FORNO: 'In Joliet, We're The Only Wood Fire-Burning Pizza Place'

JOLIET, IL — There are many well-known pizza places throughout Joliet: Cemeno's, Aurelio's, Linda's West, Linda's East, Baci, Michael's, Giovan's and Maurie's Table to name a few.

But Joliet's newest locally owned pizza restaurant has something none of them have: a wood-fired oven made in Naples, Italy and shipped to Joliet last year. Last weekend, FORNO Wood Fired Pizza opened at 2941 West Jefferson St. It's across from Inwood Recreation Center.

"In Joliet, we're the only wood fire-burning pizza place," remarked Gabriel Segura, one of the owners of FORNO Wood Fired Pizza.

Segura believes FORNO will be a draw for people in neighboring communities such as Plainfield, Minooka and elsewhere.

"We want to be a destination spot," Segura told Joliet Patch. "The quality of food and the atmosphere will make us a destination."

Here's a listing of the different kinds of pizza on the FORNO menu:

• Margherita
• Marinara
• Diavolo
• Chicago
• Capriccosa
• Milano
• Burrata & Honey
• Prosciutto & Arugala
• Quattro Formaggi
• Barese
• Montagna
• Genovese
• Truffle

For $2 extra, FORNO offers Pizza Montanara, which is fried pizza dough for any pizza style or Calzone- fried or baked for any pizza style.

FORNO held its soft opening last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"It went really remarkable. We were at capacity almost the whole day," Segura said. "We got a lot of good feedback. For a lot of people, it was the first time trying this style of pizza."

What makes FORNO's pizza different from the rest?

"We try to trend more toward traditional Neapolitan," explained head chef Anthony Dinuzzo. "Neapolitan pizza is very thin."

The wood-fired oven imported from Naples gets very, very, very, hot.

The stone inside the oven reaches about 950 degrees Fahrenheit, while the oven tops more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Dinuzzo said.

How long does it take to cook a customer's pizza?

"In the oven, it's about 90 seconds," Dinuzzo said. "It's a very fast turnover."

Dinuzzo said he can cook about four pizzas at in the oven.

While Dinuzzo remains busy cooking pizzas, Segura and his general manager, Julian Montoya, are focusing on spreading the word that FORNO is "a trendy, upscale environment."

The interior features Italian marble countertops and lots of artwork. FORNO has a full-service bar, offering 17 Italian-infused wines and 12 crafted beers on tap.

And if you're in the mood for something other than Neapolitan pizza, that's OK, too.

FORNO offers New York strip steak, lamb chops and baked Ziti. Appetizers include fried calamari, fire-roasted meatballs, baked clams, mussels and Arancini.

To check out the entire menu, visit the FORNO website.

"We really want to bring Joliet an upscale environment," Montoya told Joliet Patch during Tuesday's interview. "It's definitely one of the most modern places in Joliet."

Since 2020, Segura has also owned Joliet's Cork Wine Bar & Kitchen on Essington Road.

Being directly across from the Inwood Recreation Center and Memorial Stadium, the management team at FORNO believes they picked a great location for their first pizza place in Joliet.

"It's a busy street, and there's lots of sporting events at Inwood," Dinuzzo said.

FORNO is now open 3 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 3 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. It's closed Sunday and Monday.

"We do plan to open seven days a week, and we plan to have an outdoor patio eventually," Segura said.

People can visit the FORNO website to make online reservations. Seating capacity is about 45 customers, the managers said.

"We encourage people to do reservations, especially in the beginning," Segura said. "But we do accept walk-ins."