Restaurant Week

Usually I spend Chicago Restaurant Week out and about getting a steak at Smith & Wollensky or grabbing a nice upscale pork dish from Frontera Grill.  Well not this year, I appreciate the deals, honestly restaurants... thanks for going out of your way to make sure that 2 people can enjoy a great meal for just under $100 as long as they limit their drinking.  However it is 2010 and may I remind you, I'm not looking to spend another Benjamin on a Tuesday night in Feb.

No this year, I even made that rez for S&W but canceled it today because I have something else in mind.  Da da da Daaaaaa!  Vito & Nick's Pizzeria!  What was I high when I made that reservation at S&W?!?!  Like any good citizen of Chicago when it comes tax season, I make an apointment to see my guy who happens to be the south side of Chicago.

How you know you are getting your taxes done by a true south sider

-he refers to your wife or his wife or any wife in general as "da bride"

-office is a little bigger than my closet and it is in the basement in the corner

-no one talking to me about the off season moves the Cubs have made

-his signature on the bottom of your form looks like this -----_

-you may hear "I gotta guy that does..." and it is usually some sort of cousin or inlaw of their kid

Ok, we got off track there for a little bit... I am heading to the south side, perfect afternoon trip to see how much taxes I paid last year and grab some of the best tavern style south side crispy cracker thin crust pizza.  That's right after my meeting, I will be grabbing Vito & Nick's and racing back home to dive in.  Who needs all the glitz and glam of a restaurant when you have the flavor of a pizzeria available for around $20.  All Picked up from a location that looks like this

 

Family owned, Vito & Nick's has been in business for almost 90 years, and just one crunchy bite and you will know why!  They were recently featured on Guy Fieri's show Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and then even brought back on an hour long special of Guy's favorites.  They have 2 locations, but for all intents and purposes I will be talking about the one located at 84th pl and Pulaski (please note, that 84th pl is different from 84th st).  Menu isn't much to look at and I love love love that, get in there and make a decision and don't weigh me down with questions like "should I get pineapple and ham, or tofu and chicken".  No when you go there you get cheese, pep, saus, beef, stuff like that...  They do however have 1 that steps a little outside the box, it is egg and that is only available on Friday so I don't even have to worry about that one.

Alright, taxes prepared heading North on Pulaski and pull over to this.  From the moment I walk in, I head right to the counter and order a small Italian beef and a small sausage.  I'm told it will take 30 minutes and I am fine with that kind of wait (pretty fast for a place that makes that many pizzas).  I belly up to the bar and observe the locals, White Sox hats and Miller Lites flow as people unwind after a tough day of work.  The juke box is playing some classic CD's including Blues Bros soundtrack and Journey.  30 minutes go by like that and I realize I had better get these pies home asap if I want to enjoy them as they intended here.  I may live in the south loop but I was surprised at how quickly I was able to make it back home even at 4:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday.  

Ok, take a look and tell me what you think... Here is the sausage and it is fresh out the oven, cut in squares and bubbling hot cheese.  First thing I notice when I bite into this one is how crispy that crust is.  Next thing I notice is how much seasoning has gone into the sausage, I can literally see nice chunks of oregano and other spices that just infuse the pie with maximum flavor.  They take the time to make sure the cheese is well done but not overdone and it is a gooey mess on top of a cracker crust.  Definitely in my top 5 of Chicago Tavern Style and such a treat for anyone that lives nearby or has the time to make the trip.  THEY DO NOT DELIVER, THEY DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS OR CHECKS... BRING YOURSELF AND CASH!

 

Ok, so while my favorite pizza usually involves sausage or maybe green pepper with sausage (I really love sausage), to our left we have my new favorite pizza on the south side.  Yes this is it, the Italian beef pizza.  You are getting the same great crust, sauce and cheese that you would from any other pizza here at Vito & Nick's BUT... you are also getting extreme saltiness and flavor from Italian beef.  I saw how they make it on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and they keep true to any other Italian beef maker in Chicago.  It is excellent, the only way I can really describe this is... it as if you are taking a bite of a Portillos beef at the same time you are taking a bite of V&N pizza.  The combination of those two flavors are beyond words and what ends up happening is that you just end up eating way too much of this.  Since it is cut into snack like squares that are extremely tiny you lose track very quickly how many slices you have had and you don't really seem to mind.  Did I have 10 slices?  12?  Whatever who cares this stuff is awesome and I have to continue.


Bottom line is that I can sit here and try to write up in this blog all these adjectives that highlight this pizza and its taste, but here is the cliff notes version - Cheese is prepared perfectly, sauce is well seasoned with great favor, the crust is extremely crispy even after a 20 minute ride (somehow the steam didn't soggy it), and the Italian beef and sausage keep true to the way they should taste in Chicago.  I can't give you any more advice to help you understand this pizza, the Pizza King recommends you just go there and give it a try!

www.vitoandnick.com