Numero One! Lunch at Uno’s Chicago Grill

By: Finance Foodie

What do I usually think of when I hear the restaurant chain Uno’s Chicago Grill mentioned? Answer: good old Chicago deep dish pizza. But on a recent visit to famed pizza place, I discovered that there was much more to this resto than Chicago deep dish – that there were items to really satisfy every appetite (even the health concisions!). Check out some of the highlights from my visit – after the jump!

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As much as I love a fruity cocktail (and Uno’s has many a selection to choose from), nothing starts a comfort food meal right like a creamy milkshake. My pick? The super rich and frothy Toasted Almond Shake made with frozen yogurt, coconut cream, almond syrup and chocolate, topped with whipped cream. Now I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this item on one of those “Gut Busting Menu Items to Avoid” lists, but OMG the drink was so good, I couldn’t help myself from slurping up every last drop. I did, however, manage to restrain myself from ordering a second round (little victories!).

Since I probably drank up my allotted daily calorie intake before I even started my meal, I decided to go light on my appetizer and test out the Watermelon, Blueberry, Spinach Salad, which is also one of Uno’s limited time Summer menu items. While the watermelon chunks were juicy and the blueberries plump, the fried mozzarella sticks at the table across the aisle smelled real good and looked more tempting…

For my entrée, I decided to have one of Uno’s new artisanal thin crust pizzas – the Wild Mushroom and Cabot Cheddar, comprised of shitake, portobello and white mushrooms with Cabot aged cheddar cheese, parmesan & shredded mozzarella. This pizza was super flavorful and I was glad to see they went extra generous on the mushroom toppings. I also want to mention that I chose the five-grain crust option (versus the traditional white crust), so I think when eaten in moderation, the Wild Mushroom and Cheddar is actually a fairly healthy and delicious pizza option.

By this point, I was pretty stuffed, but of course I saved room for dessert (my favorite part of every meal!). Luckily, Uno’s now has mini versions of its full sized dessert, so I ordered the Mini Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Chunk Deep Dish Cookie Sundae. Ummmmm….if this is mini, I cannot fathom what a large might be! (perhaps it’s served in one of the deep dish pans used for the pizzas?) I loved that the cookie was served warm and thought this was a rather playful spin on the savory deep dish.

All and all, I would say I was pretty impressed by the variety in Uno’s menu – from indulgent to healthy -- a little something for everyone! Everything tasted really good and fresh (plus the service was outstanding and attentive) – I will definitely be back soon!

Uno’s Chicago Grill
(nationwide, this was the location I dined at)
731 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 267-8554