Casa Bianca Pizza Pie

Sam and Joe Martorana brought their Chicago pizza skills to Colorado Boulevard in 1955, and very little about the operation has shifted since. This is a dining room that operates on its own specific terms – cash only, dinner only, and closed Sunday and Monday. The interior is a loud, garlic-scented time capsule where red-checkered tablecloths are standard and the walls are a dense collage of Moretti beer signs and autographed celebrity headshots. It is a space that hasn't been designed so much as lived in, maintained today by the founders’ children, Ned and Andrea. The kitchen focuses on consistency, using recipes that date back to the family’s grocery days in the Midwest. The pizza is the primary draw, featuring a thin, crisp crust that differs from the typical New York or Neapolitan styles found elsewhere in the city. The toppings are substantial, particularly the pork sausage, which is made from scratch on-site every day. The menu rounds out with Italian-American standards like lasagna, arancini, and eggplant parmesan, all prepared in-house. Getting a table typically involves a commitment. The restaurant only accepts reservations for parties of six to ten, meaning couples and smaller groups are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Long lines on the sidewalk are common, especially on weekends, though you can order wine or beer to drink while you wait. There is an ATM inside for those who miss the cash-only signage, but the steady crowds suggest most regulars know the drill by now.