Pizz'amici [Meeting #136]

Pizz'amici

1215 W. Grand Ave (Map)
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 285-2382

CPC invaded Pizz'amici on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

If you've paid any attention to pizza in Chicago over the last few years or the national conversation around what is now widely called "tavern cut" pizza, you're well aware of Pizz'amici and it's story. The owners started out making pizza at home in Ukrainian Village and giving it away via Instagram. Then, after building up a bit of a following, they opened Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport. The Chicago Pizza Club went there in 2022 and we were not impressed (review here). In retrospect, it's pretty clear the flaws at that universally beloved spot can be chalked up to the fact they were winding down operations there as they shifted their focus to Kim's Uncle in Westmont. We went to Kim's Uncle in 2023 and we were wowed (review here) with one of the best tavern cut pizzerias around. But Kim's Uncle is far away so I accurately predicted at the time that none of us would go back because, as good as it was, there were much closer options nearby that were as good or better or maybe a little worse but not enough worse to justify the hike to Westmont.

[Update: After posting this I learned that the trio behind Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream and Kim's Uncle broke up. Two started Pizz'Amici and one stayed at Kim's Uncle. That could explain everything that follows pretty well].

And so it was very welcome news that the owners brought the mountain to Mohammed late last year and opened Pizz'amici in West Village. But while the location is convenient, getting in is not. These guys really should start a restaurant consulting business to help with marketing. If you want to make a reservation at Pizz'amici, you should plan on getting online at 12:01 AM 30 days in advance to make sure you get a table. Now I want to be clear here: There is not, nor has there ever been, a tavern cut pizza worth that kind of advance planning when you can walk into places like Pat's and Vito & Nick's pretty much any time you want and get a table.

But we were curious so we did it. The maximum table size is 4 people, but we expanded the meeting by overordering and taking home leftovers to a couple of people. It's also worth noting they do take walk-ins and on this chilly Sunday evening, the waits appeared to range from short to non-existent. They also do carry-out, but I wouldn't recommend that in the winter - this is super thin pizza that you want to eat fresh out of the oven.

Anyhow, on to the pizza. While part of the blame surely falls on our sky high expectations, the pizza was disappointing. There were two problems. First, these pizzas were all overcooked. I know lots of people who think of themselves as particularly pizza savvy like to order their thin crust pies well done. And it makes some sense because it ups the textural contrast. We didn't request them well done but we got pizzas that were cooked to well done and then left in the over another minute or two. It didn't affect anything close to every square, but we all got some unwelcome carbon flavor at times. Problem #2 was the toppings. They were all good but they were either unbalanced or, particularly when compared to Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream and Kim's Uncle, not generously applied.

The pizza we were most excited about and most disappointed in was the one with sausage and J.P. Graziano's giardiniera. We are blessed with great sausage in Chicago and this sausage is among the best. Truly extraordinary stuff. Graziano's giardiniera is a spectacular food. But it also has a real kick. Compare the picture of the Pizz'amici sausage and giardiniera above with the half sausage/half sausage and giardiniera from Kim's Uncle below:

So much more sausage at Kim's Uncle. At Pizz'amici, we couldn't even taste the delicious sausage unless we pulled it out of the pizza to confirm its greatness. So sad. And what happened to the generous sprinkle of parmesan like they had at Kim's Uncle?

It's really dark inside Pizz'amici so we cheated with a light to get a couple of the pics. Profound apologies to all who were affected, but know it's for the greater good.

The surprise unanimous best pizza of the evening was the artichoke and mushroom. Really good mushrooms, not as dry of a crust and all well-balanced. This was also the pizza the most visible burn issues but it didn't seem as bitter as the crust on the sausage pizza. Weird. 

Nope, we didn't order a second mushroom pizza. This is the one from Kim's Uncle. Look how many more mushrooms were on that pizza. There was more mushroom on the Kim's Uncle pizza than mushrooms and artichokes combined on the Pizz'amici pie.

The third pizza was pepperoni and garlic. It was good not great. The pepperoni was good but not as good (or plentiful) as the version we had at Kim's Uncle (see the first pic below).

Speaking of not as plentiful, the pepperoni was also not nearly as plentiful or as nicely charred as the pepperoni at Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream:

At this point, we have a clear pattern and it's not a great one. And it's no wonder we walked out of the restaurant disappointed. We didn't realize it at the time, but the light hand with the toppings is particularly disappointing after realizing that all of the toppings are dollar more expensive at Pizz'amici than they are at Kim's Uncle. I'm sure rent is more expensive in the city, but they already charge $3 more for every base pizza, so when you get two toppings at Pizz'amici, you're paying $5 more for you pizza and getting less.

There were a couple of big wins. In a surprising twist, the two non-pizza items we got were outstanding - much better than the pizza.

I came into the restaurant thinking I should order the focaccia but I can't remember who told me to get it. I'm guessing I must have seen it on social media somewhere. I owe this forgotten individual a thank you because this was about as excited as I get about a piece of bread that isn't topped or stuffed with other foods. I don't know that I've ever had focaccia with a crisp top layer but this is a thing that should become a trend. Honorable mention to the excellent salty, oily butter provided.

No light was used for this pic. My editing job is an insult to these delicious meatballs.

Meatballs are reliably almost always good. Very few places make bad meatballs. Very few places make outstanding meatballs. These are truly outstanding. Sopping up the leftover sauce with the last piece of focaccia was the best bite of the night.

So, will I go back to Pizz'amici? Almost certainly yes. Kim's Uncle was too good for me to write this place off after one visit. But I'll order different pizzas next time, adjust my expectations on topping quantity, and hope that the crusts will be on par with the ones we had at Kim's Uncle. But will I book a table 30 days out to go back? Almost certainly not, which means my return is likely a ways away because this place remains super popular.

Dante's Tavern [Meeting #135]

Dante's Tavern

1936 W Chicago Ave (Map)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-4172

CPC invaded Dante's on November 6, 2024.

For the second time, CPC held two meetings in one night. Dante's, our second stop, was more for the the Wednesday night trivia than for the pizza.

Short version: The trivia was good, the beer selection wasn't great, the pizza was, well, the pictures tell the story.

Trivia was fun. We did much better than expected

Back in my Serious Eats writing days, I visited Dante's in 2012. I hadn't been back since. 

This floppy mess is why. This is what my pizza looked like in 2012 and it's what it looked like in 2024. Neapolitan pizza can flop like this. Giant greasy slices with pedestrian toppings cannot. The pizza wasn't bad - we ate two pizzas on our second stop of the night - but there's just no reason to go out of your way to eat there. 

That's the Inferno ($39 for a 20" pie), which comes with poblano, pepperoni, giardiniera, bacon, fresh garlic, jalapeno, sausage, red onion, and banana pepper. So many toppings but you can't taste half of them.

We also got a much more straightforward pie: Pepperoni and nothing else ($28.50 for 20"). It wasn't any better.

Dante's doesn't put much effort into their pizza so I'm not putting much effort into this review. Recommended for trivia. Eat before you get there. That's all I've got. 

Dicey's Pizza & Tavern [Meeting #134]

Dicey's Pizza & Tavern

2109 W Chicago Ave (Map)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 929-4149

CPC invaded Dicey's on November 6, 2024.

Land & Sea Dept. is a bit of an oddity among restaurant groups. While they always deliver well run restaurants, it seems that they have different goals when it comes to food. Sometimes they hit home runs, like Longman & Eagle and everything in the Chicago Athletic Association building. And sometimes they're happy with pretty good food like Parson's. Their newest restaurant is a Chicago outpost of Dicey's Pizza & Tavern, their Chicago/Midwestern thin crust/tavern style/party cut pizza restaurant that first showed up in Nashville. Perhaps this is the Midwestern thin crust in Nashville. But in Chicago, it's merely pretty good and overpriced.

We started out with the Garlic Parmesan Tots which weren't crispy and they were served with a Calabrian chili aioli that was completely devoid of heat. We're the Chicago Pizza Club so we won't hold these tots against Dicey's. If we were the Chicago Tater Tot Club, we'd make it our mission to shut Dicey's down until they learn how to fry a tot.

Fortunately, as is to be expected of a pizzeria, the pizza is better than the tater tots.

The Peppy Boy ($15 for a 9-inch pizza) comes with "Old World Pepperoni, Hot Honey, Mozzarella, Oregano, Tomato Sauce, Calabrian Chili Oil." The flavors on this one was very good.




The Cacio e Pepe ($15 for a 9-inch pizza), another house specialty, comes with "Fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan Cream, Pecorino Romano, Cracked Black Pepper."  Other than not having enough pepper to bring home the cacio e pepe-ness, the flavors on this one were good.

The sausage ($14 for a 9-inch pie) was good. If the sausage isn't housemade, it's well-sourced. 

The crust on all of the pizzas were good, not great. These guys have clearly bought into the new thin crust craze that's sweeping the country and the crust is a big step above 90+% of any pizzerias more than 20 years old that are serving this style.

Would I eat Dicey's again? Sure and I'd have no problem with it. Will I? I doubt it. What's the point? There are too many other options that are better and cheaper.

Leftovers from a sad election night party

In Dicey's defense, this meeting of the Chicago Pizza Club took place the night after the election. While we in the CPC knew what to expect going into election night, it's possible people working in the kitchen were more hopeful and therefore weren't on their A game. Maybe this place serves elite pies on other nights. Seems unlikely though.

Michael's Original Pizzeria & Tavern [Meeting #133]

Michael's Original Pizzeria & Tavern

4091 N. Broadway (Map)
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 929-4149

CPC invaded Michael's on a gorgeous sunny and shockingly warm Sunday afternoon, March 3, 2024.

Photo credit: Michael's on Yelp

You'll see Michael's pop up on some best in Chicago lists. It's on the current version of Eater's best tavern crust list and just a couple of days ago, the guy who started Check Please and a chef who was once on Top Chef had it in their list of the six best thin crust places in Chicago. It's easy to write off Eater, especially when it has nonsense like praising Michael's for it's "buttery crusts" when there's no butter of note (nor should there by in the style of pizzas they serve). But David Manilow and Richie Farina are reliable sources and when it comes to the four of the six places they have in their list that we've been to, all four - Jimmy's Pizza Cafe, Vito & Nick's, Bungalow by Middle Brow and Kim's Uncle - have all gotten strong Chicago Pizza Club stamps of approval. I don't have the energy to beat around the bush. Michael's is fine. But anyone who says it has some of the best pizza in Chicago is out of their minds.

For the thin crust, we went with the Daily Special, the signature pizza of Ryan and Kelly Daily, longtime CPC members who haven't shown up since the Zoom meeting early in the pandemic. Pepperoni, garlic and onion is a an excellent topping combo and they worked together once again at Michael's, The pizza looked fantastic but the crust wasn't nearly as crisp as it appears and was ultimately a flavorless cracker. It help up the toppings and the generous amount of cheese. Maybe Michael's is one of those places you need to ask for the pizza extra crisp if you want them to cook it right. Who knows. I don't think any of us will go back to find out.

They call this deep dish on the menu, but this is quite clearly a stuffed pizza. As was the case with the thin crust, it wasn't as good as it looks. The sausage was solid, as is expected at any Chicago pizzeria. The crust is what it is - nobody has ever gotten stuffed pizza for the crust. But the sauce was just way too sweet. It's never my preference but sweet sauce can work on a thin crust pie. On a stuffed pizza, where there's a lot of sauce by design, that kind of sugar has no place. If overwhelmed every bite.

I'd eat the thin crust again if I lived in the neighborhood. Maybe. It depends where. I lived five blocks north on Broadway for a few years and never went. That's because a block north of that is Gigio's, which is much better. Oh damn. CPC has never been to Gigio's. That needs to change.

Five Squared Pizza [Meeting #132]

Five Squared Pizza

1332 N Halsted Street (Map)
Chicago, IL 60642
(224) 595-5781

CPC invaded the Five Squared Pizza Pop-Up Residency at Off Color Brewing on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

The Chicago Pizza Club met at Off Color Brewing for the second time, which is strange because they don't serve pizza. But they do have excellent beer. The first time we went, we took advantage of their BYOF policy by bringing in some outstanding pizza from nearby Pizzeria Bebu (RIP) which was always too crowded for a decent sized CPC meeting and that meeting was a big one. This time, we were drawn back thanks to a pop-up from Five Squared Pizza, a carry-out and delivery only Detroit style pizzeria nearby. The pizzas were pre-cooked at Five Squared and then reheated to order at Off Color in a small oven. Thanks to the amount of oil in a Detroit pizza crust, this is a style suited particularly well to reheating so I don't think much was lost at all.

There were 6 pizzas on the menu that night and there were six CPC members in attendance. Pizzas were sold as slices rather than whole pies (though there was a discount if you ordered in multiples of 4 (the size of a full pizza). That was good and bad for us. The good news was that we didn't have to order 6 whole pies to try them all. The bad news is I decided we needed 3 of each of the 6 so everyone could have a half of every slice and then we added 2 extra slices because that got us to multiples of 4 and we like a deal. This wasn't bad because the pizza was bad (it wasn't); this was bad because Detroit pizza is really filling and we ended up with 8 full slices of extra pizza, 40% of our order.

Tie Dye (Vegetarian) - red sauce, vodka sauce, house basil pesto, pecorino romano. This was the unanimous best pizza of the night. Just kidding. I know I thought it was the best and I know Stander disagreed. I can't remember what anyone else thought but this was definitely the best.

Upside Down / Cheese (Vegetarian) - sliced grande mozz, Sclafani crushed tomatoes, pecorino, olive oil. This simple one was also really delicious. 

Prince St - sliced grande mozz, arrabbiata sauce, ezzo cup & char pepperoni, pecorino romano. Presumably named after the excellent pizzeria in New York that made the thick square cut charred pepperoni pizza popular. So good, in fact, that the place survived the owner being outed as a racist piece of shit. The pizza at Prince Street is better than the pizza at Five Squared, but the people at Five Squared are better people. And this was a very good slice of pizza so Five Squared gets the win.

Carnivore - bacon jam, crumbled hot italian sausage, ezzo pepperoni, parmigiano reggiano, red sauce. I would've thought this one would be the best bust something about the mix of meats piled on top of each other didn't work. Also, with all that meat, this one was screaming out for more of the very good sauce. The thick, oily crust could definitely handle it.

Spinach & Artichoke (Vegetarian) - creamy spinach & artichoke sauce. This was tasty but I prefer spinach and artichoke dip be left as a dip and not on a pizza. But Artichoke Basille's built a mini empire on a similar concept, so this is definitely going to be some people's jam.

Spacca - pistachio cream sauce, crumbled italian sausage, burrata, fresh basil, mike's hot honey. Tasted zero honey but I don't think that would have made a difference. This one wasn't for me. El Pres liked it a lot though.

Good crumb, bad picture

This is a good Detroit crust. Good crust with good toppings makes for good pizza. It was a good night.

There were leftovers

After more than 3 years, it looks like we may have another dog CPC member. Time will tell. This is Phranklin and, while he ate hit full bite (I didn't give him the full slice since I'm easing him into people food/testing the limits of his stomach), he didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it.