Olive Theory Pizzeria

The Chicago Foodie Sisters were invited recently to try out Olive Theory Pizzeria in Downers Grove for lunch. Olive Theory is a build-your-own pizza place where you can order a customized 11-inch pizza with anything on their ingredient buffet. Only one ingredient - prosciutto - has an upcharge. Other than that, you get unlimited toppings on your pizza for $7.99. You can also build your own pie-sandwich, which is similar to a calzone or build a salad. There are more than 45 sauces, cheeses, meats, veggies and finishes to choose from.

The eatery is cute and casual and a great place to grab a quick meal as pizzas cook in about 3 - 6 minutes, depending on the number of toppings, in a traditional brick oven. Since you can customize, it's also a great spot for a family meal so that you can get a plain cheese one for those picky eaters or load it up for a preschooler with an affinity for olives and ham. There are high chairs, booster seats and organic milk boxes to make it inviting for little ones.

While there's been a trend in recent years in the opening of casual spots focusing on individualized, quick pizzas, this one is family owned with one location and with a dedication to personalizing service so that every customer gets exactly what they're looking for and that ingredients are as fresh as they can possibly be. There are no preservatives used and the regular and whole wheat crust is hand-rolled fresh on site daily. A gluten-free crust option is also available that comes from an outside vendor to ensure that there is no accidental gluten crossover.

The pie-sandwich is a unique item that you can build that is a crust that is folded over, yet isn't completely closed as a calzone would be. There are three pie-sandwiches on the menu  and what really makes it stand out is the unique crunch that you get when the crust is brushed with Garlic Oil and seasoned with their signature Poseidon's Blessing spice mix - a blend of parmesan, oregano and sea salt.

Our creation - "The Big W" Pizza!

Five house pizzas are the menu, but it's so much fun to create your own based on what you like best. Becky and I made our way into the kitchen to check out the process and build-our-own. This is our perfect pie - we call it "The Big W" (what can we say, we are HUGE Cubs fans!) It was made with a regular crust brushed with garlic pesto and classic red sauce, then topped with mozzarella, provolone and feta with sausage (finely crumbled just they way we love it) and mushroom, baby spinach and tomato.  It was then drizzled with garlic olive oil and sprinkled with Poseidon's Blessing. We have a private party coming up to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Olive Theory and the 5-year anniversary of the Chicago Foodie Sisters food blog and this creation will be one of the items on the menu.

Owner John Kwok presents our custom made pizzas

We'd love to meet some of our followers and would like to invite one of you to the party to try out some of Olive Theory's menu items for yourself. If you'd like to attend, comment on this blog or on our Facebook page under the post with this blog entry. If there's more than one comment, we will randomly pick a winner and notify you asap with event details.

Oh, and can't forget to mention that they also have dessert pizzas - and we couldn't leave without giving one a try. We opted for the Chocolate Banana, which was delicious with a layer of Nutella, fresh bananas and whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar. They also have an Oreo Crumble variety and one with peanut butter and M & Ms.

Olive Theory has the motto, "Eat Well, Do Good" and they have a 1/10 Pledge, donating one pizza for every ten that you buy to charitable organizations that want to give back. The "theory" at Olive Theory is "to inspire and empower individuals through the love of food, learning & philanthropy." It's refreshing to find a place that is dedicated to giving back to the community it serves and you can feel good that your purchase does more than feed yourself.

So, if you're a pizza lover or looking for a casual spot to grab a quick lunch to go, keep Olive Theory in mind. And don't forget to enter to win an invite to our joint celebration by commenting on this blog post or on our FB post about Olive Theory.

Olive Theory Pizzeria

1400A Butterfield Rd.

Downers Grove, IL 

630-519-5152

OliveTheoryPizzeria.com

***We did receive a complimentary meal for the purpose of a review. We were not compensated for this post. All opinions are our own.