That's Amore Pizza — Restaurant in Crystal Lake

I had visited on their first day of operations since they had closed following a kitchen fire on May of this year (I actually got a slice that day before things had gone downhill). This place makes great pies, and it really serves as a good quick service location for downtown CL.

As much as I like scouting pizzerias (something I did during the period of their closure), That's Amore has a unique pie which really fulfills a special niche as far as pizzerias are in the region. I do have my other picks in case I am more in the mood for crispy tavern style thin crust, and some locales I could stop in just in case I am in town, but not a lot of locations in that latter list carry a distinction to where I would divert from my route just to have a pizza from that location.

That's Amore Pizza's slices have a crust that is soft and puffy rather than crispy - though really, this is one thing that serves in its benefit. The sauce has a very rich texture going for it - just the right balance of saltiness and sweetness which compliments the airy crust. Cheese is not overdone and spread out evenly - doesn't collapse in on itself like some other locations end up doing, and the toppings make their presence known.

At an earlier time, they used to provide garlic knots aside their slices, but they were not serving them in this time. I will give them a slide for now.

I won't judge on whether this is authentic NY style pizza because I have never had a pizza in NY, but ultimately I am glad that this place has resumed operations. Downtown CL is blessed to...

That's Amore Pizza is COMPLETELY AWESOME!!! I was born and raised in Bergen County, NJ right outside Manhattan and when these people say they have NY Style Pizza....they mean it! We have lived in Crystal Lake for over 5 years, tried just about every pizza place in the area but never found REAL NY STYLE pizza and garlic knots until That's Amore opened. I met the gentleman they consulted/trained with when we went on the day they opened and small world; it turned out he owned some pizza places in NJ and NY that I had loved when I lived back East!!!

Side-bar - whoever was creeping on That's Amore's facebook page and decided to use my son's name for their slam-attack a month ago (since he is mentioned quite frequently on their FB page as LOVING That's Amore's Pizza) should be ashamed of themselves. I Googled it and yes...my 12-year old son is the ONLY Matthew Sinchak in the McHenry County area...it's not a very common name! the restaurant has always been open when it's supposed to be...and a very cheerful person always answers the phone when I call. The food is the same or better quality than when it opened and the REAL Matthew Sinchak cannot go a week without a garlic knot without my having to hear that he wants to go there over and over...

Best. Pizza. Ever! So, contrary to popular belief of people NOT from Chicago, there is more than just that nasty tomato sauce pie people call "Chicago style" pizza (deep dish Chi style). See, Chicago/Chicagoland also has the best NY style pizza in the nation. I know that upsets east coast folk when I say that lol. Any who, back to That's Amore. When I go to Chicago, one thing I like to do is get pizza from a different place each time, and not from the touristy "famous" (over rated, too) pizza joints. This time I did something different. I decided to avoid toll highways and took a 2 to 4 lane highway back down through Illinois before hopping back on the interstate. Decided I'd try pizza in Chicagoland. Crystal Lake is a little further than what I'd call the "suburbs", but boy was it worth the drive to get this pizza! And the price? I thought I was back in Missouri buying pizza. For around 20 bucks, I got the massive sized pizza at That's Amore and was blown away by the taste. The service was excellent and the staff was small town friendly. Despite my joy in finding a new pizza place each time I go to Chicago; I have to admit I'm strongly considering cutting through Crystal Lake to get That's Amore...