Pizza Club Chicago

meeting #66: Obbie’s Pizza

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:22:27 -0500

Talk about a honeypot of pizza down by the Midway airport. It seems like PCC is making the trip down there more and more these days. Plus, when we were at Obbie’s I got a couple more leads on future destinations (we’re coming for you, Vince’s…)

Obbie’s is carryout / delivery only, so we dined at Tom’s Tap across the street. The first sign that Obbie’s was going to be great was that they were not put in pizza boxes, but rather the tented paper sleeves—the best.

Classic thin crust pizza, Obbie’s has definitely been around for awhile–35 years to be exact. They have no website, no Facebook page, nothing. But the dudes in Obbie’s jam out some great pizzas.

We didn’t rate atmosphere as it was just takeout, but price definitely crushed it as Obbie’s is a good deal. Each pie was a crowd pleaser and if you are down in the area, perhaps drinking at Tom’s Tap, make sure to get a pizza from these guys.

¾/18

# of people in attendance: 8

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: ½ cheese + ½ Obbie’s special (supreme), ½ sausage/onion + ½ sausage/mushroom, ½ pepp/onion + ½ pepp/mushroom

SCORES

atmosphere: n/a

sauce: 5.6

cheese: 6.9

toppings: 6.9

crust: 5.6

price: 8

overall score: 6.6

meeting #65: Pizzeria Bebu

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:06:23 -0500

New on the scene, I’d been following Bebu on Instagram for awhile and their pizzas looked delicious so I had to get in there.

Located in the weird still-developing North/Clybourn area, Bebu is on the ground floor of a condo building I believe. Super slim restaurant and not a ton of seating but we got a nice table at the end and were all pretty stoked for it.

I loved the pizzas at Bebu. Not sure if I have ever scored a 10 on sauce before, but I did that night at Bebu. We tried most of their pizzas and they not only all brought the flavor with toppings, but varied a lot in sauce too. In particular I remember the classic red sauce having a nice spice to it, and the clam sauce was spectacular. High marks and applause for the crust as well–almost charred, well done pies. Awesome stuff.

The only knock is the price which is a little steep, but all those rich fuckers in the condos above are probably cool with it.

Great stuff–I look forward to eventually getting back.

12/20/17

# of people in attendance: 8

# pizzas sampled: 8

pizzas: about half the menu, all delicious

SCORES

atmosphere: 6.4

sauce: 8

cheese: 6.3

toppings: 7.1

crust: 6.6

price: 4

overall score: 6.4

meeting #64: Joe’s Pizza

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 15:49:55 -0500

Joe’s clearly has been around for a bit. Located up in Jefferson Park, I spotted Joe’s on the way to O’Hare as 90 was all backed up so we cruised up Higgins. Not a large place and a bit lacking in character, but guessing Joe’s also does plenty of take out.

The pizza is pretty damn good. Thin crust beauties with some creative topping selections. Good amounts of cheese, good crust. Everybody was happy for the most part.

Unfortunately I either forgot score cards, lost them, or didn’t round up numbers via text so I don’t have numbers for you. I can say definitively though that Joe’s is a great neighborhood spot that I would frequent if I lived up there. Perhaps moreso for takeout but nonetheless go check it out if you are in Jeff Park.

11/1/17

# of people in attendance: 7

# pizzas sampled: 4

pizzas: not exactly sure. Something with bacon, a taco pizza, the standard ½ mush/saus and ½ pepp/onion, and more.

SCORES

atmosphere: n/a

sauce: n/a

cheese: n/a

toppings: n/a

crust: n/a

price: n/a

overall score: n/a

meeting #63: Bonci

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 15:19:56 -0500

Pizza Club Chicago’s 63rd meeting had a lot riding on it. Acclaimed Roman pizza dude Gabriele Bonci’s debut in America, right here in Chicago, so the hype was definitely there.

To be fair to Bonci, PCC is used to a more classic Chicago/American approach to pizza with some degree of crust, gooey cheese and sauce. Bonci is not that style of pizza. Nick Kindelsperger from the Tribune absolutely loves the crust, and says Bonci is “serves pizza al taglio, a Roman specialty that translates as pizza by the cut”. They cut off as much as you want of any pizza with scissors–pretty cool so you can sample a bunch. Toppings range from sauceless potato and rosemary to mortadella to sardine and mozz to almost anything savory and delicious on a pizza you can think of. All of it very high quality, and the focaccia type crust is great.

Meant more as a carry out place (what these types of spots typically are in Rome) there isn’t much room to eat there which doesn’t help the atmosphere. It is, however a really nice place and it’s definitely interesting to see the whole operation in progress as its all out in the open.

It you are a pizza fan to any degree, Bonci is definitely something you should check out.

6/22/17

# of people in attendance: 5

# pizzas sampled: way too many to remember

pizzas: lots of crazy shit

SCORES

atmosphere: 3.5

sauce: 4.8

cheese: 5

toppings: 7.2

crust: 5.8

price: 3.8

overall score: 5

meeting #62: Jimmy’s Place

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 14:54:27 -0500

Jimmy’s Place is a gem. Old school pizza place that’s been holding it down in Forest Park for 15 years, but the vibe makes it feel like it’s been around for 50. Housed in an old building on the Madison strip, Jimmy’s has a nice airy dining room with a good bar feel to it. It’s clearly beloved by the locals.

The pizza at Jimmy’s Place is great. Thin crust pies with solid everything and great balance. Little cornmeal on the crust, just greasy enough, and quality toppings.

Bringing quality and atmosphere together at Jimmy’s, they’ve got a great thing going on out there. Definitely get out to Jimmy’s Place when you can.

6/22/17

# of people in attendance: 5

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: pepp + onion, ½ sausage + mushroom ½ sausage, something else

SCORES

atmosphere: 7.3

sauce: 5.6

cheese: 7.2

toppings: 6.5

crust: 8

price: 6.6

overall score: 6.9

meeting #61: Michael’s Original Pizzeria & Tavern

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 14:53:26 -0500

Tucked up on Broadway in NE Lakeview/Buena Park/Uptown, Michael’s has servicing the neighborhood for long over a decade. It’s a pizzeria but also has a great vintage-y sports bar vibe.

Definitely a fun local spot that I would probably go to pretty regularly, but the pizza won’t knock your socks off. The regular red sauce thin crust is definitely the best option at Michael’s, and it’s a great place to catch a game.

Check it out if you are in the neighborhood and want to toss back a few brewskies.

5/26/17

# of people in attendance: 6

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: deep dish ½ pepp + onion, ½ sausage + mushroom, thin ½ supreme ½ pepp, and a white pie with tomato

SCORES

atmosphere: 7

sauce: 5.3

cheese: 6

toppings: 5.4

crust: 5

price: 6

overall score: 5.8

meeting #60: Albano’s Pizzeria

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 14:33:36 -0500

On the intersection of streets dividing Cicero, Chicago, Oak Park and Berwyn, Albano’s has survived the test of time and lives on in 2017. Family-run, Albano’s has been around for over 25 years and is a solid neighborhood spot.

What Albano’s lacks in atmosphere is made up by the pizza–it’s fantastic. Hearty thin crust pies are graciously adorned by plenty of toppings. Bubbly cheese, sauce and ingredients are pushed to the edge on each pie, and overall they were cooked wonderfully.

This is definitely a go-to spot if you live in the neighborhood. Awesome pizza guys, keep it rocking!

4/30/17

# of people in attendance: 7

# pizzas sampled: 4

pizzas: Italian Beef, supreme, ½ pepperoni + onion ½ sausage +mushroom

SCORES

atmosphere: 5.0

sauce: 6.6

cheese: 7.9

toppings: 7.6

crust: 7.2

price: 7.6

overall score: 7

meeting #59: Tano’s Pizzeria

attfcdab — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 14:18:30 -0500

Not all pizza is created equally, and sometime’s you get a woofer. Normally I select new spots to visit based off articles or reviews I read, but I went with word of mouth on this one from Travis Darby so we’re blaming him.

Tano’s just didn’t have it going on for us. The atmosphere is pretty non-existent, and the pizzas just didn’t impress.

With all of the amazing pizza in Chicago and plenty of other options on the north side, sorry Tano’s, but I’d recommend people go elsewhere.

3/26/17

# of people in attendance: 5

# pizzas sampled: 3?

pizzas: don’t even remember / doesn’t matter

SCORES

atmosphere: 3.6

sauce: 2.7

cheese: 3.6

toppings: 3.3

crust: 4.7

price: 4.8

overall score: 3.8

meeting #58: Pizza Castle

attfcdab — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 12:01:51 -0500

Fifty-eight meetings. Six years. Lots and lots of pizza. It’s a rare occurrence when we’re able to find a new place that cracks the acclaimed PCC Top 5, but here we are.

History was made last Sunday, February 26th 2017 when we visited the Pizza Castle. This family-run establishment has been making delicious pizza pies for 44 years, and man, is their pizza pizza awesome.

Mainly a take-out spot with a very small front room that contains a handful of stools and limited counter space, the Pizza Castle has remained a constant in the ever-changing southwest side of Chicago for the past half century and then some. The interior is decorated with photo collages of neighborhood kids on Halloween, and classic Chicago sports memorabilia.

And the pizza is wonderful. It’s everything you could ask for in an exceptional thin crust pizza pie. Homemade sausage and sauce, freshly ground cheese, premium & ample toppings and a crisp crust. We’re not huge Hawaiian pizza fans but theirs is pretty amazing–the half marinara half BBQ sauce was a good call. The vibe is great, the guys who run the place were super friendly, and the overall experience was one of the most positive and memorable in PCC history.

Make the trip and visit this place when you can!

I hope to be back soon.

2/26/17

# of people in attendance: 8

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: sausage/onion + pepperoni / mushroom, Hawaiian with ½ marinara and ½ BBQ sauce, and a “Pie By Di”: sausage, mushroom, pepperoni & jalapeno.

SCORES

atmosphere: 7.6

sauce: 7.1

cheese: 7.4

toppings: 7.4

crust: 7.4

price: 9.0

overall score: 7.6

meeting #57: Barnaby’s

attfcdab — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:26:37 -0500

The first Pizza Club Chicago meeting of any new year always has promise. The wintertime in Chicago allows everyone to take a little bit more time to really savor our PCC meetings, and branch out to some fringe areas of the city or suburbs as people have more time. Barnaby’s was a perfect candidate for January, with multiple locations across the northern suburbs. Obviously we had to go with the original location, which by chance is roughly within a mile of Burt’s place in Niles.

Lets talk pizza. Barnaby’s is a classic thin pie, with a nice cornmeal-kissed braided crust and a homemade tomato sauce. Great cheesiness, the right amount of grease, and quality toppings. The dudes that make the pizza (and really everybody at Barnaby’s) look like they have been making it there since 1967 when they first opened.

Barnaby’s in Niles has a strange layout. The overall medival times vibe is cool, but awkward TV placements present a bit of a challenge if you are there for the big game. There also are no servers, and the ordering takes place at the counter with quirky/somewhat confusing ordering sheets. Separately, there is a bar that you go to after the pizza counter, so there is a little extra work with any trip to Barnaby’s.

Great pizza, and despite some of the oddities, it’s no doubt a cherished spot for local pizza lovers in the range of any of their locations. Thin crust goodness (thumbs up emoji).

1/22/17

# of people in attendance: 6

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: jalapeno/bacon/ground beef, sausage/onion, ½ pepperoni + ½ mushroom,

SCORES

atmosphere: 7.3

sauce: 6.3

cheese: 6.2

toppings: 6.4

crust: 6.4

price: 6.6

overall score: 6.5

meeting #56: Bricks Pizza

attfcdab — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:03:33 -0500

Located in a subterranean space in Old Town / Lincoln Park area, Bricks has been churning out tavern style pizzas since ‘97. “The Bricks experience is built on the holy trinity of tasty beer, crispy pizza and funky music” according to their website, and one thing that makes them unique (outside of the dark, & cavernous space) is the crispy whole wheat crust.

The most intimate PCC meeting in perhaps years, our group of 5 enjoyed our time at Bricks on a cold & wintry December evening. It’s a reliable neighborhood hang and great cozy space.

With limited eaters, we did our best to sample as much Bricks as we could. Everyone loved the vibe and most of the pizzas. The wheat crust is a nice change of pace, and the sauce has a bit of a zing to it which we also liked. Respectable scores across the board with higher marks on toppings and atmosphere. Most likely won’t go back–primarily due to location–but undoubtedly an asset to those in the ‘hood.

12/20/16

# of people in attendance: 5

# pizzas sampled: 3

pizzas: ½ Popeye + ½ sausage and onion, creole shrimp pizza, and a ½ Painful + ½ ground beef and bacon

SCORES

atmosphere: 7.2

sauce: 6.4

cheese: 6.2

toppings: 7.4

crust: 6.4

price: 5.2

overall score: 6.5

meeting #55: John’s Pizzeria Ristorante & Lounge

attfcdab — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 11:39:48 -0500

John’s Pizzeria Ristorante & Lounge is on Western Ave in NW Bucktown / SE Logan Square, and it’s been around for 60 years. According to Google Maps it is a “Venerable eatery featuring Italian & American comfort foods plus a full bar in no-frills retro digs”.

The retro digs could also be described as a little out-of-date, a bit run down, and a little depressing, but lets talk about the pizza because it’s pretty good.

They do classic thin crust at John’s. Ample cheese and toppings, solid scores across the board, and above average marks on crust & price. We went with a few signature pizzas off the menu and sat in the side dining room. A light crowd when we were there, my feeling is that they do a respectable delivery business.

I’ll likely get this pizza delivered in the future because it’s quality. A facelift could restore it’s greatness, but either way we’re glad to have them in the neighborhood.

10/21/16

# of people in attendance: 9

# pizzas sampled: 4

pizzas: John’s special, Roman Pizza, taco pizza, and a ½ mushroom & sausage + ½ pepperoni & onion.

SCORES

atmosphere: 5.7

sauce: 5.7

cheese: 5.6

toppings: 5.7

crust: 6.4

price: 6.2

overall score: 5.9

You Voted On The Best Pizza In Chicago, & The Winner Is...

attfcdab — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:47:46 -0400

You Voted On The Best Pizza In Chicago, & The Winner Is...:

Wow. My Pi, seriously? Not sure about this one…

meeting #54: Paulie Gee’s

attfcdab — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 17:59:02 -0400

The original Paulie Gee’s is in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NYC. Paulie has dudes that are basically doing franchise type versions now in 5 cities in the US, and we’re lucky enough to now have one in Chicago. The pizza spot is described as “rustic-chic eatery & bar serving wood-fired pizzas featuring unusual names & gourmet ingredients” which accurately sums it up. Our Paulie Gee guy in Chicago (Derrick Tung) even imported 2 Stefano Ferrera ovens from Napoli, Italy, so they are going for it for sure–and so far it’s paid off.

The neapolitan pies are delicious, and they also do a Detroit-style square pie that’s only available a couple days a week. What Paulie Gee’s does differently is the combination of toppings. The “Hellified Pork Pie” has white fresh mozzarella, sopressata, fennel sausage, sliced red onions, fresh garlic, fresh basil, and Mike’s HOT Honey. Its awesome. Another pie–my favorite of the night– the ”Lady LolaItalian” has tomatoes, kimchi, serrano peppers, green onions, guanciale, black and white sesame seeds, and soy chili glaze. Different, delicious, and fun to see on a pizza menu.

For some reason, a couple members really dogged Paulie Gee’s on a few categories and while that has a bit of an impact on overall scoring, you should absolutely check this place out if you live in Logan Square or visit. Nicely done, Derrick, keep it up man.

9/8/16

# of people in attendance: 9

# pizzas sampled: I think 12?

pizzas: about half the menu. all good.

SCORES

atmosphere: 4.4

sauce: 5.7

cheese: 5.2

toppings: 7.3

crust: 6.8

price: 4.2

overall score: 5.6

meeting #53: Macello Ristorante

attfcdab — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 16:37:45 -0400

A popular trend seen across PCC destinations in the past couple years has been the neapolitan style pies. Personal sized, bubbly charred but chewy crust, scant but fresh mozzarella, and a tangy fresh sauce. Macello falls into this category, and once I saw it was very high up on a local “best of list”, we had to get in there.

And a ristorante it certainly is. Located in the west loop in a somewhat desolate stretch for now, Macello has been wood-firing pizzas since 2007. The lofty space is elaborately decorated with glass lighting fixtures, colorful artwork, and the wine flows here.

As for the pizza, the “Pugliese cuisine, inspired by the nostalgic reflections of our two owners, both with strong ties to this southern Italian region” was pretty delicious. Very Italian with the southern region influence shining through on its pies with different toppings. The crust was amazing, and sauce & toppings delectable as well.

If you are in the west loop and want a semi-fancy pizza experience with a little bit of vino, make sure to check this place out.

7/27/16

# of people in attendance: 9

# pizzas sampled: n/a

pizzas: 9 I think. Most of them…

SCORES

atmosphere: 7.1

sauce: 6.2

cheese: 6.1

toppings: 6.3

crust: 6.9

price: 3.9

overall score: 6.1

you guys want to go to Pizza Camp?

attfcdab — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 16:19:04 -0400

Shout out to my guy Chris Cloud for his project Pizza Camp in Minneapolis: http://pizzacamp.org/

“Pizza Camp is a overnight camp for pizza-loving adults featuring pizza meals alongside summer camp style programming and entertainment.Pizza Camp was founded in 2014 by the Minneapolis Pizza Club. Pizza Camp 2014 took place at the Baker Near-Wilderness Settlement in Maple Plain, MN on September 6th, 2014. Pizza Camp 2015 returned to Baker on September 12th, 2015. We camped, we ate, we conquered. Pizza Camp 2016 will be back at Baker and will feature pizza meals, camp style programs and more. “

Lots more on their website and via the press they got from everyone. Kudos!

meeting #52: Pie Eyed

attfcdab — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 17:49:19 -0400

Pie Eyed has been around since 2004, but for some reason I had never had it until the Chicago Pizza Summit back in April. Maybe it’s because I don’t live in West Town, or because there are thousands of other pizza joints in the city.

Anyway, I met these dudes at the Summit and they were featuring a special collaboration pizza with the 5 Star bar guys and they made an insanely good Vietnamese flavored pie that had hoisin BBQ sauce, ginger beer braised pork belly, red bell pepper, fried cheese curds, and cilantro. I kept going back for slices, so I had to go check out the place.

While the Vietnamese pie was a limited time offering, their regular pizza menu is solid. Great thin crust and thick, with excellent toppings, and respectable marks for cheese and toppings as well.

Great location for transit but not a large dining room, thats one of the very few knocks against the place. If I lived off the Blue Line I’d be there at least once a week for a slice if not more. Check it out, guys.

5/25/16

# of people in attendance: 6

# pizzas sampled: n/a

pizzas: n/a

SCORES

atmosphere: 5.8

sauce: 7.3

cheese: 6.8

toppings: 7.1

crust: 5.3

price: 6.7

overall score: 6.5

meeting #51: Pizzeria Uno

attfcdab — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:01:13 -0400

This is it folks, the OG pizzeria of Chicago.

While the feud lives on between Uno and the Malnatis– Uno was established first in the 1943, and Rudi Malnati Sr was credited with inventing the deep dish in 1956 via the Chicago Daily News– we’ll say Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo of Uno are the official deep dish pioneers.

Out of all the famous deep dish places in the city, this place and Due are not only delicious, but you can feel the history. Easy to get into if you go early or on a weeknight, and the pizza will absolutely delight you.

Their fantastic pizza pies feature a legendary crust, loads of gooey cheese, a perfectly balanced sauce and ample toppings. Paper thin sliced onions are a nice touch on the deep dish we got. A homey downtown original vibe rounds out the experience, and nothing really compares.

If you are a pizza fan and have not been here, push it to the top of your list and check it out.

4/7/16

# of people in attendance: 6

# pizzas sampled: n/a

pizzas: n/a

SCORES

atmosphere: 6.9

sauce: 6

cheese: 6.2

toppings: 6

crust: 7.3

price: 5.5

overall score: 6.3

meeting #50: Vito & Nick’s (part 2)

attfcdab — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 13:12:40 -0400

For Pizza Club Chicago, reaching the 50th meeting was a pretty big deal. Hard to imagine we’ve been scouring the city for best pizza pies, and finding so many good places over the past ~5 years. Half a decade of pure pizza joy.

In celebration of PCC L, we went back to numero uno on the list–the best there is in Chicago, Vito & Nick’s. And it did not disappoint.

There were no score cards or judging at this meeting, but only acknowledging and basking in greatness and eating amazing pizza. Also I made custom PCC cardigans for our members to commemorate the day .

The pizza was great as always. We tried the egg special which added a nice brunchy vibe to our early afternoon pizzeria experience, and per the usual, washed it down with Old Style from the pitcher.

Keep on keeping it real, Vito and Nick’s, you’re the best.

Domino's Gets OK For Drone Pizza Delivery

attfcdab — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:22:32 -0400

Domino's Gets OK For Drone Pizza Delivery