If Cafe Luigi is the Gold Standard, I'm very dissapointed...

I have been there many times and first of all, there is too much cheese. Secondly, I have yet to go in when a pizza has come out fresh from the oven, I'm always getting one that has been sitting out and re heated, perhaps that is not why I'm impressed? Even so, that seems to be the typical situation when I arrive so I can only judge the pizza on that unfortunate time frame. Also, often times when the slices are reheated the center of the pizza is very soggy and the edges *crust* are too hardened. I will try gigio's on broadway next, but thus far I'm not expecting much from a chicago based nyc style pizza.

Pizzaco has a good product and I had ordered and stopped in numerous times (always fast, always hot, always good) when I had this random experience: Ordering one evening for myself, I wanted a sandwich. Being below the delivery minimum I also ordered something small to play by the rules. When the driver came, I took everything upstairs and realized the small appetizer wasn't there. I called them so they would know their mistake, I had more then enough food, and I also wanted to see how they handled a complaint.

Me- "Hi I just received a delivery at xxxx and it's missing part of the order."
Them- "Hold on one second, you were just charged for the sandwich".
Me - "That's fine but just thought you'd like to know about the mistake".
Them - "We didn't make a mistake, you didn't order it."
Me - "I'm pretty sure I ordered it, but whatever."
Them - "Are you sure you just didn't think about ordering it?" Laughs in the background.

If it was 2 a.m. after imbibing a few, I'd have to question myself. This was 8 p.m. on a Tuesday though.

I've tried gigio's, decent, but again, too much cheese and a bit too greasy for me. I think I've basically given up on finding an authentic nyc slice in chicago, I heard ny slices up in highland park is great, but I'd prefer not to have to drive an hour north.

Just tried Pizzaco...

I have lived in Philadelphia and NYC and this pizza reminded me much more of philly style pizza, which is an attempt at NY style pizza.

Not even close to Cafe Luigi!

The bread is too thick, there is not enough nuance in the sauce or the cheese, and the sausage topping is inferior to cafe luigi's.

This is the kind of pizza you find in your average philly pizza joint, which is why I avoided eating pizza when I was in Philly...

The only place I have left to try is Gigio's...

Thus far, Cafe Luigi is the best NYC pizza joint and the others are not very close.

FoodSnob77 wrote:I've tried gigio's, decent, but again, too much cheese and a bit too greasy for me. I think I've basically given up on finding an authentic nyc slice in chicago, I heard ny slices up in highland park is great, but I'd prefer not to have to drive an hour north.

New York Slices is pretty good, but nothing incredible. At least one of my friends thought it was average. One thing they have that I like are the pizza sliders - little pizza sandwiches on small rolls. Nice to see the granulated garlic powder on the counter too. I like that I can grab a decent slice 5 minutes from my house. They also sell a 16" frozen pizza (already in 8 slices) at Sunset Foods that really comes in handy when I want a quick snack at home.

I just ordered from Gigio's, so I will review their pizza in a few hours...

I am really excited about it, but I fear it will not be as good as Luigi's...

They also sell a 16" frozen pizza (already in 8 slices) at Sunset Foods that really comes in handy when I want a quick snack at home.

Not only is it pre-sliced, it's already cooked, so all you have to do is reheat it. I thought it was surprisingly good for was it is, but I thought the crust suffered from being too sweet.

Aaaaah, I'm glad I got to sample Gigio's tonight.
Now I can sleep peacefully, knowing that I have done all I can to find the best NYC pizza in Chi-town.

I have to agree somewhat with Cilantro, when he compared Pizzaco to Gigio's...
I can see why he put Gigio's "on par" with Pizzaco -- the appearance of the pizzas was similar and the crust was also a similar thickness...

cilantro wrote:

MamaCupcake wrote:There's a new(ish) place in Lakeview on Ashland at Addison called Pizzaco's Italian Eatery, which has become our Friday night go-to. I'm originally an East Coast girl, and I've always longed for good NY style pizza in Chicago, and this is it. The crust is chewy but not crispy, and the slices can be folded (which is, in my mind, an acid test for NY pizza).

I tried this place and it was decent -- I'd put it on par with Gigio's. Cafe Luigi is still tops.

The major differences were that Gigio's crust had bubbles, and that the flavor of the slices at Gigo's was also better, more snap to the cheese in particular...

But Cafe Luigi's is still pretty clearly the superior pie and I will continue to order from them...

chicagofoodies wrote:Eastern Style Pizza on Touhy is the closest I've come to the pizza in my memory while in school in NYC.

Had a slice of Eastern Style Pizza yesterday, slight sweet note to the tomato sauce, decent cheese, nondescript sausage and bit of crisp crunch to the slightly thicker than typical NY style crust.

When I asked about the crust they were quick to point out Eastern Style Pizza is Philadelphia style, not New York City. Nothing I'm going miles out of my way for, but tasty for an on the run slice out of a warming carousel. I'd be interested in trying a fresh from the oven pizza.

Eastern Style Pizza





As an aside, I used the bathroom which necessitate going behind the counter area. The back of the house at Eastern Style is impeccably clean, so impressively spotless I looked around for my sister in-law Rita who is a clean freak of the first order.

Enjoy,
Gary

Eastern Style Pizza
2911 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
773-761-4070

G Wiv wrote:I'd be interested in trying a fresh from the oven pizza.
...
Eastern Style Pizza
2911 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
773-761-4070

I've been eating at this Eastern Style Pizza since I took the training wheels off my bicycle. I think I've eaten a slice of pizza there less than 10 times. Non-descript is how I'd categorize it.

Now, the grinders are a whole different story. The meatball grinder is among the best meatball sandwiches in town. Sliced meatballs, cheese and peppers packed into bread with a nice chew and baked in the pizza oven until crisp on the outside. A really fantastic sandwich that I absolutely go out of my way for.

Best,
Michael

Wasn't there once an Eastern Style on Dempseter across from Hubs? I remember something of the sort, but those slices were much more like NY style than "Philadelphia" stye. the slices were flatter and wider. . and damn good if memory serves correct.

ps - does Touhy's Eastern Style offer a solid Philly Cheesesteak by chance?

The Eastern Style was in the same strip as New York Bagel and Bialy, but is no more.

yep. i used to go to the eastern style on dempster, when i worked nearby, and got hooked on their philly chicken steak. like most of their grinders, it's really well done with paper thin shaved caramelized onions, and great bread with garlicky spread on it.

i liked it so much that when it closed, i sought out the one on touhy, which GWiv just posted about. but i'm such a big fan of their grinders that i've never even tried their pizza.

(as a tangent to this tangent, they also make their own mozzarella sticks which are really great--slightly larger than the normal mccain or whatever product with good cheese and it's a darn big order to boot. i always ask for them when i'm there, but they're often sold out.)

I've lived in Chicago for six years now. It took me a good year to realize that I would never enjoy chicago if I kept comparing it to my hometown of nyc.

I love the pizza here. spacca, coalfire, frasca, follia, art of pizza, even pizza metro and piece now and then. i have yet to try 'bakery' style pizza from a d'amato's or masi.

For me, when I am jonesing for the foldable, sitting out on the counter, greese drip onto the paper plate slice, I hit up a sbarro in the loop.

Is it di fara? no. but thats not available all over nyc. but is it like the many ray's (or imitators), famiglia's or no name slice spots found all over? pretty damn close.

I moved from NYC, too. I think Coalfire compares quite favorably with John's on Bleeker St.

After lurking around here for years, I thought I'd finally get off my duff & contribute something.

After a week without solid foods (sidelined by a nasty cold, hot soup was the only thing that sounded good), I was craving something hot, comforting & not all that good for me. For some reason, pizza of the foldable variety immediately came to mind.

After running a few LTH searches, I saw Café Luigi mentioned a few times & gave it a shot. The first big plus is that they deliver to Gold Coast (unlike Brick's, whose delivery range ends at Division, just a block shy of me...Supreme Flounder, anyone?). I ordered up an 18" deluxe (eyes bigger than stomach), which cost me $29 ($25 + $4 delivery) not including tip. The delivery guy showed up in 1:15, which is exactly what was promised, and not bad for a Friday night. It was a bit soggy from sitting in the box, but a few minutes on a pizza stone at the bottom of a 450-degree oven took care of that just fine.

Now I don't know how this compares to "New York style", and frankly I don't care. All I know is that I thought it was delicious, and was exactly what I was craving...it was floppy, chewy, slightly-greasy (if it's not slightly greasy, it just doesn't feel right) heaven after a week of condensed chicken soup & Nyquil overdosing.

I went with pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. The big lesson I came away with is to stay away from the jalapeno next time. No exaggeration, probably 1.5-2 whole pickled jalapenos' worth of slices on each piece. Literally 2 slices in every bite. And these things are HOT! I grew up on Indian food, and like to think I can handle just about anything, but the heat level took away from the flavor of the rest of the pizza. My wife grew up on much hotter south Indian food, and she complained that the jalapenos gave her a bit of a burning stomach ache. Removing 3/4 of them made things a lot more palatable (delicious, actually...I like my pizza spicy, just not THAT spicy). Next time I'll order sausage instead.

There definitely will be a next time too. I think this might become my new pizza delivery go-to. Incidentally, I don't believe I saw this URL in any of the posts I read, but they've got a website with some coupons, a menu, the usual: http://cafeluigipizza.com/

A big, grateful kudos to all the folks who took the time to share info about this place!

Khaopaat,

Very nice first post. I've never tried Luigi, but your post makes me want to run there pronto. Having grown up in Queens, I've got a bit of a soft spot for foldable thin crust, and I agree with you about the need for it to be at least a little greasy. Santullo's is the only Chicago-version of this style that I've tried, and I like it. (I've also had Noli, but it wasn't good enough to even count it) I look forward to having a Luigi slice soon.

Kenny

I tried Pizzaco and I have to agree with the others who say it falls far short of Luigi's. If you had handed me a slice of Pizzaco pizza without any introduction, I wouldn't have even called it NY style pizza. It is an average slice of thin crust pizza, on par with any of the dozens of pizza joints I've eaten at throughout the country. I really wanted to like it because Luigi's can take forever to deliver and they are pretty expensive, but I don't think I'll be going back to Pizzaco.

When I'm in the mood for deep dish it's Art of Pizza. New York style, Luigi's. I understand those who are critical of Luigi's. Everyone has a gold standard they compare all other pizza to. For those who grew up in New York, Luigi's may not be exactly like the pizza they had at their favorite place. But for people like me, who have only had New York pizza when visiting New York, Luigi's is as good as anything I've had in New York (and I've had pizza pretty much every time I've visited).

Thus far my favorite is Gigio's on Broadway, their sauce has a nice sweet tang and the grease is just enough. Right now they have an ridiculous deal, 7 dollars for a medium (14inches) one topping (either pepperoni or sausage) this is basically half off! Anyone that has not yet tried this place owes it to themselves to give it a go for 7 bucks! When I order mine I just tell them light on the cheese, = a pretty close imitation of true nyc style pizza. I've had the gigio's in evanston which is basically the same as far as I can tell, but the broadway one is closer to me. Don't be scared by the shady storefront and area, just get the pizza and get out, you'll be glad you did!

Gigios Pizzeria
4643 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 271-2273

Hey Guys, big time lurker here...

Just wanted to let you know that Noli's Pizza in Albany Park has been switched over to new management. The owners are from the Famous Famiglia chain in Brooklyn, NY. They are making some fantastic NY Style pie (I grew up in Queens, this has been the most authentic... can't believe all of the love for Cafe Luigi, blech!)

I encourage you to try it out. They are having some fantastic specials for carry out. I think an 18" 1 topping pie is $9.99. And it's everything you could hope and imagine for...foldable crust, little bit crispy, little bit chewy, sweet sauce... I hope you guys enjoy.

Noli's NY Style Pizza
www.nolispizza.com
4839 North Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-5206
(773) 588-0400

soltro79 wrote: (I grew up in Queens, this has been the most authentic... can't believe all of the love for Cafe Luigi, blech!)

I thought you grew up in Bloomfield Hills?

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6929&p=204006#p204006

We moved in middle school...

How are they with the Albanian byrek? That was the more interesting aspect of the place.

I wouldn't be the best to tell you because I haven't had it since they took over. But they did mention that the old owners trained them to cook the Albanian stuff. I think that was part of the deal.

I realize the Byreks were the more interesting aspect of that place beforehand. But the pizza is worth a second shot. I think we're going to order it for dinner tonight so I'll try and upload some food porn.

Feast your eyes on our spectacular pizza. Half white pizza, half plain cheese. White pizza is without sauce and has dollops of olive oil, garlic and ricotta with the mozzarella. Delicious!











Noli's NY Style Pizza
http://www.nolispizza.com
4839 North Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-5206
(773) 588-0400

That looks delicious... I may have to make the trek up there at some point....

On a side note, I had Cafe Luigi delivered last week, was a little disappointed.. still good, but it arrived a little cold and the crust was a little underdone... still great flavors and tasted good and better than most places in the area, but I've had better...

I went to Eastern Style Pizza yesterday. It's supposed to be Philadelphia style, but having lived in Philadelphia for eight years, I'm not really sure what that means.

I'm originally from New York state, though, so I'm familiar with the pizza, and this wasn't it. It wasn't bad pizza, but (a) it was cut criss-cross, which is definitely a Chicago thing; (b) it had a somewhat flaky, pastry-like crust, which also points to Chicago and not eastward; and (c) it had more cheese than eastern pizza should--a common affliction for pizza in Chicago.

I also had a chicken parmesan grinder (incidentally, "grinder" is a term I saw much more living in Boston than in Philadelphia). I wasn't impressed--it was somewhat greasy and undersauced.

eelton wrote:(incidentally, "grinder" is a term I saw much more living in Boston than in Philadelphia)

In fact, the only people in Phila who call them "grinders" instead of the God-given name "hoagies" are disoriented Bostonians, who are promptly beaten and/or tased.

Went to Luigi's today for the first time in a long time, got a cheese slice. Very reminiscent of the slices I got in NY in days of yore, except the crust was stiff enough you couldn't really roll it up. But it was quite tasty, so much so I ordered another.

soltro79 wrote:Just wanted to let you know that Noli's Pizza in Albany Park has been switched over to new management. The owners are from the Famous Famiglia chain

soltro79 wrote:I wouldn't be the best to tell you [about the byrek] because I haven't had it since they took over. But they did mention that the old owners trained them to cook the Albanian stuff. I think that was part of the deal.
...

FWIW, the founders of the Famous Famiglia chain are Albanian too.