561 replies to this topic

[Slackmo]

Fabio is the mack.

[_____________]

the first challenge only made me think of Hot Dougs

and how Doug would have destroyed any of these chumps

yep, that's all i could think about too... then my mouth started to water a little bit. i'll be there for lunch tomorrow.

so after this week, i am starting to dig that little blond lesbian and the dirty italian as well. still no obvious favorite yet. i also like the new yorker girl, maybe italian, with the big knock knocks.

that tall skinny black chick makes me feel like a crazy person every time i see her on the screen.

[Damo Suzuki]

There is no hot dog that matches a classic Chicago Vienna Hot Dog. I hate the smugness of NYers when it comes to street food. NY pizza is shit and so are the hot dogs. Fuck you.

[Guy]

There is no hot dog that matches a classic Chicago Vienna Hot Dog.

I hate the smugness of NYers when it comes to street food. NY pizza is shit and so are the hot dogs. Fuck you.

Amen.

[_____________]

I hate the smugness of NYers when it comes to street food. NY pizza is shit and so are the hot dogs. Fuck you.

totally... our junk food is the best in the country.

[w. josh]

The European guys are so obviously going to either hook up in the hot tub one night, or get kicked out for enlisting the others to hold one down while the other tries to shave his ass. Beyond that, I haven't wanted to root for anyone immediately - definitely no CJ or Stephanie so far...

[Binko]

There is no hot dog that matches a classic Chicago Vienna Hot Dog.

I hate the smugness of NYers when it comes to street food. NY pizza is shit and so are the hot dogs. Fuck you.

At least NY has street vendors. It's nigh impossible to find one here except for Maxwell St. market and certain Mexican neighborhoods (26th Street in particular.)

But, yeah, Chicago hot dogs kick NY hot dogs ass. Gimme a natural-casing Vienna Beef or Chicago Red Hots over Nathan's or Gray's Papaya/Papaya King any day. However, I do prefer most east coast pizza over Chicago pizza, with a few exceptions.

[_____________]

Binko, how dare you blaspheme in here... you prefer NY pizza?! i always thought you had heart(-burn).

[Kate]

There is no hot dog that matches a classic Chicago Vienna Hot Dog.

I hate the smugness of NYers when it comes to street food. NY pizza is shit and so are the hot dogs. Fuck you.

Damo speaks the truth.
Nathan's hot dogs are horrible. Beyond horrible.

I like the black Big Bird and the two foreigners. And the blond lesbian.
Jill was horrible, I'm glad she's gone. Ariane is next.

[velocity]

I wish they could've sent Jill AND Ariane home last night.

The European guys are so obviously going to either hook up in the hot tub one night, or get kicked out for enlisting the others to hold one down while the other tries to shave his ass. Beyond that, I haven't wanted to root for anyone immediately - definitely no CJ or Stephanie so far...

I'm rooting for the bald guy w/ the goatee who almost got eliminated last night. I don't think he'll last, but he's earnest.

I'm intrigued by Fabio's 'spherical olives,' whatever they were.

[Binko]

Binko, how dare you blaspheme in here... you prefer NY pizza?! i always thought you had heart(-burn).

I generally prefer East Coast or Neapolitan pies to standard Chicago thin. Now, most New York pizza is pretty mediocre, but the stuff that's good (Patsy's, Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, etc.) I prefer to Chicago cracker crust. For me, the dough is the most important part of the pie, and those East Coasters and Italians know how to turn out a beautiful crust, with a little bit of char, and a delicate balance of toppings. My favorite overall pizza in Chicago would be the one from Coalfire, and that pretty much showcases the style that I enjoy the most. I only wish Coalfire made their own mozzarella.

Now, when it comes to Chicago pizza, I do like the cracker crust style as exemplified by Vito and Nick's. It's head-and-shoulders above any other cracker crust pizza I've had in Chicago. Marie's would be a distant second. I also enjoy Pat's from time to time, and used to like Candlelight, but that place has become a bit inconsistent. Otherwise, I'm pretty much disappointed with most Chicago thin crust pizzas. From time to time, I definitely enjoy a deep dish (Pequod's, Burt's, Malnati's), but only one or twice a year.

[_____________]

Binko, how dare you blaspheme in here... you prefer NY pizza?! i always thought you had heart(-burn).

I generally prefer East Coast or Neapolitan pies to standard Chicago thin. Now, most New York pizza is pretty mediocre, but the stuff that's good (Patsy's, Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, etc.) I prefer to Chicago cracker crust. For me, the dough is the most important part of the pie, and those East Coasters and Italians know how to turn out a beautiful crust, with a little bit of char, and a delicate balance of toppings. My favorite overall pizza in Chicago would be the one from Coalfire, and that pretty much showcases the style that I enjoy the most. I only wish Coalfire made their own mozzarella.

Now, when it comes to Chicago pizza, I do like the cracker crust style as exemplified by Vito and Nick's. It's head-and-shoulders above any other cracker crust pizza I've had in Chicago. Marie's would be a distant second. I also enjoy Pat's from time to time, and used to like Candlelight, but that place has become a bit inconsistent. Otherwise, I'm pretty much disappointed with most Chicago thin crust pizzas. From time to time, I definitely enjoy a deep dish (Pequod's, Burt's, Malnati's), but only one or twice a year.

you just named like 5 or 6 places i have never even heard of... damn.

[Binko]

Binko, how dare you blaspheme in here... you prefer NY pizza?! i always thought you had heart(-burn).

I generally prefer East Coast or Neapolitan pies to standard Chicago thin. Now, most New York pizza is pretty mediocre, but the stuff that's good (Patsy's, Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, etc.) I prefer to Chicago cracker crust. For me, the dough is the most important part of the pie, and those East Coasters and Italians know how to turn out a beautiful crust, with a little bit of char, and a delicate balance of toppings. My favorite overall pizza in Chicago would be the one from Coalfire, and that pretty much showcases the style that I enjoy the most. I only wish Coalfire made their own mozzarella.

Now, when it comes to Chicago pizza, I do like the cracker crust style as exemplified by Vito and Nick's. It's head-and-shoulders above any other cracker crust pizza I've had in Chicago. Marie's would be a distant second. I also enjoy Pat's from time to time, and used to like Candlelight, but that place has become a bit inconsistent. Otherwise, I'm pretty much disappointed with most Chicago thin crust pizzas. From time to time, I definitely enjoy a deep dish (Pequod's, Burt's, Malnati's), but only one or twice a year.

you just named like 5 or 6 places i have never even heard of... damn.

Well, let's see. Vito & Nick's, Marie's, and Candlelight all regularly show up on Chicago best pizza lists. I think Time Out named all three of them in their last pizza round up (in the spring, IIRC). Vito & Nick's (84th & Pulaski) was also recently taped for Food Network's Diner's, Drive-ins, and Dives. It's just another neighborhood bar on Chicago's Southwest Side that happens to make (in my opinion) the best cracker crust in Chicago. The place is a real throwback, and looks like it hasn't changed in fifty years. Be sure to note the carpeting on the wall. The fanciest beer they have on tap is Old Style, and they don't take credit cards. Look at how thin and beautiful this thing is:



Marie's (4127 W. Lawrence) is another time warp with its 70s-era red-vinyl upholstered booths, mirrored walls, and tuxedo-clad bartenders. None of it is meant to be ironic or hip--like Vito & Nicks, it's just frozen in time. I find Marie's pizza to be slightly thicker than Vito & Nicks and the sauce is not quite as heavily spiced. East Coast pizza snob/NYTimes food journalist Ed Levine (author of "Pizza: A Slice of Heaven" pretty much completely skips over Chicago pizza in his book, but when I heard him on local radio here in 2005 plugging his book, Marie's was one of the local joints he mentioned liking (although with Coalfire and Spacca Napoli now in Chicago, he might find more pizzas to his liking on a return trip.) Marie's also has the distinction of being attached to liquor store. Personally, I like to visit Marie's from time to time for its old school charm, but their pizza doesn't completely knock me over like Vito & Nick's does. It also tends to be on the greasy side, but no round-up of Chicago thin crust is complete without a mention of Marie's.

http://slice.serious...es/091608 Marie

Burt's (8541 Ferris, Morton Grove) is Pequod's, but better. Burt Katz used to run Pequod's in the 70s, so he's continuing on the great Pequod's tradition up in Morton Grove, and serving up deep dish, caramelized-cheese crust pizzas in his own eccentric way. When Saveur decided to do its first single-city issue in October 2007, Chicago was the city honored, and Burt's pizza graced the cover. Word to the wise: if you go to Burt's call ahead. He's a lovable, but idiosyncratic motherfucker, and he really wants to know ahead of time how many pizzas he'll need to be making, when you plan to arrive, etc., so everything will be ready for your visit. It's not absolutely required, but it is strongly encouraged. Try not to be late. Burt's masterpiece:



Candlelite (7452 N. Western) I'm a little more tepid in recommending. It's very hit-and-miss, has changed owners in the time I've been going there, and since the newest owners, has been a little uneven. That said, it's worth a shot, as when they're on, they have a superb ultra-thin cracker-crust. And the garlic fries are awesome.


Coalfire (1321 W. Grand) exemplifies East Coast/Neapolitan pizza. Technically, it's supposed to be New Haven-style pizza, with the coal-burning oven and all. It's much lighter on the toppings than a typical Chicago thin crust, and the dough is completely different: charred and slightly crisp on the outside, chewy in the center. The flavor is reminiscent of naan straight out of the tandoor. If you're only used to Chicago-style thin crust, this may take some getting used to for you. Here's what a pie looks like:



Next on my list to try is Pizza Art Cafe (4658 N. Rockwell) for their Neapolitan pies baked in a wood-burning oven and the similarly named, but unrelated, Art of Pizza (3033 N. Ashland) for their deep dish, which apparently has been getting rave reviews.

[_____________]

nice, thanks Binko... i think i've actually been to Vito and Nick's with my cousins from Oak Lawn years ago... they're big on Beggar's... we were an Aurellio's family, the original in Homewood. it's my dying meal.

[Binko]

nice, thanks Binko... i think i've actually been to Vito and Nick's with my cousins from Oak Lawn years ago...

they're big on Beggar's... we were an Aurellio's family, the original in Homewood. it's my dying meal.

Oh, yeah, Aurelio's. Can't go wrong with that. I've never had a Beggar's Pizza, though.

[Hewletts Daughter]

we were an Aurellio's family

same here.

i think if my dad had his way, we would eat nothing but their food. pastas. pizzas. salads. everything. every night of the week. every morning. every afternoon.



dude loves himself Aurellios.


and have you ever heard about their pizza sauce? i heard they add some jelly to it to give it that extra sweet omph. i'm not complaining nor am i sure this is a truthful rumor. what i do know, tho, is that their sauce is amazing.

[Binko]

and have you ever heard about their pizza sauce? i heard they add some jelly to it to give it that extra sweet omph. i'm not complaining nor am i sure this is a truthful rumor. what i do know, tho, is that their sauce is amazing.

It's been years since I went to Aurelio's and I couldn't remember why I stopped going. You've reminded me. Like Palermo's, they've got that really sweet tomato sauce (which we call "sugar sauce" around here.) Their pizza was perfect, except that I don't like sweet tomato sauces. Same with Palermo's. I like the overall impression of the pie, can't stand the sauce. I don't remember Aurelio's being quite as flagrant with the sweetness as Palermo's, though. I'll have to go back soon and research....

[_____________]

i'm pretty sure they use honey in their sauce. love the way Aurelio's can get their cheese nice and crispy too... have to request having your pie cooked in the old oven. mouth = now watering

[Binko]

i'm pretty sure they use honey in their sauce.

love the way Aurelio's can get their cheese nice and crispy too... have to request having your pie cooked in the old oven.

mouth = now watering

Thanks for the tip. I like my pies "all the way" (well done). Is the Homewood location still there?

[54cermak]

I don't care if Ladytron doesn't like her restaurant, Radhika is the only one on here that I really like, though I doubt she makes it past the middle of the pack at best. Stefan is the one to beat.