Nestled in Uptown ( among other locations ), Papa Ray's Pizza & Wings ( 4757 N. Sheridan Rd.; PapaRaysPizza.com ) looks like one of the places you might hit after a long night at the club.
On the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road, a neon sign beckons hungry patrons toward the late-night spot, which is self-described as "home of the monster slice." The place only seats 20, the lights are slightly dim, a rainbow flag hangs in the front window and there's even one of those claw machines for large, knobby rubber balls.
However, don't be fooled: Papa Ray's ( which the founders, brothers George and John Rayyan, named after their father ) has some pretty tasty food.
Starting with appetizers, Papa Ray's has all the fixings: Yes, there's salad ( but most people aren't there for that ), but there are also Bosco breadsticks ( stuffed with mozzarella cheese, and topped with garlic butter and parmesan ), bacon-cheese fries, chicken fingers and other items.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The pizza slice is, indeed, monstrous in sizeand can be customized from a boatload of ingredients. ( I ordered mine topped with asiago cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni and spinachand it was delicious. ) There are also whole pizzas ( including specialty types like buffalo chicken and tropical Hawaiian ) as well as award-winning jumbo wings, calzone wraps and mac 'n' cheeseand those last two items can be customized as well.
And if, somehow, you have room for more, desserts are available as well. They include the monster chocolate brownie cheesecake and Eli's tiramisu. ( Let's just say I was glad I worked out before going hereand you can always take food home if you dine here. )
But never fear: Thanks to various locations, Papa Ray's can cover can cover most of the North Side of Chicago, as well as the cities of Carol Stream and Palatineand it does incredible delivery/carryout business. Here's to taking over the rest of the city; after all, there are clubgoers ( and TV watchers ) everywhere.