If you want an authentic taste of the past, order a pie from Aurelio's, a joint that's been firing up the pizza ovens since 1959. Forget your goat cheese, kalamata olive and arugula topped pies -- this is what baby boomers and beyond were weaned on -- Chicago style pizza with homemade dough that results in a light, thin, crispy crust, freshly seasoned sausage and a famous, slightly sweet pizza sauce. Papa Joe Aurelio's idea was to keep it simple, so you'll find a menu of basically pizza, pasta and sandwiches, but an abundance of choices within those delicious parameters: 27 thin and thick crust pizza choices in sizes from a 6-inch "lil" to an mammoth "fiesta," stuffed pizza, the patented Mama Aurelio's Spinach Calabrese (fresh spinach marinated in "secret" seasonings, then baked with sauce and part-skim mozzarella cheese inside a closed crust), a few traditional salads, spaghetti and ravioli and sandwiches like Italian beef, subs and meat ball. The flagship location in Homewood offers a cavernous dining area on three levels under 30-foot ceilings, antique stained glass and a gazebo smack dab in the center of it all. Even though the space seats 650, it retains a warm, familial feel. Try to snag a seat in the outdoor garden area in the summer for a more bucolic backdrop to your intake of old fashioned pizza. Aurelio's must be doing something right -- there are now 41 locations in five states.

Categories: Caterers, Restaurants, Pizza, Restaurants-Pizza

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