nsxtasy wrote:Nonsense. On the north shore, we have plenty of locations of Lou Malnati's, including the original, and for those who prefer stuffed, we have more for Giordano's.

I don't know if repping the franchises is the best case the area can make, even though I fully admit to being a fan of Giordano's thin crust (Chicago/Davis Evanston location). Napolita, just a 100 feet or so from Lefty's, and Grateful Bites in Winnetka are both very solid independent joints. Lou Malnati's is just too played out for many of us, I believe.

nsxtasy wrote:Nonsense. On the north shore, we have plenty of locations of Lou Malnati's, including the original

Don't forget the flatbread at Olive Garden, a treat with endless soup and salad. 'When You're Here, You're Family'

Don't shed a tear for us on the North Shore. Beyond Lou's (which, c'mon, it scratches an itch and if you order it enough you can customize it to be a solid, solid pie) and Burt's 2.0, off the top of my head we've got a huge variety from Barnaby's and Bill's (both in the cult article and incredible in their own ways), Pierro's (big fan of their sauce and was the special event pizza of my youth, so maybe I am Proustian there), Alex's Washington Garden (people swear by it), an outpost of Slyce (does a good coal-fired pizza), and many more. And hopefully Lefty's will join the HP roster soon.

Oh gosh, I disagree wholeheartedly that the North Shore is awash in good pizza. Lou's quality and consistency have gone downhill, Alex's is nothing special, Slyce is below nothing special; the North Shore food scene is atrocious, especially with regards to pizza, Chinese, and most European cuisines. Bonta in Lincolnshire might be the only place in Lake County worth eating at.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I've tried plenty of others, including Lefty's (which I thought was mediocre and not special in any way). I think Lou's and Giordano's are both excellent and consistently the best around.

As for not having Chinese, the presence of Peppercorns Kitchen, China Chef, and Great Beijing makes the north shore as good as any Chicagoland area outside of Chinatown. And European - gosh, I can't even count how many different cuisines fall under that umbrella, but it's so many that an attempt at generalization is downright silly.

Of course, these attacks are just more proof that the "holier than thou" posters here will insult anyone else's opinions, no matter what. It's an opinion, yours may be different, that doesn't make it wrong or deserving of derision.

Not ‘on topic’ with the current conversation but everytime I see this thread popup I have to disagree with the word ‘burnt’.

It’s not burnt but rather caramelized.

<rant over>

Panther in the Den wrote:Not ‘on topic’ with the current conversation but everytime I see this thread popup I have to disagree with the word ‘burnt’.

It’s not burnt but rather caramelized.

I'd be more sympathetic to your argument if cheese contained the natural sugars for caramelization, but to my knowledge it does not. To describe it as such would be for marketing purposes only.

None of the three Chinese places you named were remotely close to the North Shore or Lake County. If chain-made pizza floats your boat, enjoy Giordanos and Lous. There is not a noteworthy Italian, Spanish, or Eastern European restaurant in all of Lake County.I live here on the North Shore, and it’s a vast wasteland once you get past Wilmette. I’m sorry that offends you.

MikeL wrote:None of the three Chinese places you named were remotely close to the North Shore or Lake County. If chain-made pizza floats your boat, enjoy Giordanos and Lous. There is not a noteworthy Italian, Spanish, or Eastern European restaurant in all of Lake County.I live here on the North Shore, and it’s a vast wasteland once you get past Wilmette. I’m sorry that offends you.

With no regard to any of the specific establishments in question (maybe I'll circle back later), I wholeheartedly agree that if it doesn't touch the lake, it ain't on the shore. Period (unless you're a realtor, lol).

=R=

Chicago's North Shore is generally considered to include towns in both Cook County and Lake County that are near but not necessarily bordering the lake, as noted in Evanston resident Geoffrey Baer's PBS program of the same title:

PBS program information for Chicago's North Shore wrote:The documentary covers communities from Evanston north to the Wisconsin border, including Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Northbrook, Glenview, Skokie and more.

You can watch the entire program at the link above. It's quite enjoyable.

Furthermore, Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau says this about its communities:

Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau wrote:Nothing compares to the unsurpassed beauty and distinctive charm of Chicago's North Shore. Bordering Chicago, along the glorious shores of Lake Michigan, the inviting communities of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Skokie, Wheeling, and Winnetka are just minutes north of Chicago's city center and truly offer something for everyone!

Seems like people here will use the most abstruse arguments to attack other people's posts...

Towns and villages try to attach themselves to the term because it makes them look better. Practically speaking, if none of the town's boundaries stretch east of I-94, or 41 past Dundee, it's a stretch of the term. It's got to mean something, and when you've got people listing places like Prospect Heights and Des Plaines (I've seen it included before), they're just grasping at the term. Doesn't have to touch the lake, but really has to touch a town that does touch the lake. Two towns removed is not "shore".

I'm a Lefty's fan and I say that as a life long South Suburban pizza eater (Aurelieos, Safrantellos, etc) and this is solely based on their thin crust, but what completely undercuts the reality of your comment is that there is no good Chinese food on the North Shore - because there clearly is. In addition to Peppercorns, mentioned above, within walking distance there is Shang Noodle and Chinese for house made noodles, 527 Cafe for Taiwanese and LSC and Joy Yee. There are others as well that may not be worth mentioning. If you have not tried Shang in the last year or so, you are missing out. Try their black bean noodles, Lamb hot pot and shaved ice. Follow the NU students and faculty to excellent Chinese food. (Not Chinese, but also excellent is Torino Ramen in Wilmette.)

Hi,

Fifty years ago, when we moved to Highland Park. North Shore was defined as only the communities along the lake.

I have heard it is the realtors who stretch the boundaries, then it became accepted. For instance, Lincoln Park goes much further west than what I recall its boundaries to be.

Home is home!

Regards,
Cathy2

nsxtasy wrote:Furthermore, Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau says this about its communities:

Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau wrote:Nothing compares to the unsurpassed beauty and distinctive charm of Chicago's North Shore. Bordering Chicago, along the glorious shores of Lake Michigan, the inviting communities of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Skokie, Wheeling, and Winnetka are just minutes north of Chicago's city center and truly offer something for everyone!

Ken, just because someone -- or a marketing entity -- said it (or wrote it), doesn't make it true. If you can't pull a boat up to it or jump into Lake Michigan from within its boundaries, the town's not on the shore. To contend that Wheeling and Prospect Heights are part of the North Shore is entirely ridiculous, and I think that even you must know that.

As for your opinions about pizza on the North Shore, they certainly don't line up with mine. Lou Malnati's and Giordano's are fine but to cite them as examples of anything beyond 'solid' or 'good for the area' seems like a stretch to me (and other than Evanston, does Giordano's even have any suburban locations that actually touch the water?). I'm of the opinion that if it's something that can be had on the North Shore and elsewhere, it's not that meaningful to this tangential discussion. Lou Malnatis' first location is in Lincolnwood. Yes, it's north and no, it's not part of the city but . . . it's not on the North Shore.

I love Barnaby's in Northbrook, and I think Pizano's in Glenview is capable of turning out a decent pie. Pequod's in Morton Grove produces a fine deep-dish variant, too but none of these are on the shore and all 3 have other locations.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ken, just because someone -- or a marketing entity -- said it (or wrote it), doesn't make it true.

Ron, the Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau said it was true. They have brochures with pictures, collar up polo shirt advertisements w/good looking people wearing boat shoes. Boat shoe don't lie. Truth

Sigh...another LTH thread taken over by irrelevant argument.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ken, just because someone -- or a marketing entity -- said it (or wrote it), doesn't make it true.

Well, when it comes to geographic and cultural questions about Chicagoland, I'll take the opinion of Geoffrey Baer and his staff at WTTW, who have produced over twenty documentaries about Chicagoland and its geography and history, over that of any ten LTHers (including me).

Again:

nsxtasy wrote:Chicago's North Shore is generally considered to include towns in both Cook County and Lake County that are near but not necessarily bordering the lake, as noted in Evanston resident Geoffrey Baer's PBS program of the same title:

PBS program information for Chicago's North Shore wrote:The documentary covers communities from Evanston north to the Wisconsin border, including Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Northbrook, Glenview, Skokie and more.

You can watch the entire program at the link above. It's quite enjoyable.

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ken, just because someone -- or a marketing entity -- said it (or wrote it), doesn't make it true.

Well, when it comes to geographic and cultural questions about Chicagoland, I'll take the opinion of Geoffrey Baer and his staff at WTTW, who have produced over twenty documentaries about Chicagoland and its geography and history, over that of any ten LTHers (including me).

Again:

nsxtasy wrote:Chicago's North Shore is generally considered to include towns in both Cook County and Lake County that are near but not necessarily bordering the lake, as noted in Evanston resident Geoffrey Baer's PBS program of the same title:

PBS program information for Chicago's North Shore wrote:The documentary covers communities from Evanston north to the Wisconsin border, including Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Northbrook, Glenview, Skokie and more.

You can watch the entire program at the link above. It's quite enjoyable.

I enjoy Geoffrey Baer and the program is great entertainment but I'll still choose reality on this one.

=R=

I've lived in Highland Park since 1979 (aside from a few years in Champaign, Deerfield, and Buffalo Grove) in a true "North Shore" town complete with boat launch on the lake. On the pizza front, we take what we can get. Yes, Malnati's is great. It's still the gold standard of deep dish for me and happens to be in town albeit a carryout outpost. Having Lefty's give us another great pizza. There's always been Il Forno (originally started on Devon in the city and tastes like a city joint), Judy's (decent once in a blue moon), Buffo's (it gets old quick), Washington Gardens (never understood the love - it's no good), Piero's (never cared for them much but they have fans). I don't even consider stuffed pizza as an option because I don't care for it (thank goodness there's no Giordano's around here). I had Barnaby's tonight and it was great as always, but it's Northbrook (which is still close enough). I'm not going to keep listing places further out because this thread needs to get back on track.

Lefty's is not Burt's 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. It still has it's own thing going and it's great. I am very interested to try their thin as well. Life changing pizza? For some people it could be. Someone in the city, maybe not. But outside of Pequod's Chicago location, I never had anything quite like Lefty's in the city so that says something. In the end, I hope they open in HP - it would be welcome. I'll drive pretty far for pizza so I am always in striking distance for anything. I had Vito and Nick's two weeks ago.

Ram4 wrote:Lefty's is not Burt's 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. It still has it's own thing going and it's great. I am very interested to try their thin as well.

I would call it Burt’s 2.1 (with the new owners at Burt’s being 2.0).

From what I understood when one of the new owners at Burt’s left and moved to Lefty’s he brought along their approximation of Burt’s old recipe for his pizza. The assembly, the caramelized edge.

Comparing them side to side is it different enough to warrant “... it’s own thing going”? Pictures appear to be very similar?

Panther in the Den wrote:

Ram4 wrote:Lefty's is not Burt's 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. It still has it's own thing going and it's great. I am very interested to try their thin as well.

I would call it Burt’s 2.1 (with the new owners at Burt’s being 2.0).

From what I understood when one of the new owners at Burt’s left and moved to Lefty’s he brought along their approximation of Burt’s old recipe for his pizza. The assembly, the caramelized edge.

Comparing them side to side is it different enough to warrant “... it’s own thing going”? Pictures appear to be very similar?

What I felt was that the taste of the overall pizza was not quite like Burt's, and I think Pequod is closer to Burt's than this but it's been a while since I've had Burt's (and I have not had 2.0 yet). I guess I need to hit both and compare directly. Not the worst adventure one could have.