Masi's Italian Superior Bakery, Western Ave.

Masi's Italian Superior Bakery, Western Ave.

Elsewhere on this board I've written at some length about bread and in particular Italian bread (see especially: Panem meum da mihi hodie). Since moving to the Tri-Taylor neighbourhood some five or six months ago, I have become a regular customer of Masi's Italian Superior Bakery on Western Avenue. I just posted a long piece on the Non-Food forum about the history of the bakery, the baker's family and the neighbourhood. In the middle of that piece there is a detailed discussion of their products. Let me just say here that I firmly believe Masi's to be one of the best of the surviving Italian bakeries of Chicagoland. They offer especially outstanding "French" (this is a traditional Italian take on the French baguette) bread, an odd but delicious corn bread (on special order nowadays), excellent whole wheat bread, and bakery-style pan pizza. And of course, also first-rate basic Italian bread.

Please see the other post for further details: Masi's Italian Superior Bakery [pictures].

Italian Superior Bakery
933 South Western Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60612
Phone: 312-733-5092

Antonius

It should be noted that Masi's is only open Monday through Friday, 5:30 am to 6 pm. I made several unsuccessful spontaneous passes by before doing as the wise do and checking the hours. [Please refer to the hours given in posts below - these are erroneous. That'll teach me to trust Metromix.]

It should also be noted that it is best to get there early in the day if possible, rather than skating in as they're closing shop.

Great bread though.

Do they only sell in store or do they service any markets or restaurants?

rien

Antonius (or others): I grew up on a suburb of New York. To us, Italian bread meant a crusty load smothered in sesame seeds. While my neighborhood was Jewish, even when we went to a bakery in a nearby Italian neighborhood, this was true. As I would eat cardboard with sesame seeds, I loved this as a child. It also made a poor bread more palatable. Here in Chicago (and, as I recall, in my one trip to Italy), I've never seen this use of sesame. Any explanation?

Damato's main loaf, and the one mostly supplied to Greektown, is covered with sesame seeds. I like mine without, but it is great bread.

'Officially' I believe they are closed on Mondays. As noted in the long piece I posted in Non-Food, fresh bread is available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays they are open and one can buy the various packaged and baked goods they have on hand. With regard to Mondays, they are generally closed but on occasion I have seen the 'Open' sign lit, indicating someone is there and if you want to buy something, you're welcome to come in.

The hours are approximate and typically, when all the bread baked on a given day is sold out, they close the shop. On Sundays, they regularly close early (12-2 range). As far as opening time goes, on the days when they are baking, there are obviously people present from the earliest morning and one might be able to catch someone's eye and get in to buy one of the first loaves done soon after it comes out of the oven. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when there is no early morning baking, I doubt anyone would be in the shop before 7 or 7:30.

My recommendation is to go on one of the four days a week that the Masis are baking and get there as early as you can, as Rien suggests above. The pizza can sell out early and, depending on the unpredictable nature of retail, so too can the bread on some days. If you're interested in one of the special breads, e.g., the French loaves or the cornbread, ask when you're there or else call about availability.

Antonius

Jonah, the semolina bread with sesame is Sicilian. Most of the shops on Harlem Ave will carry this kind of bread, and Palermo Bakery makes a good one. If you stop at Cafe il Cortile at 8445 W. Lawrence, they make pretty good panelle (a Sicilian chickpea fritter, sort of like falafel) and serve it on a sesame roll.

Antonius, when I was a kid, there were several more bakeries in the neighborhood, and, no surprise, people were pretty particular and partisan about their local paneficio. We lived near DiLeo's (now gone) on the SE corner of Taylor and May. Into the early 60's, people could make their own dough and several of the local bakeries would bake it for them for a few cents per loaf. I have vague memories of little red wagons loaded with bread pans going up and down the street.

Please see update on the ISB, which is now under new ownership but still very much the same great place... Ecco:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... 08#p207708

Read the article at the top of the thread while you're over there...

Antonius

the saccameno's have added a freezer case to their bakery, and are slowly filling it up with such delicious things as pork, or beef sunday gravy; seasoned(with cheese) bread crumbs; and breaded pork cutlets. i bought some of the latter yesterday, and had an easy dinner-quickly frying them in a little oil and drizzling them with some fresh squeezed lemon juice.