What happened to My Pie on Clark?

Gone, I walk up to Lincoln Park last night ready to plunk down my $10 for all you can eat deep dish with a great little salad bar. I was ready to cover my salad with roasted garlic dressing (whatever brand or homemade, it was great) and a mound of pepporoni higher than the Sears Tower, but alas, no more. I loved this place for its throwback old wood looking decor pizza joint, fireplace, right in the heart of Depaul Lincoln Park land. Always reminded me of my days as a little kid in the early 80's at Jake's Pizza in the burbs, only with a what I thought was not a bad little deep dish. I am sure it will be replaced with some Martini/Indian/Mexican/Nuvo American Fusion joint with flat screen TV's.

Yes, I am bitter about this.

Darn, having never stepped inside, I had no idea they had a good salad bar. The neighborhood really needs a good salad bar option.

Yeah, it was not a large salad bar, but they packed a lot of variety into it, every type of raw veggie you could imagine, pepporoni trough, various pasta salads, lots of dressing choices, breadstick varieties, homemade croutons and in my mind at least the best salad bar roasted garlic (could have been Sysco for all I know). Oh well, another old time place bites the dust.

Maybe they'll make it an Akira!

a note about it June 3rd in the closings thread..

jesteinf wrote:My Pie on Clark has closed, per the Chicago Tribune's Stew blog

My Pie, which has been a fixture in the Lincoln Park area (and a crucial part of my collegiate dining options) for 31 years, closed its Clark Street location over the weekend. Rich Aronson, part of the family that started the My Pie pizzeria mini-chain a generation ago, says the unavailability of an affordable lease led to the restaurant’s demise. “We knew it was coming,” he said. “They [the landlords] had different plans for the place, and the rent was skyrocketing by four, five times. We want to do something else in the neighborhood, but it’s just difficult to find anything.”

The Stew noted: "The family still operates a My Pie location in Bucktown (2010 N. Damen Ave., 773-394-6900)." I don't know whether that location has a salad bar.

They do have a salad bar, though I don't think of it as outstanding - it is certainly nice

If it's a fatty toppings, real blue cheese dressing style 70's style iceberg laden salad bar that you crave, RJ Grunts isn't far away from the old My Pi location.

YourPalWill wrote:If it's a fatty toppings, real blue cheese dressing style 70's style iceberg laden salad bar that you crave, RJ Grunts isn't far away from the old My Pi location.

Yep, that's our favorite in the area, but it would be nice having one closer to the Diversey/Fullerton/Clark area.

Sad indeed, in the early '80's My Pi was my go to place for pizza. Back then My pi had some excellent neighbors, a BBQ joint with an aquarium smoker ( Leon's ?), Francis' Deli , kelly Mondelli's for killer Italian and on the corner of Clark and Arlington a fine little bottle shop/Taproom, Blue and Gold Liquors.

RIP My Pi

I personally endorse Sultan's Market as an outstanding salad bar option in that area (and stellar Falafel too!). If I can remember, they have awesome artichoke hearts (in some sort of light mint dressing maybe - definitely not the standard greasy/vinegar bombs), some odd-but-good (fried?) cauliflower thing, and all sorts of other tasty tidbits.

Sultan's Market
2521 N Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60689
(312) 638-9151

-Dan

p.s. Don't get the shwarma during non-rush hours, no matter how good it may sound at the time. When it's fresh and juicy, it's awesome, when it's dry and been sitting, not worth eating.

While it is a too typical sign of the times to see rents pushing long-time businesses out, the area still has some pretty varied options for an inexpensive and quick bite.

Going north from the My Pi location, places like Pasta Bowl, Sultans, Austrian Bakery, Aloha Grill, Lito's and Couture Crepe all have tasty and well-priced options in the Clark Corridor.

mss60614 wrote:Austrian Bakery

I'm going to have to differ with you on that one. I thought their sandwiches were lousy the one time I was there.