Freddie's [Meeting #113]

Freddie's
701 W. 31st Street (Map)
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-0147

CPC invaded Freddies aka Fabulous Freddies Italian Eatery at 5:30 PM on Sunday, September 22, 2013.

It's been nearly two years since the Chicago Pizza Club ventured out to a place with less than high expectations. One of the drawbacks of infrequent meetings besides less pizza (this was just our 10th since the start of 2011) is that we've gotten quite a bit less ambitious in exploring places that are a bit below the radar. Freddie's (also spelled Freddies and also sometimes known as Fabulous Freddies Italian Eatery), has been serving up pizza and a whole lot more in Bridgeport since 1990.

The menu at Freddie's is a bit ridiculous in its length. In addition to three kinds of pizza (thin crust, deep dish, and stuffed) and homemade "panzarotti puffs," they've got everything from burgers and beefs to fried chicken and fried breaded pork to classic Italian American sandwiches and pastas to salads to fried fish and a host of sausages to breakfast sandwiches. Seriously, go look at the menu; there's a lot more than I just listed. Ordinarily, that would be a huge red flag. But upon closer inspection, some care is revealed - homemade soup of the day, homemade donuts, and homemade Italian ice. Also promising was that the menu lists sausage pizza as its own category. That's usually a sign that, if nothing else, the sausage is going to be pretty excellent. So that's where I was coming from when I walked in the door. Come along and see how things played out.


Seven Pizza Clubbers made it to the meeting which gave us sufficient ordering power.

We ordered:

• Thin Crust with sausage
• Deep Dish with Italian Beef and Giardiniera
• Stuffed Pizza with Pepperoni, Garlic, and Onion
• Sausage pizza puff (fried)

The best pizza of the night by a wide margin was the stuffed pizza, which we got with pepperoni, garlic, and onion, a routinely successful combination of toppings. When ordering a stuffed pizza, diners are asked whether they want it with sauce or not. For people who buy into the theory put forth by the founders of Giordano's and Nancy's (visited pre-website), that stuffed pizza is based on scarciedda, an Easter pie filled with ricotta, an egg, and other goodies, it actually makes sense because tomato sauce wasn't part of that tradition.


Naturally, we opted for sauce and it was a good thing we did. This chunky and surprisingly vibrant sauce was a nice touch for the thick pizza, even if it lacked the herbaceousness of places like Giordano's. The top crust was thick for a style of pizza where it's usually close to paper-thin. I think this might have the thickest top crust of any stuffed pizza this side of Connie's (another place considers sauce on stuffed pizza to be optional. The cheese, melted to an ideal gooeyness, was fine, and for a group trying as many pizzas we were, thankfully less prevalent than at some other places in town. All together, I really enjoyed the stuffed pizza; certainly more than the other two pies of the evening.

We're spoiled in Chicago with great sausage. It's odd that so much of the country fails to measure up considering that good sausage is incredibly easy to make, but that's their problem. Know what's hard to make? Unfortunately, as the thin crust pizza at Freddie's demonstrated, a good pizza crust. This crust was not good - it was flavorless and was not crisp at all. Technically, this is what Freddies calls a regular crust. There's a thinner thin crust option and we should have asked for that. Slices were available at the counter and the thinner crust appeared to be almost cracker-like. There's no reason to think the taste would have been any better, but the texture would have been an upgrade.

The sausage was pretty good. To be fair, by national standards, it was very, very good. But in this sausage-loving town, we can be hypercritical and note that it could have used more fennel and a little more chewiness. The cheese didn't stand out as a positive or negative, nor did the sauce. The dearth of sauce was surprising, especially when considering the thickness of the crust.

We finished about 2/3 of the thin crust pizza and nobody really wanted to take home the extras. I took home three squares, one of which Phred thoroughly enjoyed.

It's quite possible a deep dish pizza with Italian beef and giardiniera is the most Chicago food one can buy. Unfortunately, this was the least enjoyable pizza of the night. The biggest problem was, again, with the crust. Let's start with the obvious; this crust is not close to a traditional deep dish pizza crust. Allow me to take a step back and make clear that people with strict rules about pizza categories frequently take it too far. But at some point names have to mean something and a deep dish pizza is more than just a thin pizza with more of everything.


The Uno's/Gino's East/Lou Malnati's/Pizano's family of deep dish all feature a crust that is more a slightly crunchy biscuit version of bread than generic thick crust on this. I'd call this pan pizza, but I still wouldn't want to eat it again. Sorry, that's mean, but the bottom line is that this came across as a rendition of deep dish pizza made by someone who'd never had the real thing.


The pizza puffs, which can be ordered baked or fried, are unquestionably the best pizza-ish value at $4 plus 75 cents per topping. It's a good rule in life that when any food is offered baked or fried, the latter should be chosen, and that's what we did. The most obvious benefit was that the crust that had been a problem so far was transformed into a flaky and crunchy bread that actually quite nice.


I suppose it's an art form to fry a pizza puff this big and achieve a beautiful golden crust and melted cheese. As you can see, this one came up a little short in the melted cheese department but that wasn't really noticeable when eating it. Overall, the pizza puff was a success. Until more places start making their own, it's easy to say this is one of the best in Chicago..


 We were all full after eating our fill of pizza but there were homemade desserts to be had. Some people refused to partake in the sweets, but those of us who did were rewarded with some very good Italian ice. The Italian ice is offered in sizes ranging from 8 ounces to 2 gallons and diners can enjoy lemon, strawberry, watermelon, cantaloupe, raspberry, and mango. We split an 8-ounce cup of lemon and watermelon and, despite our overstuffed state, would have eaten more. Also good, but not as special were the donuts, which are made to order and covered in a whole lot of powdered sugar.

It's doubtful anyone is going to go into Freddy's expecting to get their minds blown and it's even more doubtful that anyone will leave thinking they just had the best pizza of their lives. CPC members were a bit divided, but for me, I could see myself stopping in on my way to a Sox game for a stuffed pizza and an Italian ice. 

Reno [Meeting #112]

Reno
2607 N Milwaukee Ave (Map)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 697-4234

CPC and family invaded Reno at 5:30 PM on Sunday, January 27, 2013. Marla Collins' Husband started writing this review in early March and just finished it in mid-August.

El Presidente has two babies and a very important job so it's understandable that he did not get around to writing this review. I didn't jot down any thoughts after the Chicago Pizza Club ate most of the pizzas at Reno, but I've got one hell of a pizza memory. For the second consecutive time, we gathered early on a Sunday night in order to accommodate the early bedtimes of the next generation of the CPC. At this meeting, young Estela, Cora (first CPC meeting outside the womb!), and Hugo were joined by 6 full-fledged adult members and, for the very first time, a parent of a CPC member. That's right, three generations of the Chicago Pizza Club made a temporary home in Logan Square to eat some pizza!

Reno is the latest venture from the team that has given Chicago Webster's Wine Bar, Telegraph, and Bluebird. Of the three, I've only been to Bluebird and that was to drink while waiting for  a table to open up next door at Hot Chocolate, so I'm not sure whether Reno's pedigree should impress or not. But after eating there, I do know the pizza at Reno is worthy of a visit from anyone serious about our favorite food.


Reno had 8 pizzas on the dinner menu with predetermined sets of toppings along with a plain sauced pie to which diners can add toppings. Apparently the menu does change a bit because there was a pizza with beets and whipped tofu available when we visited that has mercifully been removed. (Note: Amanda wanted us to order the Beetza (shaved beets / hazelnuts / thyme / whipped tofu) and she should be publicly be humiliated for that). Here's the menu as of early March, which was very similar to the one we saw in late January (the Bono was not there for our visit):

Reno Mozzarella / Fresh Basil / Red Sauce —9 Add toppings & make it your own Kauliflower Roasted Cauliflower / Truffle / Parmesan / Mozzarella —14 Paulina Paulina Pepperoni / Jalapeño Pesto / Mozzarella / Red Sauce —12 Southern Edward’s Ham / Kimchi / Spinach / Mozzarella / Fried Garlic —11 Popeye Artichoke / Spinach / Gouda / Mozzarella / Pecorino —13

Hog Porkbelly Carnitas / Salsa Verde / Mozzarella / Rajas / Cotija Cheese —14 Combo Fennel Sausage / Crimini Mushroom / Smoked Onion / Mozzarella / Red Sauce —14 Butternut Butternut Squash / Sage / Gruyere Cheese / Walnuts / Extra Virgin Olive Oil —11 Bono Sweet Potato / Brussels Sprout / Corned Beef / Smoked Onion / Aleppo Pepper —16

*** As of August 17, 2013, the menu is now:

Reno Mozzarella / Fresh Basil / Red Sauce —9 Add toppings & make it your own Husker Sweet Corn Salsa / Roasted Eggplant / Grilled Peppers / Mozzarella / Basil —14 Paulina Paulina Pepperoni / Jalapeño Pesto / Mozzarella / Red Sauce —12 Popeye Artichoke / Spinach / Gouda / Mozzarella / Pecorino —13 The Meg Arbol Peanut Salsa / Spinach / Smoked Onion / Piquillo Pepper —13

Hog Porkbelly Carnitas / Salsa Verde / Mozzarella / Rajas / Cotija Cheese —14 Combo Fennel Sausage / Crimini Mushroom / Smoked Onion / Mozzarella / Red Sauce —14 Jorge Proscuitto di Parma / Asparagus / Sunny Side Egg / Rosemary / Mozzarella —16 T.O. Smoked Chicken / Arbol Peanut Salsa / Green Onion / Smoked Onion —16

As you can see, lots of changes. ***

Back to the actual meeting, which took place over six months ago. We sampled the Hog, the Combo, the Butternut, the Southern, the Paulina, a Reno that we topped with pepperoni, onion and garlic; and, because there were children present, a plain Reno.

Remember that memory I bragged about at the beginning? I wrote that in early March. It's now mid-August and my memory's not superhuman, so I can't get too detailed. Look at the ingredients and the pictures and use your imagination. And take it as a major compliment to Reno that the following thoughts remain in my head almost seven months after I ate this stuff:

The crust is really, really good. It's got the whole crisp and chewy thing down pat - that was consistent in every pizza. There wasn't anything that stood out particularly about the flavor, but to the extent a test of a crust is whether it would be enjoyable to eat without cheese, sauce or toppings,  this one passes with flying colors.

In terms of the toppings,  the Hog and the Paulina really stood out. They were creative, but not just for the sake of creativity; the combinations were as delicious as they are uncommon. The Hog is just about the best Mexicanish pizza you'll find anywhere and the jalapeno pesto on The Paulina (with pepperoni from Paulina Meat Market!) was a standout topping that really ought to be bottled and sold. It makes perfect sense that those two have remained on the menu that, as you can see above, has seen some major tinkering since the CPC visited. I was also a big fan of the Combo. The sausage was studded with fennel and the smoked onion was a unique and pretty excellent twist on a fairly typical toppings' combination that a self-respecting Chicagoan would consider ordering anywhere.

Not surprisingly, at least to me, the butternut was the least successful of the night, reinforcing that the 99.99% of pizzerias that never put butternut squash on a pizza have the right idea. Update: Amanda says the butternut was her idea and that she didn't push for the tofu. The dinner was 7 months ago; she might be right. But still, public shaming for foisting butternut and sage upon us is appropriate.

That's all I've got. Hopefully some CPC members will chime in with their memories. And perhaps the best thing I can say is that coming back and finishing this review makes me realize how badly I need to get back to Reno. And not just for the pizza. We also had a sampling of desserts and they were, for me, the highlight of a delicious meal.

Lastly, a housekeeping note. There has been a coup in the Chicago Pizza Club. El Presidente has been banished to the pizza wasteland that is Orlando, Florida. There will be an election at the next CPC meeting to anoint a new Supreme Leader. I will have the only vote in the election. The winner will be me, Marla Collins' Husband the Magnificent, Prime Minister of Pizza. All hail MCHMPMP!

Balena [Meeting #111]

Balena
1633 North Halsted Street (Map)
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 867-3888

CPC invaded Balena on December 16, 2012.

The Chicago Pizza Club may not be the active hotbed of pizza exploration it once was, but the CPC is not dead. And what our 2012 lacked in quantity was made up for in quality. Our last meeting (Tocco) may have been a dud, but our first three stops of the year (Roots, Jimmy's, and Pizzeria da Nella) were all excellent. 80% success rate makes for a great year but 60% success is decidedly mediocre. See, kids, when you're dealing with a small set of numbers, each individual one carries a lot of weight. What that means is that Balena, the joint venture of Chef Chris Pandel (The Bristol) and the Boka Boys, was going to make or break our year.

Eight CPC members, one 2-year-old child, one 3-month-old child (CPC debut!), and one 3-week-pre-birth fetus all gathered around a pretty sweet large heavy wood table in a nook in the back of the restaurant. The pizzas, which range from $13 to $18, are 12 inches across and the restaurant's recommendation is that diners share a pizza before diving into the more expensive entrees. That wasn't going to work for us, so after getting an incredibly enthusiastic overview of the menu from our very friendly server, we placed an order for each of the six pizzas currently on the menu:

• Mozzarella, Basil, Tomato

• Cauliflower, Garlic Crema, Burrata, Anchoïade
• This was one of t the anchoïade (typically a blend of olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic and anchovies)

• Spicy Sausage, Red Onion, Tomato, Mozzarella
•  The spicy sausage, made in-house, was particularly good. It was nice to see a new place put out sausage that holds its own against the better old-school purveyors in town.

• Mushroom, Fontina, Taleggio, Scallion, Thyme
•  This umami bomb of a pizza was one of just two vegetarian options but packed enough flavor to stand up against its meaty counterparts

• Brussels Sprout, Pancetta, Pecorino, Red Onion
•  This combination of sweet, salty, and earthy flavors made for my favorite combination of the night.

• Mortadella, Pistachio Pesto, Mozzarella 
• Pistachios, often an ingredient in mortadella, are a logical choice for pairing with the classic Italian meat. But rather than toss some crunchy nuts on there, Balena takes a more creative apporoach with the pesto which eliminated textural issues that might bother some people and ensures there's pistachio flavor in each bite.

The menu does change with the seasons so readers shouldn't get their heart set on any of these particular combinations of toppings. But based on what we sampled, anyone going to Balena should look forward to having a nice array of extremely well executed toppings, some in combinations found in virtually every pizzeria in America, but others that might not exist anywhere else.

The only issue with the pizzas for me, and it's not a major one, came with the crust. The first thing that jumps out when seeing the pizzas is just how much crust is left naked. If the bread is exceptional, like at Great Lake (RIP, hopefully temporarily) or at Mozza in Los Angeles, that's easily overlooked. But Balena's crust, while quite good, isn't in that league. That's not to say it's bad by any stretch. The flavor was good, though it was a bit chewy for some. Our server told us there's some honey in the dough, but none of us could taste it. I will say that not everyone ate all of their crusts. I will also say that I finished some of those uneaten ones.

The final components of the of the pizza experience, which we failed to document with pictures, are the housemade chili flakes and chili oil, which are provided with every pizza for those who want to kick up their pizzas a bit. None of the pizzas were starving for more flavor, but these were both a nice touch for those of us who like a little more heat of the variety that complements rather than overwhelms.

Because there were 8 of us and only six pizzas on the menu, the CPC made the rare decision to add some non-pizza items to our order. The only hard part was deciding which pair of pastas we were going to add to our order.

• Orecchiette, Kale, Lemon, Bread Crumbs, Chili
• Rigatoni, Pork Ragu, Porcini Mushroom 

This is the Chicago Pizza Club not the Chicago Pasta Club so I'm not going to get into details about these two $16 plates of noodles. I will say that these were inhaled and I'm pretty sure everyone made a mental note to return to Balena for more pasta at some point.

Tocco Pizza e Arte [Meeting #110]

Tocco Pizza e Arte
1266 North Milwaukee Avenue (Map)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-8895

CPC invaded the patio at Tocco on July 30, 2012.

From the time of unification until the 1970s, the Italian government maintained a monopoly on salt.  The government was so devoted to retaining that power that, at least in the 1890s, it actually restricted how much ocean water people could take to their house because they might use the small number of crystals that would be left behind days later when the water evaporated rather than buy more of the heavily-taxed, government-controlled product. While I highly doubt the intent at Tocco is to create a tribute to those oppressive days in Italy, I did find the pizzas to be the most underseasoned ones I can remember eating.

Five members of the Chicago Pizza Club headed to Tocco on a surprisingly mild Tuesday night. The wall of windows was wide open, giving those of us who took our place on the patio several steps off of a largely ungentrified stretch of Milwaukee Avenue a clear look at one of the more stylish interiors the Chicago Pizza Club has encountered. We ordered five pizzas:

• Margherita
• Casarecci (white pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, fresh tomatoes and mushrooms)
• Soppressata
• Milanese (mozzarella, prosciutto and fresh arugula)
• Red pizza with zucchini, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms (name not on the website and therefore lost to history)

These pizzas, which ranged from $12 - $18 and are intended as a meal for one person, were not very good. The crust on each pie, which looked pretty enough thanks to some nice charring in spots, was dry and had no real flavor. The cracker-like texture was fine, but that just made it a cracker crust, not a good crust. The sauce, which was present on three of the pizzas, and which was presumably made from canned San Marzano or some other type of Roma tomato, tasted like, well, tomatoes. Like the crust, there was no noticeable salt. And these tomatoes were not particularly bright; not bad, but not that good. Another note about the sauce - there were seeds in it. They were soft seeds and I probably wouldn't have noticed them had I not looked closely at the sauce, but it's just lazy to leave them in.

There were a couple of highlights. Actually, there was one. The soppressata itself was actually good cured meat that packed a little heat. The pizza was simple and, other than the crust, not particularly flawed. The Margherita was also pretty good, but the cheese, like the sauce, brought nothing that made it stand out at all. It looked like fresh mozzarella, but wasn't the creamiest version out there.

The other three pizzas had significant problems. The Casarecci and the red pizza with the unknown name, suffered not only from the lack of salt that was a theme of the night, but also from decidedly unimpressive ingredients. Every single vegetable tasted like one of the cooks walked to the nearby Jewel and picked up whatever was on sale. It's the middle of summer; there's no excuse for using vegetables with this little flavor.

The Milanese might have been the worst offender of the evening. The prosciutto, which was far too thick and chewy, was a virtual salt lick. The meat was so oversalted that if someone in the kitchen could have figured out a way to extract the salt from the prosciutto and distribute it across the other four bland pizzas, then it's possible the tenor of this review would be entirely different. But that science doesn't exist and we were left with an unsatisfactory pizza meal. The arugula on the Milanese was good, but sandwiched between that prosciutto and a dose of Parmesan that looked and tasted like it came from a green shaker, it wasn't going to save the pizza.

All that said, we at the Chicago Pizza Club are troopers. We ate almost everything so Tocco's pizza at least had a little going for it. But I'll be surprised if any of us go back there again.

Petey Pizza gives Tocco Pizza e Arte a 4.9.

Pizzeria da Nella Cucina Napoletana [Meeting #109]

Pizzeria da Nella
1443 W. Fullerton Ave. (Google Maps)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 281-6600

CPC filled just one table at Pizzeria da Nella on June 14, 2012.

For a pizza town as outstanding as Chicago, there are surprisingly few well known pizzamakers. There's certainly no known deep dish piemaster of note actually doing the cooking (though I have no doubt that both Marc and Rudy Malnati can make a great pie). Same goes for most thin crust places - Pat's not cooking at Pat's (CPC review here) and there's no Vito or Nick slinging pizzas at Vito & Nick's (CPC review here). And at Spacca Napoli (CPC review here), owner Jonathan Goldsmith does a great job as a host and he's been overseeing the best Neapolitan operation in Chicago for six years, but he's not cooking pizzas.

But then there's Nella Grassano, the best known pizza craftsman in town. There's no question that Grassano can make stellar Neapolitan pizzas. She ran the kitchen at Spacca Napoli when it opened but then left after  a falling out with Goldsmith. A little less than 3 years ago, she reappeared on the scene with Nella Pizzeria Napoletana (CPC review here). With a Lincoln Park location, the financial backing of Scott Harris, and more advance press than perhaps any pizzeria in Chicago history, all seemed to be going her way. But then she and Harris's relationship soured and that was that.

None of this is intended as a knock on Grassano at all; I have no idea what happened in either situation. What I do know is that her skills are undeniable and now, with the opening of Pizzeria da Nella in Lincoln Park, she has quietly returned to the scene and is once again demonstrating that, like her father and grandfather before her, making pizza is what she was meant to do. This time, the money is coming from a much more silent partner, the owners of Tsuki, a sushi restaurant in the same location that shut down over two years ago.

The restaurant is on Fullerton, just west of Southport, one of those locations that's close to a lot, but isn't going to see a lot of foot traffic. Nella and her husband Frank have never wanted for confidence in abilities, but apparently confident that her pizza is good enough to draw crowds, Nella and her husband Frank have built out a space that holds at least 50 people inside and, when the weather permits, another 40 outside. Nella brought in her brother to help out with the non-pizza items, but she's going to make every pie in the gorgeous tile-covered oven built by a crew flown in from Naples.

The 3 1/2 CPC members who attended this pre-heat-wave meeting opted to take advantage of the mild early summer evening and sit outside. We were there on a Thursday night with great weather and and saw about 30 or so customers. Admittedly knowing nothing about the restaurant's finances, I have a significant fear that they're going to have to do better than that if Nella's third time is going to be her charm. For the sake of Chicago's pizza scene, I certainly hope so because Nella Grassano's pizzas are as good as ever.

The Bufalina, a Margherita but with buffalo mozzarella rather than fior di latte, serves as a reminder of how good even the simplest pizza can be. Nella is a fervent nationalist when it comes to pizza. She thinks that the tomatoes, the mozzarella, and the flour of Italy are all better than their American counterparts. While I and countless people who have done blind taste tests strongly disagree, I couldn't help but think she might be right while eating this pizza. The bright, sweet, and lightly acidic sauce, applied very generously for the style, is exceptional. Seriously, I'd consider sipping a glass full of this stuff. Mozzarella is not a cheese that's ever going to win a flavor competition but this rich and creamy buffalo mozz is impeccable.

But, not surprisingly, it's the crust where Nella's skill really shines through. The bottom crust is sturdier than you'll typically find at places bearing the seal of approval as "autherntic" Neapolitan pizza from the pizza police, and the end crust is not quite as high as is typical of the style. But both those deviations are just fine with me; this lightly crisp and slightly chewy crust, with noticeable hints of salt and yeastiness, is simply outstanding bread.

That said, the crust wasn't perfect. Upon close visual inspection, a thin line of undercooked dough is evident in the middle of the end crust. None of us noticed a negative effect while eating the pizza before or after discovering the flaw, but it does raise two questions. First, if this is a consistent problem when the restaurant isn't particularly busy, what's going to happen if it ever takes off? Second, how good can the crust be? Thanks to my other experience eating Nella's pizza, I actually know the answer to the second question is that it can be as good as any Neapolitan crust I've had. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to the second question. I had good luck with her pizzas in the past, but some people whose opinions I respect had different experiences at Nella Pizzeria Napoletana.

We stayed relatively unadventurous with our remaining pizzas. The Diavola, which comes with spicy salami, red pepper flakes, and a dose of olive oil (Italian, of course), was excellent. The spicy salami, which was basically really delicious pepperoni, stood out as by far my favorite topping of the night. Largely that's because the sausage on the Funghi E Salsiccia, our third pizza of the evening, was so pedestrian. The debate over whether the United States or Italy is the leading pizza country will likely never be resolved, but there's no question Chicago drops a serious ass-whooping on Naples when it comes to making sausage. So in fairness to Grassano, who's as committed to Naples as the CPC is to Chicago, the sausage she's serving is her take on what you'd find in southern Italy.

Weak sausage and very slight misfires on the crust aside, it was clear with each bite that Pizzeria da Nella is the only threat in town to Spacca Napoli's crown as best Neapolitan pizzeria in Chicago. Whether or not Nella can surpass the place is a question for a future day. I only hope this restaurant sticks around long enough for the answer to matter.

Jimmy’s Pizza Café [Meeting #108]

Jimmy’s Pizza Café
5159 N Lincoln Ave (Google Maps)
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 293-6992

CPC shoehorned into Jimmy’s Pizza Café on March 29, 2012.

It was only two meetings ago that I lamented the state of Chicago’s Pizza by the Slice offerings, both in terms of quantity and quality, and I still stand by the fact that for a city to be as bike and pedestrian-friendly as our new mayor and everyone else around town seem to want it to be, we need to have a plethora of suitable single-serve dining options- first and foremost, Pizza by the Slice.

So it was with great pleasure that I read the CPC email suggesting Jimmy’s Pizza Café for our next meeting. Jimmy’s is just a few short blocks from my apartment, and since they opened late last year, I’ve been there at least 2-3 times a month to get down with their New York (and New Orleans- more on that later) style goodness.

Jimmy’s is designed in the simple, traditional, small-tables, pies-on-display, order-at-the-counter pizzeria manner, but based on the size and tastes of our group, we decided to order whole pizzas rather than slices.

The first pie up was half-jalapeno half-spinach. Though lighter on the toppings and meat than most CPCers would ordinarily prefer, this pizza went over quite well. The jalapenos were hot- more than a few were pulled off of slices around the table, but this relatively simple pie was the perfect introduction to the Jimmy’s experience. Simply put, Jimmy’s is amongst the elites as far as NY style pizza in Chicago goes. From the perfectly crisp bottom layer up through the moist chewiness of the mid-dough, the sweet tang of the sauce, perfectly adequate but never excessive blanket of mozz, to the occasional char bubbles around the crispy/chewy collar, these guys nail the foldable savory sweetness that New Yorkers have justifiably loved and bragged about for decades.

Next up was the sausage and mushroom. The fennel-heavy sausage was a universal crowd-pleaser, and while the mushrooms didn't appear to be anything more than regular button mushrooms, they were surprisingly flavorful and stood up well to the sausage.

Last but undoubtedly not least was the bulgogi kimchi (props to LTHforum for letting us know about it in this post), a special, off-menu pie that requires pre-order notice a few days ahead of time. This monster, topped with bulgogi, kimchi, garlic, scallions, sesame seeds and egg, was thoroughly enjoyed, though a few CPCers seemed a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of the flavor combination. Additionally, as this pizza was far more heavily topped than their ordinary offerings, the crust was hard pressed to handle that much weight, and this was definitely the soggiest of the three pizzas we ordered, limp crusts sagging under their mighty burden.

In addition to this fantastic pizza, Jimmy also offers Intelligensia coffee and homemade beignets— pillowy New Orleans style doughnuts topped with powdered sugar—and dang if they weren’t the perfect ending to our meal.

Jimmy’s Pizza Café has so much working in its favor- let’s just hope the slightly out of way and inconducive-to-walk-ups location at the corner of Foster and Lincoln Avenues doesn’t keep people from checking out this north side gem.