Boulder Experience: Old Chicago
Old Chicago Pizza
Rating: 5
Cost: ~ $7
Location: Everywhere (Chain)
Customized: No
As a rule, I’m not fond of chain restaurants. They usually sacrifice unique and diverse food offerings for plain, more generally accessible items. For the price, I prefer local and small chain restaurants because they know their customer bases tastes far better. If there was ever an exception to this strongly held belief it is in Old Chicago. Pizza, pasta, burgers, and countless draft beers, Old Chicago offers competitive pricing and an extremely appealing menu. On a recent trip to visit good friends in Boulder, I didn’t hesitate to push for a visit to Old Chicago. While thumbing through the menu I was pleasantly shocked to discover that they offered not 1, but 2 kinds of nachos. Even more pleasing, was that one was called “Italian Nachos”.
Unlike the previously reviewed Gumba Nachos from Marios Pizzeria, which used tortilla chips and beans, These Italian themed nachos take the concept of nachos, but integrate them with purely italian themed ingrediants. The Old Chicago Nachos are comprized soley of Italian pasta chips (fried pasta, instead of tortillas)toped with Mozzarella, pepperonis, Italian sausages and pepperoncinis. This is served with a side of their house pizza sauce.
When this intriguing nacho arrived, I took note that the plate size was great, and the pile height was good. The visual impact was the most obvious, since it has completely different ingredients, however it was still extremely appetizing. The first bite let me know that these nachos were amazing. The pasta chips are fantastic, and the toppings complement each other as they would on a deep dish pizza. The pizza sauce dipping allowed for a great variety in the flavor. My favorite moment was without a doubt the pepperoncinis. The meat was high quality, and the cheese was melted to perfection. Verifying these opinions was my good friend, who shares my Italian heritagey wonderment, and both our girlfriends, who don’t have a cultural predisposition. If your looking for ballpark nachos, these will not be for you. However, if you are into unique cuisine fusion and love all kinds of nachos, I can’t recommend this tasty appetizer enough!
Make sure to checkout My Fellow W.O.P’s own review blog, the WingNut
