Restaurant Preview: Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop

Chicagoans looking for something other than the typical deep dish and delivery pizzas will want to check out the Detroit-style pies coming out of Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop. The Oak Brook-based restaurant has expanded with a new home opening on Wednesday, February 3, in Wicker Park.

Located at Chef Kim’s other spot, Urbanbelly (1542 North Damen Avenue), this pizza pop-up serves Detroit-style pizza in all its glory. Fans of Chicago deep dish and thin crust pizza will find lots to love with Kim’s pies serving as a delicious balance between the two Windy City favorites. 

The Wicker Park menu features three different Detroit-style pan pizzas, including double-smoked pork and pineapple, ricotta and arugula, and Korean BBQ ground beef with kimchi, which is right in line with the amazing Asian fare served up at Urbanbelly. Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop is just what you have been searching for those looking for truly unique flavor blends. 

Of course, customers can select from more traditional toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage, as well as build their own pizza with a mixture of toppings. Whichever you choose, you can be sure it will result in a tasty, rectangular pie with a thick caramelized crust that is pure ecstasy for the taste buds.

If you’re not in the mood for pizza, you can’t go wrong with the other part of the title in this Wicker Park spot: the chicken parm. Served with melted brick cheese and dipped in marinara, each bite melts in the mouth in a symphony of flavor. Likewise, the cauliflower parm sandwich set to be on the menu brings the same burst of flavor. Fans of chicken wings will delight in the cauliflower wings offered as a fresh and savory alternative to this classic bar food. 

Chef Bill Kim was born in South Korea and moved to the northside of Chicago as a young child. Here his fondness for Italian food was born, and he continued his culinary pursuits at Kendall College. Kim opened the Asian-inspired Urbanbelly in 2008. Other restaurants Kim opened include Belly Shack and BellyQ before they closed. His flair for combining flavor combos are a reflection of the great diversity of populations that make up Chicago, resulting in a fresh take on familiar favorites. 

Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop opens February 3 for takeout exclusively through DoorDash. The pop-ups hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO