I had a little time before Thursday night’s Deep Dish reading, so on Jacob Casella Brookins‘s knowledgeable bookseller recommendation, I walked just up the street from City Lit Books for a delectable pizza dinner (accompanied by an engrossing book) at Reno Chicago.
I was there early enough to catch the 4-6 happy hour deal — big slices for $5 each, which meant I could indulge and try two different pizzas even though I was eating alone. Be still my heart. Both were delicious, though I liked the Paulina a tiny bit more…
• Paulina: Pepperoni, jalapeño pesto, mozzarella, red sauce
• Alley-oop: Sun-dried tomato pesto; caramelized garlic, onion, & leek; kale; goat cheese; sweet peppers
(They have two vegan pizzas too, if you’re looking for that, and you can add $3 to your order to make any full-size pizza gluten-free.)
I also tried a glass of orange wine; I’ve never had orange wine before. It was nice, and went well with the pizzas: Rouge Vine, 2021 ‘Jamon Jamon’ Orange Wine, Itata Valley, Chili. “The skin contact Moscatel shows ripe soft melon with hints of honey on the finish.”
A lovely Logan Square expedition on a weekend (or if you want to cut out of work a little early to catch happy hour). 
Books + pizza; what could be better?
*****
Two upcoming events I’d recommend:
Mary Robinette Kowal: THE SPARE MAN
Friday Nov 4 2022 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Join us for a discussion and signing of The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal!
About the book:
Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling—and keep the real killer from striking again.
Lavie Tidhar: NEOM w/ Daryl Gregory
Sunday Nov 13 2022 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Please join us a for a virtual discussion with author Lavie Tidhar, in support of his newly-released book Neom! Lavie will be joined in conversation by Daryl Gregory!
About Neom:
Today, Neom is a utopian dream—a megacity of the future yet to be built in the Saudi desert. In this deeply imaginative novel from the award-winning universe of Central Station, far-future Neom is already old. Sentient machines roam the desert searching for purpose, works of art can be more deadly than weapons, and the spark of a long-overdue revolution is in the wind. Only the rekindling of an impossible love affair may slow the inevitable sands of time.
(I just read Lavie Tidhar’s _By Force Alone_, which was a well-written if brutal Arthurian retelling — there is no one likeable in that book, they’re all basically mob bosses and gangsters, which I suppose it probably more realistic to the era than the more traditional takes on the Round Table and its knights. But Jacob assures me that Neom is a completely different sort of book, warm, found family, etc. I’m planning to give it a go. )
Register for their events here: https://www.citylitbooks.com/events
