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Update: As of April 19, Henning's is temporarily closed for a remodeling.
When it was in a plaza way far south on Collier Boulevard, Henning’s Chicago Kitchen first grabbed my attention for its killer, off-kilter wings. Those “Argyle St.” drumsticks with a Korean-inspired garlic-ginger sauce and the “Knights of Labor” maple-bacon knockouts are what I’d plan return trips for.
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Lucky me, the pizzeria, which specializes in Chi-town’s deep-dish and ultra-crispy “cracker” crusts, relocated late last year to a more central location in Naples on Pine Ridge Road and Airport-Pulling Road. Chef-owner Scott Henning’s penchant for making everything in-house, down to the fresh mozzarella that goes on top of his pizzas, has stayed the same. He has brought everything people knew and loved, plus a few extras, like burgers, sandwiches and a full bar. (For the kind of place that pours water in tall red retro plastic cups, it has a surprisingly good cocktail list.)
The natural light from the original digs is gone, and it’s honestly a bit dark inside—but I like to think of it as Naples’ answer to an old-timey Windy City den.
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The Second City experience carries through names like the “Elmwood Park,” a thin-crust pizza with tomato slices, basil leaves, diced red onion, mozzarella and a balsamic glaze.
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“Winter Coats”: Like garlic knots in size, the fried pizza dough balls are stuffed with a mix of Italian sausage and giardiniera (an Italian relish).To plan a visit:
Henning’s Chicago Kitchen
2360 Pine Ridge Road, Naples
(239) 309-0123
Editor's Note 4/24/17: The restaurant just announced it is temporarily closing for a remodel. Stay tuned to Hot Dish for further information.