Faith and Food Blog

Overview:

Peoria Heights is known for their affluent areas and more specifically, the beauty that is Grandview Drive, which Teddy Roosevelt himself labeled “the most beautiful drive in the world.” Peoria Heights also has a lively downtown area, with many shops, restaurants, boutiques, and much more. The Heritage Square Shopping Center is one of the more busy and lively areas, and sitting most prominently is a pizza restaurant known as none other than “Brienzo’s Wood Fired Pizza”. With both indoor and outdoor patio seating available, this causal Italian gourmet pizzeria is sure to capture your attention.

Within the interior, there is a bar set up with TV’s right above and other TV’s are displayed throughout the entire place. There is a giant LED sign in the corner that says the words “the neighborhood hangout” in cursive writing. Just under the sign is an area to order Brienzo’s merchandise, pick up takeout orders, and even order some gelato. The seating arrangements also offers tables of different party sizes and booths for a more personal experience. Behind the bar area is the most important area of the restaurant: the wood fired grill. The large structure is apparent from behind the bar and is sight that will make you want to take 10-15 glances throughout your stay.

With food options that range from pizzas to salads and even paninis, the main attraction is the personal 10-inch pizzas that are cooked on a wood oven. With me being from the Chicago area, one of the most well-known places in the country for pizza, I absolutely had to give this a try.

My Experience:

Brienzo’s is the first place on my list that I have been to more than once because of how much I love the food. Every time I have gone, I have ordered a different kind of pizza because each of their 14 types to choose from offers a completely different taste. In my most recent trip with my girlfriend, we went on a Sunday afternoon where there were not a lot of people in the restaurant, but also not a lot of employees working. I have to give a lot of credit to the servers because they were operating with little help, but they were hustling and making sure each person in the restaurant was taken care of in a timely manner. We ordered an appetizer of cheesy garlic bread that came with marinara sauce and it was really good. It was nothing extraordinary, but it was exactly what I was expecting and I have nothing to complain about with it.

Next came the main dish and I was eagerly anticipating the pizza I ordered this time, which was a ‘Jalapeno Chipotle Chicken pizza’ with alfredo sauce, chipotle chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapenos, mozzarella cheese, and chipotle seasoning. Across the table, my lovely girlfriend ordered a ‘Carribean pizza’ that had marinara, ham, pineapple, mozzarella, and then she added on bacon and red onions. Oh my goodness, these were some of the best pizzas I have ever had and that says a lot because I have consumed A LOT in my lifetime. I could rave about this pizza, from the spiciness to the gooeyness of the cheese to the softness of the crust. Everything about this pizza made me feel warm inside. I had to take about half of it home because of how filling it was.

Brienzo’s is usually at the top of my list of places to recommend to people in Peoria and this time is not different. This is easily in my top-three restaurants in the area.

Overall Rating: 9.25/10