Posted by Daniel Zemans, September 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Daniel Zemans, our man in Chicago, checks in with another piece of intel on the Windy City pizza scene. Daniel also blogs about Chicagoland pizza with his friends on the Chicago Pizza Club blog. —The Mgmt.
It is always surprising when, in this information age of ours, a brilliant idea is not immediately replicated all over the country, if not the world. And when said brilliant idea has actually been around for decades and remains unique, I am at a complete loss. And so I write in complete and utter shock as I report on Marie’s Pizza and Liquors on the northwest side of Chicago.
See, as the name suggests, Marie’s is both a pizzeria and a liquor store. And while the restaurant has a full bar, patrons are allowed to head over to the liquor store and pick out a bottle of wine. The store sends the bottle to the bartender, who opens it (for a $2.50 corkage fee) and then pours glasses for your server to bring to your table. If someone can explain why this system has not become a model for pizzerias everywhere, I would appreciate it.
Marie’s has been an Albany Park institution since 1948, and does not appear to have been renovated for at least 30 to 40 years, if it ever was. From the red vinyl booths to the wood paneling to the faux chandeliers, the ambience at Marie’s offers a unique treat that only adds to the pizza-eating experience. I went there on Saturday night, and, despite the fact that it was the rainiest day in the history of Chicago, Marie’s was packed by the time we left.
Marie’s does sell thicker crust pies (not deep-dish thick, just thicker than their thin crust), but we stuck with thin crust. We ordered two pizzas, a half sausage–half pepperoni and a half veggie–half cheese. When the pizzas arrived, the second pizza was all veggie. Our waitress, who I’m guessing has worked there for some time, told us to keep the one she brought and that she would bring us a cheese pizza on the house. Free pizza equals good pizza.
I’m not sure how, but Marie’s pizza is greasier than most. I can’t blame the meat, since the pizzas that were animal-free were almost as greasy as the meat-covered one. Understand that when I say greasy, I am writing based on Chicago standard. I did not see a single person take a napkin and press down on the pizza as is common in New York City, nor would there be any need for such behavior. [Only wusses in NYC splotch the grease with napkins! —The Mgmt.]
The pizza itself is very good. The crust is very thin and fairly crisp, though less crisp than the better Chicago thin-crust establishments. It has a good flavor and definitely stands up to the sauce, cheese, and toppings.
The sauce was well-seasoned, though it seems to have more tomato paste than is typical. The vegetables on the veggie pizza were fresh, the pepperoni was of the same Hormel-quality that is consistently found on pizzas across the country, and the sausage had enough fennel to taste, but not much more.
Reading that description, I realize it may not seem like a ringing endorsement, but the pizza really was good, just not great. That said, for me the highlight of Marie’s is the ambience (including the attached liquor store). If you happen to be in or near the neighborhood and want some good thin-crust pizza, it is worth checking out. It's just not worth going that far out of your way for.
Marie's Pizza & Liquor
4127 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago IL 60630 (near N. Kedvale Avenue; map); 773-685-5030
but yes, good pizza and great ambiance. I was there in the spring when it was the 50th anniversary or some such of the old guy who makes the pizzas... you can tell the place has been in the same hands for years.
Despite a widely-held belief to the contrary, the style of pizza served at Marie's--locals simply refer to it as "thin crust," or "tavern-cut"--is the style Chicagoans eat most frequently. That is, when they're not calling out for franchise crap like Domino's, Little Caesars, etc. Yes, really. Non-residents and tourists are terribly confused on this point: "deep dish," or "stuffed" pies are generally reserved for the occasional indulgence, or for when, say, the non-resident bumpkin relatives are in town for a visit. (smirk) At any rate, Marie's has been my in-town favourite of the form for years, so I'm happy to see it receive some coverage here. EM
FWIW, here is my Top 8 List for the "tavern-cut" form in Chicagoland:
Traverso's in Orland Park, IL (southwest suburbs)
Marie's (on the near northwest side)
Sanfratello's in Glenwood (south suburbs)
Vito & Nick's (on the southeast side)
John's Pizza & Lounge (on the near west side)
Beggar's (various south suburban locations)
Pat's (on the near northwest side)
The Original John's R&P in Whiting, IN (southeast suburbs)
@ErikM: I like your list, though your geographical identifications are off in some cases. I've already reviewed a few of them on Slice and a couple of them are in line for a review. I hadn't heard of Traverso's; I might have to check it out.
As far as the thin crust v. deep dish or stuffed argument goes, I think you're probably right that thin crust is eaten more frequently than deep dish or stuffed, but I'd argue that it is not nearly as cut and dry as you make it seem. Lots of people surely do prefer thin crust, but there's also the fact that it's cheaper and faster to get than deep dish or stuffed pies.
At the same time, there are plenty of Chicagoans who identify deep dish or stuffed as their favorite. For them (and me), there is no question that stuffed/deep dish are both much more than occasional indulgences.
I went looking for information on Maries pizza on Lawerence Ave....
Maries pizza is a national landmark for our family. My husband brought me there when we were dating to meet ALL the relatives.... His sisters brought their boyfriends there also. We have pix of all our kids for their first visit to maries. My husband is there now visiting famiy with the kids and he knows to bring a Large cooler so that he can bring some home to me who couldn't go on this trip!!!! The pizza is THE best. The atmosphere is one of a kind. Can't wait to get my busy in a couple days.......
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The sauce was well-seasoned, though it seems to have more tomato paste than is typical. The vegetables on the veggie pizza were fresh, the pepperoni was of the same Hormel-quality that is consistently found on pizzas across the country, and the sausage had enough fennel to taste, but not much more. 
10 Comments:
This is amazing, Daniel! Such a cool find. You're right: There should be more of these. Add a drive-thru, and you'd hit the trifecta.
Adam Kuban at 2:16PM on 09/17/08
Isn't Marie's at 4127 W Lawrence Ave? That would place it in Albany Park.
RyanK at 2:50PM on 09/17/08
wrong wrong wrong:
4129 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 725-1853
anysuchname at 2:53PM on 09/17/08
also, this could be considered Mayfair.
but yes, good pizza and great ambiance. I was there in the spring when it was the 50th anniversary or some such of the old guy who makes the pizzas... you can tell the place has been in the same hands for years.
anysuchname at 2:58PM on 09/17/08
Fixed, folks. Thanks for the alert, RyanK.
Adam Kuban at 3:00PM on 09/17/08
People press on their pizzas with napkins? I bet they scoop their bagels too.
Asado at 5:02PM on 09/17/08
@asado: They do scoop their bagels. It's a bit of a controversy, apparently.
Adam Kuban at 5:40PM on 09/17/08
Despite a widely-held belief to the contrary, the style of pizza served at Marie's--locals simply refer to it as "thin crust," or "tavern-cut"--is the style Chicagoans eat most frequently. That is, when they're not calling out for franchise crap like Domino's, Little Caesars, etc. Yes, really. Non-residents and tourists are terribly confused on this point: "deep dish," or "stuffed" pies are generally reserved for the occasional indulgence, or for when, say, the non-resident bumpkin relatives are in town for a visit. (smirk) At any rate, Marie's has been my in-town favourite of the form for years, so I'm happy to see it receive some coverage here. EM
FWIW, here is my Top 8 List for the "tavern-cut" form in Chicagoland:
Traverso's in Orland Park, IL (southwest suburbs)
Marie's (on the near northwest side)
Sanfratello's in Glenwood (south suburbs)
Vito & Nick's (on the southeast side)
John's Pizza & Lounge (on the near west side)
Beggar's (various south suburban locations)
Pat's (on the near northwest side)
The Original John's R&P in Whiting, IN (southeast suburbs)
ErikM at 4:03AM on 09/23/08
@ErikM: I like your list, though your geographical identifications are off in some cases. I've already reviewed a few of them on Slice and a couple of them are in line for a review. I hadn't heard of Traverso's; I might have to check it out.
As far as the thin crust v. deep dish or stuffed argument goes, I think you're probably right that thin crust is eaten more frequently than deep dish or stuffed, but I'd argue that it is not nearly as cut and dry as you make it seem. Lots of people surely do prefer thin crust, but there's also the fact that it's cheaper and faster to get than deep dish or stuffed pies.
At the same time, there are plenty of Chicagoans who identify deep dish or stuffed as their favorite. For them (and me), there is no question that stuffed/deep dish are both much more than occasional indulgences.
Daniel Zemans at 4:04PM on 09/23/08
I went looking for information on Maries pizza on Lawerence Ave....
Maries pizza is a national landmark for our family. My husband brought me there when we were dating to meet ALL the relatives.... His sisters brought their boyfriends there also. We have pix of all our kids for their first visit to maries. My husband is there now visiting famiy with the kids and he knows to bring a Large cooler so that he can bring some home to me who couldn't go on this trip!!!! The pizza is THE best. The atmosphere is one of a kind. Can't wait to get my busy in a couple days.......
mommatimes3 at 1:25PM on 04/10/09