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It's an unseasonably warm winter evening, and the Mystery Diner is in the mood for a slice of giant New York-style pizza to fold in one hand with a cold drink in the other.
I could hop a last-minute flight to Brooklyn.
Fortunately, there's a convenient option down the block.
Firehouse Pizza and Pub at 65 W. Washington St. in downtown Oswego, a firefighter/family-owned pizzeria, has brought giant homemade, hand-tossed New York-style pizza to the neighborhood.
The establishment is a perfect setting for a night out with friends to watch the Blackhawks, or the Cubs and Sox when the calendar flips to April.
After parking in the back of the restaurant, a 1,500-square-foot patio area with a 70-inch HD TV is a welcome sight for the sports fan looking to watch the big game. During the summer, the garage door from the bar area opens up to enhance the beer garden theme. There are no shortage of TVs in the bar area we are seated in, or the front dining room.
The Firehouse's decor keeps true to its inspiration. The walls are filled with pictures of heroic firefighters. Hanging on a brick wall to the side of the bar are commemorative patches and authentic bunker gear, including pants, jacket and helmet.
We start with drinks, and there are plenty of options for the beer connoisseur. Firehouse touts 90-plus beers available from world brews to micro brews to local favorite Three Angels Brewery. Unsure about which brew to try? No worries. They'll let you sample any of the beers on tap. The Mystery Diner fancies a citrus flavor, so our friendly waitress recommends the Brickstone Hop Skip.
For starters, Firehouse offers a number of appetizing delights from mac-and-cheese bites to fire fries and jalapeno poppers. We notice the chili is inspired by the local firemen, and the Mystery Diner gives it a try. It's thick and meaty, with a kick, just enough to jump-start our taste buds.
Noticing their several salad options, the Mystery Diner's eyes drifted to the Air Angel chicken wings available in 11 different flavors in portions numbering from 10 to 50. We keep things relatively safe, ordering the Chipotle BBQ bone-in (boneless was an option). This wings-lover gives them a thumbs up!
We were in the mood for pizza, but we couldn't help noticing what neighboring diners chose. Firehouse has half-pound burgers and hoagies. A table next to us went with a calzone from an extensive list of strombolis and calzones (pro tip: you'll need a knife and fork).
The star of the show, though, is the pizza.
The homemade hand-tossed pizza is 18-inch. Diners can try standard vegetarian or meat toppings. The more adventuresome can opt for pizzas crafted by the Firehouse chefs. The Mystery Diner couldn't convince the whole party to go for a chili cheese pizza with sliced hot dogs and onions or a steak and cheese with a ribeye, onions, green peppers and mushrooms. For our first time out, we went with sausage and mushroom.
If you're not from New York, here's a primer on New York-style pizza. The slices are huge. Pizza is eaten folding the slice in half. This being known, the four of us raised our hands, folded our pizzas and took our first bite.
We weren't disappointed.
Pizza dough and sauce, as well as the Firehouse's vegetarian and meat toppings, are prepared fresh daily to ensure the ingredients are of the finest quality.
Not hungry enough for a whole pizza? No problem. Firehouse offers pizza by the slice.
Finishing our pizza, we eyed a few sweet treats going by that we couldn't pass up.
The Mystery Diner opted for a slice of the chocolate cake that the Firehouse makes fresh daily, along with the cinnamon sugar knots. Pure bliss.
All and all, it was a night of good conversation and a discovery of a tasty New York-style pizzeria right here in the western suburbs.
The Firehouse is an optimal place to go to with friends for good food, cold drinks and a ballgame.
• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Record Newspapers. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a different restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.
If you go
What: Firehouse Pizza and Pub
Where: 65 W. Washington St., Oswego
Hours: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday.
Information: Call 630-551-0800 or visit firehousepizzapub.com.