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

Article by: Rick Nelson , Star Tribune
Updated: 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.

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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.

HOMEMADE PIZZA CO.

11313 Hwy. 7, Minnetonka, 952-933-1100 and 830 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-404-6404, www.home madepizza.com

Hours: Open 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.