Bacino's has a knack for creativity—just look at their "sky pies," or pizza orders shipped internationally. But the first idea that set them apart took more dedication than ingenuity. When founder Dan Bacin opened the Lincoln Avenue Bacino's more than three decades ago, he set out to differentiate his pizzas from the thousands of pies available in the city by following a simple rule: everything's fresh.

From the from-scratch pizza sauce to the crisp veggies, Bacino's bypasses the canned goods and processed ingredients, and the flavors make that clear. That's true whether you're building your own pie from toppings such as green olives and spicy chicken, or whether you're ordering a specialty pie like the Bacino's Special, which comes loaded with sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions. Leaving out processed ingredients isn't the only way the restaurant keeps diners' health in mind, either: the pizza menu also includes a Spinach Supreme pie that was once recognized by the Chicago Heart Association for its heart-healthy recipe.