Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.
2121 N Clark St. (Google Maps)
(773) 248-2570
CPC invaded Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. on 12/21/06
Well, it took two tries and we still only had three people show up, but the 38th Meeting of the Chicago Pizza Club was an unqualified success as we tasted a pizza like no other – Pizza Pot Pie at Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Company.
On February 14, 1929, the Valentine’s Day Massacre took place directly across the street. Rumor has it, the current home of Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Company was a house used as a lookout by some 1920s gangbangers. No word on whether the owner of the restaurant invented the rumor.
Anyhow, the place takes no reservations but balances that out with a full bar. When we got there, there was no host hanging around, but there was a large crowd of people, some vocalizing their frustration about the wait. Every so often a host does stroll over. He had no pad of paper and does not want anyone’s name. He simply asks how many are in your party and no matter what you say, he tells you the wait is 40 minutes. He remembers the order in which people arrive, so there is no need to hover around the front of the line (though we did so anyhow). It seems the no name policy may be a throwback to the gangbanger days of Lincoln Park’s past – the place also accepts no credit cards. There is no record of anyone ever eating there.
The ambience was nice – fairly dark with wood paneled walls and large wooden booths. The Christmas decorations were a needless reminder that the majority of Americans believe in Creationism.
We arrived at 7:32, gave our number (3) at 7:40 and were told it would 40 minutes. 50 minutes later, we were seated and handed menus. Service was fast and friendly. We sat at 8:30, ordered at 8:35, and got our salad at 8:40.
That’s right, salad. In a break from Pizza Club tradition, we ordered the Great American Salad - lettuce, delicious smoked ham, provolone and Swiss cheese, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts... tossed with freshly grated Romano cheese. Topped with creamy garlic dressing, sweet and sour poppy seed dressing, fresh ground pepper, and/or an interesting mix of largely unidentified seasonings, the salad was quite tasty.
If one goes to Chicago Pizza & Over Grinder for pizza, the choices are limited. There is only Pizza Pot Pie, no regular pizza. There was some debate as to whether a meatball oven grinder could fall into a broad definition of pizza, we opted not to open that door. Within the pizza pot pie genre, we were given the options of wheat or white, with or without mushrooms, meat sauce or tomato sauce, and ½ pound or full pound. We got three ½ pounders, 2 wheat and 1 white, all with meat sauce and all with mushrooms.
And none of the Pizza Clubbers were able to resist the Adam’s Apple, a delightful warm libation made of red wine, apple cider, whiskey, brandy, raisins and a cinnamon stick.
The pizza itself was good. Not great, but good. I enjoyed the meat sauce and both the wheat and white crust were good. I was expecting more of a pastry type crust as is commonly found in pot pie, but the crust was more of a chewy pizza crust. There was nothing extraordinary about the pizza – no wacky ingredients beyond the “doorknob size” mushrooms which were far smaller than any doorknob any pizza club member has ever laid eyes on. The meat sauce, while good, was also unlike any pizza sauce we’d ever tasted.
All in all, this was a pretty unique place which was good, but not great. The long line will forever remain a mystery. The pizza was good enough that I would not write it off as a gimmick, but not good enough to wait almost an hour for ever again.
Petey gives Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder a 6.6/10.
Waiting for our "number"
A salad at Pizza Club?!?? Yes, it happened
Salads gone, let's get down to real business!
Pizza Pot Pie, ready to serve
Being born
Where it went down
Monday, December 11, 2006
Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. [Meeting #38]
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Tomato Head [Meeting #33]
Tomato Head
Webster & Sheffield (Google Maps)
(773) 404-801
CPC invaded Tomato Head on 6/21/06
We visited Tomato head in Lincoln Park and had a great time. This place had some great thin crust pizza. Not to mention the fact that this place is BYOB, a fact that we did not know during our meeting. Rest assured should we ever venture there again we will be certain to be armed with a few six packs. The pizza not only was good as will be described below but was affordable as hell!!! There were 9 of us at the meeting and without sodas we each paid only 6 or 7 bucks (can’t remember final tally) and we all had plenty to eat with one slice left to spare. All pizzas had the same thin crust that was not too crispy and not so soft that each slice fell apart once lifted.
The first pizza we tried was the ZorbaZah, This pizza had some of my personal favorites including feta, Kalamta olives and tomatoes. The toppings were fresh and tasty. The cheese was not too salty which was good since we had plenty of salt provided by the feta cheese. The sauce was good, and had plenty of flavor to it, but could have been spicier. The Greeks (muck like our Italian brethren to the east) like their oregano.
The next pizza was a Hawaiian Pizza which really hit the spot on hot summer day. The pineapple was fresh. This is a good pizza for fruit lovers as there was plenty of pineapple throughout. I think this was the first pizza to go.
Finally, the Belt Buster. This pizza was filled with toppings. Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and black olives, were all prominent on almost every slice. Much like the other two pizzas this pizza had plenty of cheese that was not so sticky that the slices congealed after 10 minutes, but still a good amount.
This was a great affordable pizza club that allows one to bring some booze and a bunch of people together for some pizza. (Cubs game on in the background to boot!!!) Petey gives Tomato Head a 7.5 out of 10 and recommends this to thin crust lovers of all ages.
Extreme close-up!
More extreme closeness... making me hungry...
Delicious thin-crust
Hawaiian anyone?
Where it went down
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Home Run Inn [Meeting #25]
Homerun Inn
4254 W. 31st Street (Google Maps)
Chicago, IL 60623
Phone: 773-247-9696
CPC invaded Home Run Inn on 3/1/06
Snap, this isn't just a frozen pizza company?
Founded in 1947, Home Run Inn has been serving up tasty pizza and classic pasta, sandwiches, and salads since its birth. Plus, it's on the South Side so you know it's good. It's basically 5 miles west of Comiskey Park, standing as a landmark in yet another Chicago neighborhood to undergo massive change in the last half century.
On the outside, you'll quickly notice that they have three parking lots, all of which appeared pretty full. This might be due more to the well organized and busy takeout service they offer than it is to the sit down diners. The dining room is relatively small and has long tables that can accomodate 2 people or can be put together to seat 12. They offer a pizza feast, which is basically $10 a person and you get an order of chicken tenders, cheese sticks, toasted ravioli, garlic bread, salads for everyone, and a one-topping pie for every 4 people.
Our waitress was pleasant, even when it took us awhile to order. This place is not cheap and the ingredient list wasn't as thorough as many places offer nowadays. They do have specials listed and we decided that we had to go with the specialty pies. They are:
- Garlic Fireball - sausage, jalapenoes, giardiniera, all on garlic butter crust
- Laurie's Favorite - spinach, plum tomatoes, all on garlic butter crust
- Nick's Super - sausage, mushrooms, pepper, onions
- Chicago's Best - sausage, pepperoni, smoked bacon
- BBQ Chicken - baked chicken, Sweet Baby Ray's sauce, onions, mozarella, and cheddar
Petey gives Home Run Inn a score of 8.7
I'd like to leave you with a few deep thoughts before you look at the pictures:
This place really hit it out of the park!
Or, this place is a grand slam!
Or, don't swing and miss, come to Home Run Inn!
I may have a future in advertisements and/or talk shows.
Batter up...
Going, going.... gone!
Where it went down
Friday, February 17, 2006
Candlelite [Meeting #23]
Candlelite
7452 N Western (Google Maps)
Chicago, IL
773-465-0087
CPC invaded Candlelite on 2/16/06
This bar has a classy sign reminiscent of 1950's Las Vegas except that instead of mobsters running gambling joints, it's probably mobsters making good pizza. Inside is a pretty clean bar with standards on tap (and apparently $3.50 Stella on Thursday) and nice tables near large windows.
The pizzas: All were very good. Signature cracker crust, light on the sauce, and they use what I believe to be low-fat mozzarella cheese. It didn't melt quite like cheese usually does. We got all thin crust pies.
1. Basil, Pesto, and Spinach - More like basil and cheese. Enjoyable, but I could have used more pesto as a tomato sauce substitute. The spinach was unremarkable.
2. Fungus Among Us (Mushrooms + Sausage) - Probably had the most sauce of any of the pies. Appropriately salty, the sausage was not very strong but tasty and the mushrooms were fresh.
3. Bringing the Heat (Pico de Gallo, Pepperoni, Jalapeno) - A crowd favorite, but I found it to be kind of boring. The Pico de Gallo tasted like it came out of a can and the pepperoni didn't mesh well with the sauce and the jalapeno peppers. The peppers were fresh though.
4. Roast Beef - Nice, generous cuts of roast beef splattered across the pizza. Plain and simple, big taste.
And we polished off three orders of their delicious garlic fries. Pictures courtesy of G Wiv on LTHforum. Check out this great foodie site.
Seriously though, I'd kill any and every member of CPC for some of those garlic fries right now.
Petey gives Candlelite a score of 8.0
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Pizano's [Meeting #22]
Pizano's
864 N. State Street (GoogleMaps)
312.751.1766
CPC invaded Pizano's on 2/9/06
I always have a warm spot in my heart for a bartender going above and beyond. I must just be a grouchy miser, but I hate tipping bartenders at dive bars when all I (can) order is MGD and all they have to do is reach down and twist the cap off. That just made a $3 beer a $4 beer. That's a 33% markup!! The bartender at Pizanos's, where I sat while I waited for our ever-punctual crew, was real bartender. He made mixed drinks well and quickly, lit cigarettes, told jokes, gave directions, hit on his female customers, and never let my glass get empty. I happily ponied up for this high quality service. You can eat at the bar if you like, but we were able to get reservations for our large party. It's not a large restaurant, so we took up most of the back room. It's typical Chicago in here; dimly lit, smoky bar, a straightforward menu and service.
This is Pizano's original location, established in 1991. They have a second in the Loop and a third somewhere in the vast wilds of Wrigleyville. The owner is a certain Rudy Malnati Jr. You know, the son of a Chicago legend, Rudy Malnati Sr. of the Pizzeria Uno, and I'm sure junior borrows something from that restaurant. It depends on who you believe, but Rudy Sr. was a bartender and manager and most people believe he helped create the special recipe and cooking style of deep dish pizza. Of course, he also has close ties to Lou Malnati's pizzeria since Lou is his brother. We're talking Chicago pizza royalty with these three restaurants and Rudy Jr is the forgotten son at this point. He does not have the fame of his brother and certainly not of his father, but the real important issue here is, how does his pizza compare to those pizza giants? For what it's worth, all you Penny Pollack fans should know that she declared it the best pizza in town in her book Everybody Loves Pizza by virtue of it being the only pizzeria in Chicago to make her nationwide top 10 list. So like I said, take her ringing endorsement for what it may be worth.
We ordered 3 pies:
- Deep Dish, Spinach and Garlic
- Thin Crust, Rudy's Special (Sausage, Green Peppers, Onion, Mushrooms)
- Thin Crust, Rudy's Veggie Special (Green Peppers, Onion, Mushrooms)
The CPC has not yet scored Pizano's.
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