HP_032119

30 | March 21, 2019 | The highland park landmark dining out
hplandmark.com
Il Forno Pizzeria’s Italian history keeps restaurant around for generations
Alyssa Groh
Contributing Editor
Il Forno Pizzeria in
Highland Park has a rich
history spanning generations,
which has in part,
kept it in business despite
the “changing dynamic in
the pizza business,” according
to owner Mike
Rudolph.
Il Forno, meaning “the
oven” in Italian, was a
concept created in 1953 by
Bruno Pupolo, who wanted
to bring a relatively
new concept to Chicago,
according to Il Forno’s
website. Pupolo combined
his family’s pizza sauce
recipe, fresh ingredients,
homemade dough and pizza
sausage with the idea of
offering a place in Chicago
where families could sit
down, listen to music and
eat pizza.
Later that year, Bruno’s
son-in-law Lou Bonelli
and his mother-in-law
Phyllis Tancredi, purchased
Il Forno in Chicago’s
West Rogers Park
neighborhood. Within a
few years, a few more locations
opened in Highland
Park, Wilmette, Skokie
and Morton Grove.
Rudolph began working
at the Highland Park
location in 1972, and soon
after purchased the location
in 1985 to support his
growing family.
To stay true to its rich
history, Rudolph said he
didn’t change much when
he took over.
“The recipes were
passed on through the ages
and we stuck with it,” Rudolph
said. “Italian’s don’t
measure with cups, they
measure with their hands
— a little bit of this, a little
bit of that.”
Since Il Forno opened
in 1953, Rudolph said the
opening of a variety of
chain pizza places changed
The Antipasto Bolognese salad ($6.95) features three
meats, two cheeses, lettuce, onion, olive and pepperoncini.
For those seeking a classic alternative to pizza, Il Forno
also offers burger options.
the dynamic of the pizza
business, which has been
a bit challenging. But, to
overcome that challenge,
Il Forno has stuck to its
roots and remained the
“mom-and-pop shop” that
it is, offering fresh, quality
ingredients, according to
Rudolph.
Il Forno prides itself on
always using fresh mozzarella
cheese for its pizzas,
fresh veggies and meat. Il
Forno doesn’t stop at pizzas,
it also offers a variety
of other menu items and
make its own meatballs
and lasagna.
22nd Century Media editors
stopped in to try some
of the signature items at Il
Forno Pizzeria.
We dove right into two
pizzas, eager to try the
signature pizza sauce.
We indulged in a medium
thin-crust cheese pizza
($11.35) and a medium
thin-crust pizza topped
with pepperoni and sausage
($14.85).
We also tried Il Forno’s
famous lasagna ($9.75),
which is a great entree to
share with another person
or eat as a meal.
Next up was the Italian
beef sandwich ($6.95)
loaded with sweet and
hot peppers. We tried the
Italian beef with a side of
curly fries.
Il Forno’s menu also offers
a variety of burgers
including its traditional
cheese burger ($5.75).
The cheese burger can be
topped with a choice of
American, cheddar, mozzarella
or Swiss cheese. The
burgers are topped with
lettuce, tomato and pickles.
Make it a deluxe burger
and add fries and coleslaw.
Finally, we tried out a
healthier option, the Antipasto
Bolognese salad
Il Forno’s thin-crust sausage and pepperoni pizza ($11.35) is one of the many fan-favorite
pizza options at the longtime community eatery. Photos by Martin Carlino/22nd
Century Media
Il Forno’s Italian beef sandwich ($6.95) is served with a choice of sweet or hot peppers
— or a mixture of both.
($6.95) made with three
meats, two cheeses, lettuce,
onion olive and pepperoncini.
Il Forno Pizzeria offers
dine-in, delivery and carryout
options for all of its
menu items.
What has kept Rudolph
around all these years?
The people.
Working in a restaurant
that has been around since
the early 1950’s and has
served generations, helped
create a loyal following.
Rudolph said he frequently
has people come
into the restaurant who are
in their 90’s and tell him
they “grew up on the pizza,”
and are now there to
share the experience with
their grandchildren.
“Hearing people come
in and tell me they grew up
on our pizza is heartwarming,”
Rudolph said.
Il Forno Pizzeria
496 Old Elm Rd.,
Highland Park
(847) 432-2440
www.ilfornopizza.com
11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Monday-Tuesday
11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Wednesday-Thursday
11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday
4 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday