6521 120th AvenueFinding a place to relax and get a good meal after long days at the ice rink is always important when we travel for figure skating.
We spent a long weekend in Southern Wisconsin a few weeks ago when L competed in the Southport Summer Classic at the Pleasant Prairie Rec Plex. Friday was kind of an easier day for L but it went early in to the evening. L was the last of her coach’s skaters to compete so when she was done, the whole team went looking for food.
We ended up at R’Noggin Brewing Company after I stumbled upon it while somewhat lost earlier in the afternoon. It looked good to me, but I like breweries. I wasn’t sure if everyone else would be on board.
The brewery itself doesn’t have a kitchen but there’s a pizza food truck permanently on site. That menu looked good to everyone so that’s where we headed.
Antioch Pizza Shop’s Kenosha location is on 120th Avenue right next to I-94/41 on the property of R’Noggin Brewing. The food truck is a trailer set up near the entrance to the parking lot before you actually get to the brewery building.
There was a big group of us that all walked up at the same time to order. The menu, which is mostly pizza but also has some sandwiches, some salads, wings, and an Italian beef, is hanging next to the order window.
The three of us couldn’t agree on one pizza so we went a little over board. I assumed J and L would share a pizza but was in insistent she was hungry and was going to eat the whole thing (ha….that was a lie), but we gave in and got three small pizzas. J got a plain cheese, L got a pepperoni, and I got Italian beef and giardiniera.
The lady taking orders warned me it could be close to an hour before we got the pizza since they just got a bunch of orders (mostly from our group). I said it was fine. We weren’t in a rush. She handed us the buzzer as I paid the $45 bill.
It didn’t quite take an hour before the buzzer went off. I went to grab the three pizza boxes then passed them out. L was sitting at a different table with her friends so I got her set up before digging in to my pizza.
The pizza from Antioch Pizza is “Chicago Pub Style Crispy Thin Crust.” I will die on this hill. *THIS* is true “Chicago-style” pizza….not that deep dish touristy stuff. The tavern pizza is what Chicagoans actually eat and you can find it any good tavern/pub/bar around the city. When J’s parents lived in the Chicago suburbs, we got Palermo’s 95th on a regular basis and when I go to the White Sox game with the guys every year, we end up at Vito & Nick’s.
My pizza was Italian beef and giardiniera. This is by far my favorite pizza toppings and it’s something you can only seem to get in the Chicago area. It’s such an amazing combination…..but Italian beef is also my favorite sandwich. The 12″ pizza is covered with a thick, sweet sauce, a ton of cheese and slices of beef cover most of the pizza. There was large chunks of hot pickled veggies underneath and on top of the cheese that lit my mouth on fire every couple of bites. The pizza was greasy but there was a lot going on. I was hungry and I probably ate too fast because the pizza was hot and my hands were greasy, but it was good I couldn’t put it down. I was stuffed but also disappointed when it was gone because I didn’t want to stop eating.
J’s pizza was much simpler but it was exactly the kind of pizza she likes. Crispy crust, golden brown cheese and a sweet pizza sauce. She raved about this pizza comparing it Palermo’s…her all time favorite pizza.
As for L, yeah, she ate about half of the pizza after throwing a fit about wanting her own. That was fine. I had breakfast the next day. She and L could have easily shared a pizza as they both ate about half, but I’m not going to complain too much about having too much delicious pizza.
Antioch Pizza Shop was a great find. I noticed the bright red food truck when I drove by earlier in the day and thought, I bet that place is cool. It totally was. The beer from R’Noggin was delicious and the pizzas from Antioch were fantastic. It was a great night to sit outside and listen to some music while enjoying the summer evening.