This week’s Best Bite: Cauliflower pizza and gelato sundaes, Balena

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: I’m still daydreaming about an all-around outstanding dinner at Balena last night, in celebration of my roommate’s birthday, and could only narrow it down to these three favorite dishes. First, the pizza. The Neapolitan crust had the right amount of chew, and I loved the combination of garlicky cauliflower, gooey burrata (I admit, I’m a sucker for burrata), zingy preserved lemon, and underlying umami from the anchovy spread. But check out what’s on the plate underneath the pie: house-made Calabrian chili oil. Not only to add a little heat, but also to flavor those last topping-less bites of blistered crust? Game-changer. We made sure to request a to-go cup of chili oil to use on our leftover slices.

And then, there were the composed gelato sundaes. We had two – one of which came compliments of the kitchen with a birthday candle – and swooned over them both. The pistachio sundae was clean and unique, with delicate burnt orange. The rich, salty chocolate sundae, topped with peanut butter crumbles and the pastry chef’s version of “Magic Shell”, was making its menu debut that night; I have a feeling it’s not going anywhere. Each sundae also included a killer nougat candy component.

My new goal is to pair my next visit with a show at the Steppenwolf, right across the street.

The details: Balena, 1633 N Halsted St., Chicago.