Ed's Cosmic Pizza Blab: Can Serious Pizza-Makers Have More than Two Great Pizzerias?

Most great pizzerias are the product of one compulsive, obsessive person who lives and dies with every pie. Is it possible for a pizzeria to expand beyond two locations and maintain the quality that makes them great? It's like pizza-obsessed folks have decided that their collective ovens get too hot for them to consider adding a third pizzeria.

Continue reading »

57 Comments | Posted by Ed Levine, August 9, 2011 at 3:30 PM
Tagged: Anthony Mangieri, Apizza Scholls, Brian Spangler, Bruce Hill, Chris Bianco, Delancey, Doug Horn, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, Frank Pepe's, Great Lake, Mathieu Palombino, Motorino's, Nick Lessons, Paulie Gee's, Pizzeria Mozza, Pizzeria Picco, Sally's Apizza, Serious Pie, Totonno's, Una Pizza Napoletana, Zero Zero, Zuppardi's

The Eight Best Pizzas In Chicago

In a city this passionate about pizza, the debates will always continue. In compiling our list, we had to consider history, style, the old school favorites, and the newcomers. So while this list may not settle any old debates, in fact, it may start will most certainly insight new ones, it is guaranteed to have pies that even the casserole camp will love.

Continue reading »

26 Comments | Posted by The Serious Eats Team, July 29, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Tagged: best pizza in Chicago, Burt's Place, Chicago, Dough Boys, Great Lake, Lou Malnati's, Pat's Pizza, Pequod's, Spacca Napoli, The Art of Pizza

Daily Slice: Mortadella Pizza at Great Lake, Chicago

I'm not one to make grand pronouncements and declare any pizza the best in America, but if anyone wants to call this mortadella pie the best this country has to offer, there's no way I'm going to tell them they're wrong.

Continue reading »

9 Comments | Posted by Daniel Zemans, April 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Tagged: Chicago, Daily Slice, Great Lake, Illinois, mortadella

Chicago: Great Lake to Serve To-Go Sicilian Slices

If you follow pizza, you might know that Great Lake in Chicago is ranked right up there with the best of the best nationwide. The place, though, is small and the wait for a table is notoriously long. This summer, though, the pizzeria will replace its outdoor tables with benches and start serving Sicilian-style pizza to-go to munch on while sitting outside, according to Tasting Table. Grub Street Chicago's Nick Kindelsperger speculates that this may allay some of the grumbling on the part of line-waiters.

Continue reading »

1 Comment | Posted by Adam Kuban, April 27, 2010 at 6:00 AM
Tagged: Chicago, Great Lake, Illinois

Great Lake Too Busy for Its Shirt

[Photograph: Robyn Lee] From You're the Boss, one of the gazillion New York Times blogs, a bit on Great Lake in Chicago: Sometimes they run out of dough by 8 p.m. and just close the restaurant. Ms. Esparza estimates that 30 percent of the customers get mad waiting. They also say that Chicago has some of the worst pizza in the nation and some of the worst customers. Related: The Windy City Finally Has Great Pizza to Call Its Own Great Lake 1477 W. Balmoral Avenue, Chicago IL 60640 (map) 773-334-9270...

Continue reading »

6 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, September 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Tagged: Chicago, Great Lake, Illinois

Alan Richman Names Top 25 Pizzas in the U.S.

Chicago Upstart Great Lake Has Country's Best Pizza Alan Richman (left) and Lucali proprietor-pizzaiolo Mark Iacono (right) hold a copy of the June 2009 issue of "GQ" in front of Iacono's Lucali (the No. 2 pizza in the U.S.) at press event celebrating the story's May 19 publication. The issue contains Richman's "American Pie," a list of the top 25 pizzerias in the country. In the June issue of GQ, food writer extraordinaire Alan Richman ranks the top 25 pizzas in the U.S. after visiting what he considers the top 10 pizza cities in the country. The story is much...

Continue reading »

108 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, May 18, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Tagged: A16, Al Forno, Alan Richman, Antica Pizzeria, best-of lists, Bob and Timmy's, Buddy's, Co., Company, Frank Pepe's, Galleria Umberto, Gialina, GQ, Great Lake, Joe's, Lucali's, Luigi's the Original, Niki's, Osteria, Pizzeria Bianco, Pizzeria Delfina, Recommended, Sally's Apizza, Santarpio's, Tacconelli's, Tarry Lodge, Tomato Pie, Tomatoes Apizza, Totonno's, Una Pizza Napoletana