossible: It has made me a believer in bake-at-home pizzas.

By Rick Nelson, Star Tribune

Last update: November 14, 2007 - 3:30 PM

The HomeMade Pizza Co. has done the impossible: It has made me a believer in bake-at-home pizzas.

The small-but-growing Chicago-based chain really nails it. Inside their pristine white-and-stainless steel shops, cheerful crews work on a made-to-order basis, quickly piling obviously fresh ingredients on 12- and 14-inch dough rounds before wrapping it all up for the drive home. You crank your oven to 425 degrees, slide the 'za (which bakes on handy parchment paper) straight on a rack and 10 to 15 minutes later you've got an exceptional no-fuss dinner.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the oven door and caught a glimpse of the finished product: The crust was thin, crispy and beautifully blistered. The taste was right up there too. I loved the snappy Italian sausage with the sweet caramelized onions and bits of sage, the Margherita finished with roasted garlic and the cilantro-flecked barbecue chicken variation. Customers can also build their own combos, culling from more than 40 ingredient options. Prices average $14 for a 12-inch pizza, $16.50 for 14-inchers.

Salads ($4 to $6) are fresh and vibrant, and desserts ($5) include a half-dozen flavors of Chicago's first-rate Bobtail Ice Cream as well as giant sugar and chocolate chip bake-'em-yourself cookies. Look for additional locations in St. Paul (1700 Grand Av.) and Apple Valley (Cedar Av. S. and 150th St.) to open soon. You'll probably run into me.