Italian Superior Bakery Dine-In Lunch [pictures]

Saccameno's ITALIAN SUPERIOR BAKERY

Bread, Freselle, Pizza and Pastries... & Now More:
Sandwiches, Salads and Lunch Specials

Some of you may remember a long post I wrote, accompanied by many photos, on the Masi family and their wonderful Italian bakery on Western Avenue in what we locals refer to as "the West Side [of Taylor Street]": Italian Superior Bakery - Masi's Western Avenue Bread. As I reported later in that thread, the Masi brothers gradually reduced their workload and finally retired altogether in 2006-2007 but eventually found buyers for the business who were genuinely interested in maintaining the same style and quality of the bakery's traditional products. The buyers were themselves a family, the Saccamenos (sons Angelo Jr. and Jake and their parents, Angelo Sr. and Pam), and, taking over the bakery in 2008, they've done an excellent job first of learning what they needed to learn from Frank Masi about how to make all the old ISB standards and since then of making changes to the range and availability of offerings and other aspects of the concern that were necessary for the business as a whole to grow and flourish in its current context: When this neighbourhood was overwhelmingly or even just solidly Italian, the bread, pizza and freselle constituted a sufficient base but today, with the local population ethnically mixed, and the general food trends of the area significantly changed, the Saccamenos have made additions to the business.

The most recent addition the Saccamenos have made is to offer some new lunch items and also to remodel part of the bakery in order to provide seating for those who wish to dine-in. Wisely, they have kept the number of new lunch items fairly limited, since the core of the business remains the bakery. Available every day is a muffuletta sandwich (also pictured above):

As should be the case, the bread is a featured element here and one touch I liked very much about the Saccamenos' version of this loaf is the use of fennel seeds as a topping in lieu of the more common sesame seeds; the fennel adds a flavour that complements nicely the the sandwich's pork products:

Here is Angelo Sr. at work making my lunch last week:

The sandwich is large and well stuffed; the menu indicates one can get a half muffuletta and that would likely be sufficient for many people:

Also on offer are several salads, though I haven't had a chance to try them yet:

There are some other menu items:

The 'cold pasta' hit the spot on the brutally hot and muggy day when I had it recently:

On the last section of the menu (a retired dough storage box, which brings back fond memories for me of my days helping Frank in the bakery) is mention of Friday lunch specials; last Friday, when I was at ISB with Amata, the special was a fried pork tenderloin sandwich (served on ISB bread with lettuce, tomato and mayo) and we each had a half of a tenderloin sandwich and a half of the muffuletta. Both were delicious:

Today (30.VII.10) the special will be sandwiches with patties of their house-made Italian sausage with roasted peppers. Other Friday specials they offer are: prime rib on French bread, Italian beef, meatball subs.

Of course, the fine 'pizza bread' that has always been a featured product at the Italian Superior Bakery can be purchased for take-away or now for dining-in:

The toppings available include the old stand-bys -- just cheese, cheese and sausage, spinach, olive -- but also a variety of other vegetable and cheese combinations -- I recently had a particularly wonderful slice with fresh mushrooms. On any given day, there are typically several different versions available:

A pizza that Frank Masi used to make just for the 'house' is now on regular offer -- it's topped with hot giardinera and the ricotta & fresh tomato pizza also seems to be on hand with considerable regularity. One recent offering that I especially liked was dressed just with tomato and a little provolone (perché a me piacciono le cose semplici):

One last thing about the pizza bread -- it's served room temp, which is how we all eat it the day it's baked. If you refrigerate it, it makes sense to heat it up but served within a short time of it emerging from the oven, heating it up is unnecessary.

Being one of those people who lacks a sweet tooth, I unfortunately can't comment extensively on the sweet bakery products on offer, but they are all made by a full-time pastry chef, Abby Johnson, whom the Saccamenos have hired. Here are some of the cakes and pastries on display:

And here are some of the biscuits and cookies:

The one sweet I had recently was this macaroon, which was really very tasty:

Two of Abby's offerings that I have had are the olive oil cake and the torta di ricotta, both of which I really enjoyed very much.

I'm not sure what other beverages are on hand for lunch but they do offer San Pellegrino limonata and aranciata, which works for me:

What was in the Masi days the retail counter area on the side of the bakery with the oven was just recently converted by the Saccamenos to be a dining area; it's a very pleasant space:

If you stop in for lunch, you can also pick up a few Italian grocery items:

The offerings are limited but of quality and sold at very reasonable prices:

And, of course, it remains that Italian Superior Bakery produces some of the best bread in Chicago.


Bon pro',
Antonius


Italian Superior Bakery
933 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612
312.733.5092
http://www.italiansuperiorbakery.com
Hours: Tues. - Fri. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m./Sat. - Sun. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lunch specials: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m./11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Nice write up and pics!

Frankie Masi was/is considered a friend by my family, and supplied 30-100 loaves of bread for almost every Valentino family function or weekend cookout as far back as I can remember. Giving us his homemade wine and sharing all kinds of stories gave me amazing memories of trips to get "Chicago bread". While I knew it was inevitable I was sad to see them retire, and wondered about the bakeries future.

I am happy however to see that these guys are sticking to tradition while moving forward at the same time. I hope it continues to thrive.

Beautiful pictures. That muffuletta looks fabulous and at the price is a terrific value. Looks like they've really enhanced the place while still retaining the roots.

As usual Antonius a great and informative post. I often spent afternoons at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center on Ogden and Roosevelt, a depressing place where many of the Bluhm Legal Clinic's clients were detained. One of the few redeeming factors of spending time there besides occassionally seeing a client walk free was being able to get lunch at Masi. Their pizza is probably my favorite to go slice in the city, and even some of the best I've had anywhere (a recent trip to New York and a few slices of greasy, floppy gut-punches confirms this). Glad to hear that the new owners will continue the tradition and especially looking forward to trying the Mufalleta.

Ciao,

H

Lovely post Antonius, thanks for it. That muff looks fabulous, in great part because of the bread. But I'd like to hear about their olive salad, which also looks excellent.

Geo

PS. Greetings from Brisbane!

I made it down to Italian Superior Bakery for a carryout lunch today, as I've been hoping to since first reading this thread last week. It was about a 9 mile round trip via bicycle for me which didn't do nearly enough to offset the calories I gained consuming that enormous muffuletta.

The sandwich was shocking to me, not because of the size so much but because it's one of the more aggressively flavored things I've ever eaten (in a good way, I think). I've never been to NOLA or had a "real" muffuletta so I can't comment on its faithfulness to style but the salumi and the olive spread together combined for a pretty eye-popping experience. Even the cheese seemed to have far more flavor than a lot of the provolone I've been exposed to previously. I took a breather half-way through the sandwich and then went ahead and ate the rest anyway, 'cause wow. That is some sandwich. Is it naptime yet?

I also picked up a few types of cookies to try and a loaf of their Italian bread. I had an Italian wedding cookie, a pignoli cookie, and a macaron, each of which I liked (though I am equally inexperienced in the relative merits of the city's various macaron purveyors and I'll leave it to the experts to discuss whether this version stacks up). The bread is for dinner so I haven't tried it yet, but I have high hopes given the quality of everything else I had.

The staff was incredibly helpful and friendly and almost presciently asked me "Internet?" Apparently they've gotten a little additional traffic the past 4 days or so. Thanks for posting about this place; I can't wait to get back!

Many thanks to JValentino, Kman, Habibi, Geo and Jim for the kind words regarding the post.

Habibi -- What year were you visiting the Juvy Center and visiting the bakery?

Geo -- I'm sorry - I was going to ask them about the olive salad but forgot to do so when last I was there. I'll try again.

Jim -- I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed the sandwich in particular and the visit to ISB morre generally... It is a hefty sandwich!

This week's Friday special is going to be Italian beef. I was a little surprised when I heard they were going to do that as one of the rotating specials, since there are a number of other places more or less near here that do beef, as it were. But given the way the Saccameno's pay attention to quality and detail, I'm sure their version will be really good...

Antonius

Antonius,

Great piece. I was so happy when, thanks to your so personal but informative posts on that place , you introduced me to Graziano's a few months back.
Now I feel compelled to drive all the way South to that far away location on South Western (I live 1 block east of Western but way North close to Evanston) to discover this new little American-Italian treasure.
Thanks again.
Alain

In response to Geo's inquiry and desire to gather detail on the olive mix used on the muffuletta. Here is the deal. There are (4) four different kinds of olives used in the salad. Beyond the olive base, the mix contains pepperocini, red roasted pepper, carrots, specific seasonings, zest of lemon, lemon juice, cold press olive oil and a small touch of home made giardiniera (mostly the oil from the giardiniera).

Sincerely
Saccameno Sr.

saccameno wrote:In response to Geo's inquiry and desire to gather detail on the olive mix used on the muffuletta. Here is the deal. There are (4) four different kinds of olives used in the salad. Beyond the olive base, the mix contains pepperocini, red roasted pepper, carrots, specific seasonings, zest of lemon, lemon juice, cold press olive oil and a small touch of home made giardiniera (mostly the oil from the giardiniera).

Sincerely
Saccameno Sr.

Thanks for posting! That sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to trying it someday soon.

This past summer (meant to post this a while back, but I’ve been an LTH lurker & only now set up an account) I planned to try as many sandwiches from all over Chicago as possible, with a quota of at least one a week. I went to many of the usual suspects - Cemitas Puebla, Xoco, Jerry's, Eleven City, Silver Palm, etc.

I stopped in at Italian Superior Bakery one Friday in August, and for the remainder of the summer, ISB filled my quota, sometimes exceeding it. The muffaletta is just as tasty as their Friday sandwiches, but since the pics above are better than mine, it's not depicted here. Here are some of the summer and fall sandwiches:
(My apologies for the poor pics. The sandwiches put my poor photography skills to shame.)


Breaded Pork Loin


Prime Rib with Horseradish sauce on the side


A terrible pic of their Chicken Vesuvio


Lasagna & Meatball


Potato Pepper & Egg


BBQ Pulled Pork with sauce on the side


My personal favorite – Spicy Sausage and Peppers

I'm really delighted to see the fine post and pictures by Chicago Kid about the Italian Superior Bakery and also delighted to see that Chicago Kid has nominated ISB for a GNR award. I whole-heartedly second that nomination and really hope that those who have been to this wonderful bakery/lunch spot will also write in and that other LTHers who are yet to have been there will give the place a try before the closing of the discussion period and add their comments as well.

My family and I have the good fortune of living very close by to ISB but even if we did not, we would certainly be regular customers, for the simple reason that ISB is one of the very best Italian bakeries in the Chicagoland area. As someone who was a regular at ISB in the old days, that is, when it was the Masi brothers who owned the bakery and did such an outstanding job producing a whole array of traditional southern Italian baked goods, I am genuinely impressed with how the Saccamenos have maintained the quality of the basic range of products but then also expanded the offerings in various ways.

If you are at all a fan of bakery style pizza ('pizza bread'), you really should try ISB's and, as I've said elsewhere, the breads and lunch offerings are also excellent. And if, when you stop in, you realise you need a few basic Italian grocery items, you can get them at the bakery at a particularly good price. That the entire Saccameno family is always so genuinely welcoming to their customers, regulars and otherwise, adds all the more to the value of ISB to the Chicago food landscape.

The Italian Superior Bakery really is deserving of a GNR.

Bon pro',
Antonius

I like this place a lot and wish more people would check it out. And now, during GNR season, it's the perfect opportunity! Bring a friend and split a muffaletta, or try the bakery-style pizza, it's great. Their cookies and such are also very good.

I definitely support the idea of a GNR for this place, but I think we'll need to see more comments in this thread to make it happen.

I stopped in last week for lunch and really liked this place as well. I had the muffuletta which was on an anise-seed bread and a biscotti. I really loved the bread, especially the sweet note the anise seed brought to the sandwich. The fillings were high quality and quite flavorful, but I would have liked just a little something in there to balance the saltiness of the meats, cheese and olive salad and add just a wee bit more moistness. (Though adding something may not make it a traditional Sicilian muffuleta*.) The pecan biscotti was of the more cakey than crunchy variety but enjoyable. The owners were incredibly warm and welcoming and eager to talk about the bakery. This is a sweet, sweet place. I would like to get back to try some other sandwiches and I also hope some other folks check it out and add their impressions. (Those of you that work in the Loop, I managed to get there and back on the Blue Line in about an hour and 15 minutes, I think.)

*Speaking of which, what is the difference between a traditional Sicilian muffuletta and any other muffulletta?

(Edited to correct my spelling...)

I had the good fortune to be in the area on Friday, so I stopped in to Italian Superior Bakery to check out the Friday Lunch Special. This was my first visit, and as soon as I walked in the door I asked myself why have I waited this long to get over there. It seems like it's so far away, but it's actually not tough to get there at all. It's right at the end of Taylor Street on Western. This place is so full of neighborhood charm, it's not funny. The Saccameno's are very gracious hosts, and the breads and other items they turn out are some of the best of their kind in town.

Italian Superior Bakery Kitchen


Originally, I was thinking I would get a slice of this great looking pan pizza to go with my lunch.

Italian Superior Bakery Pizza (Sausage)


But it turned out that the Friday special this week was a prime rib sandwich that came with a cup of potato soup, so I decided to get that and take a slice of pizza home with me for later.

Chef/Gnome Standing By to Take Telephone Orders


Now, I love soup, but potato soup has never been one of my favorites. The version they served at Italian Superior Bakery completely changed my mind about what potato soup could be. It was a relatively thin potato broth with just a few chunks of potato. There was also some small shell pasta, but neither the potatoes or pasta were overused. There was still a nice amount of broth. It was topped with bacon and scallions, which really put it over the top. I loved this soup.

Italian Superior Bakery Potato Soup


As far as the prime rib sandwich goes, first and foremost this place is a bakery; and it shows. The french bread used for the sandwich is the platonic ideal of the bread I'd like to see used around town at the top tier beef joints. The crumb and crust were perfect for this application. I wish this place was out there competing head to head against Gonella for the hearts and minds of Italian Beef Stand Owners everywhere. The prime rib itself was cooked to a touch past medium rare and spiced and shaved thin just like Italian Beef. If Antonius will excuse me, this sandwich could best be described as Prime Rib Nello Stile di Carne Bovina Italiana. The sandwich was served with both giardinara and a horseradish cream sauce.

It was just like eating an Italian Beef, but with prime rib instead. It was a rich change of pace which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Italian Superior Bakery Prime Rib Sandwich


During the time I was in the dining room, various members of the family worked the room and schmoozed with the customers, many of whom were regulars. At one point, Mr. Saccameno came around offering special home made beverages to some of the regulars and even to me. It was a very nice gesture. I felt right at home.

I ended up taking home a slice of their giardinara pizza, which I warmed and ate today. It was also good, but it couldn't erase the memory of the outstanding lunch I had yesterday. I'll be back. I really want to try one of those muffelettas.

Italian Superior Bakery Giardinara Pizza


I really wish more people would check this place out. They deserve some LTH love. Thanks Antonius for bringing it to our attention.

first time poster but long time lurker.
so glad to see italian superior bakery getting some attention.
their bread is the ONLY bread my grandpa and his brothers would ever eat.
my family lived on the 2900 block of lexington st near sacramento blvd for many years and would walk to get "western ave bread".glad to see they are back
and making the same bread as always.it was a major family disaster
for the short while they were closed not to be able to get the bread
that had been part of every family meal since the early 1930's.
just wanted to share our families long time affection to the bakery.
they really do make the best italian bread in chicago!

i had the prime rib sandwich on friday, as well. i must have just missed stevez. i stopped by for my weekly 2 slices of giardiniera pizza (which make 4 meals for me, they're so big), and i treated myself to the sandwich, to go. i enjoyed it, though i guess i was expecting beef sliced more thickly than it was. it was both lunch and dinner for me, along with the hearty potato soup. i have yet to try the muffaletta (which is available every day), but last week angelo, jr. kindly sold me one of the small round loaves covered with fennel seeds which are reserved for the muffalettas, as it was the end of lunchtime and they had plenty left. it was terrific, and with advance warning they'll make them for anyone. i just tore it in chunks and ate it with some runny cheese. this place is a gem. justjoan

Steve your pictures are awesome! Just a reminder they are closed on Monday's. I raced over last Monday to get one of those muffaletta's only to find it locked up and dark in side!! Bummer... we will be back soon!

Made my way to Italian Superior Bakery for the first time this fine (late) morning. The experience was fantastic, starting with utterly fantastic service from what appears to be the family that owns the place. At any rate, they certainly had a very warm, familial vibe, which was very endearing.

I wasn't expecting such an array of choices. The pizza, the muffuletta, the breads and Italian cookies I knew about, but I took note on several must-haves for future visits: olive oil cake, Friday sandwich specials, cannoli cookies... I tried the half muffuletta. Hard to believe the massive tire-sized portion I was given was actually the HALF order. Everything about it was wonderful: the anise seed bread, spicy olive salad, sharp provolone and thinly sliced melt-in-your-mouth meats. I also tried the cold pasta. Essentially the pasta that all pasta salads aspire to be, made simply with chewy spaghetti, basil, olive oil and Parmesan. Kaboom.

The service could not have been more gracious. The prices are incredibly reasonable (cash only, btw). The selection is broad. Can't wait to return.

I'm delighted to see the positive posts here for Italian Superior Bakery, and I strongly support its nomination for a GNR. It is without question the Great Neighborhood Resource for our neighborhood (in fact, it's one of the best bakeries in the whole city) -- having excellent fresh bread within walking distance is probably the best thing about where we live. Not to mention the bakery-style pizza, a selection of sweets, basic Italian groceries, and (now) muffulettas and other sandwiches...

The bakery is a special gem and the Saccamenos just wonderful people. Yes to a GNR for them.

S'mores cupcakes. Why? I'm not sure. A true campfire of deliciousness? Yes. Thanks, Italian Superior Bakery.

Question of the Day
Why the hell isn't Italian Superior Bakery busy?

ISB is a gem, an absolute gem, friendly sincere owners, inviting comfortable space and, most importantly, top notch made with loving care bread, pastry and sandwiches.

I was the only customer noon on Tuesday I took my time eating, savoring would be more accurate, my muffuletta, chatted with the startlingly sweet Pam, shot the breeze with son Jake and still no other customers.

Steve's evocative black and white of Italian Superior Bakery Kitchen upthread speaks volumes, by hand, old world, with care.

Puts me in mind of a quote by Rob Walsh, its about barbecue but applies to ISB.

"There's not much point in complaining about high-tech barbecue. It serves a purpose, and it's here to stay. And no doubt the quality of it will keep on improving. But as the old barbecue joints slowly disappear, each one that remains becomes a bigger treasure."

G Wiv wrote:Question of the Day
Why the hell isn't Italian Superior Bakery busy?

I was the only customer noon on Tuesday I took my time eating, savoring would be more accurate, my muffuletta, chatted with the startlingly sweet Pam, shot the breeze with son Jake and still no other customers.

I too was the only customer when I was in around noon on Sunday. The owners kept asking how I heard about them and were very (almost overly) grateful for my patronage.

Great post, Gary. Yes, Italian Superior Bakery deserves more customers for their terrific sandwiches. The muffulettas are always available; you can find out what the Friday special is by checking their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Italian-S ... 9998354006

HI,

Yesterday a number of LTH friends attended Chicago Foodways Rountable talk on local candy history. Afterwards we went to Italian Superior Bakery for lunch. I was the last to arrive spurred on by a phone call reminder they closed at 1 pm.

In advance of my arrival, two piece slices and three muffaletta sandwiches were ordered: two with olive salad and one with tomatoes. The muffaletta's were constructed on round fennel studded bread. I liked the fennel so much, I pressed scattered seeds with my finger to grab and eat. The non-traditional tomato muffaletta, to accomodate an allergy issue, allowed the meat to dominate. The olive salad variant was good, though combined with the meat was saltier. I would order both muffaletta variations again, especially when it can be shared.

I liked both choices in pizza slices, one was dressed with garlic and the other I believe was onion. If I am mistaken, I am sure someone will advise.

While we were there after their posted closing, nobody rushed us. This closing sign may be considered advisory, because people continued to arrive to collect orders. When we were almost done, we were invited to sample homemade red wine. Certainly no sense to move on was suggested.

I'm glad Antonius highlighted the return of this bakery and for Chicago Boy for nominating it recently for a Great Neighborhood Restaurant/Resource. I'm glad to have those reminders to visit this worthy destination.

Regards,

One thing I really appreciate at the new Italian Superior is being able to reliably get a slice of pizza after 8 or 9am. I also like the wider choice of toppings (though there was nothing wrong at all with the old standards).



The pizza in the foreground is topped with roasted red peppers and the one behind has Romano cheese (don't recall what else). I love the salty tang it brings.

These were my first muffulettas at Italian Superior and I enjoyed both versions.





That's the standard muffuletta at the top followed by the olive-less variant. I'll have to keep that one in mind for the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. The fennel seed on the bread is a great complement to the meats. Somehow its flavor doesn't dominate as I thought it might.

I think the new owners are doing a terrific job, retaining much of what made the old Masi's such a special place while making it more accessible and welcoming to the casual visitor.

Italian Superior Bakery
933 S Western Av
Chicago
312-733-5092

I can vouch for the sesame-seed-topped bread, which is outstanding. It retained its freshness for two days and is viable even now, on the third day. For a small household, this means not wasting half a loaf, which makes me feel guilty, even though I am not of Italian ancestry. One can only use so many breadcrumbs.

And the restaurant across the street makes some great fried catfish if you are in the neighborhood.


Western Avenue Shrimp House
922 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60612

After a quick stop at Joseph's on Addison for some steaks, breakfast sausage, etc. we made our way to ISB. We split a Muffaletto sandwich and it was every bit as good as previous posts have claimed. A little caprese salad was added to the plate and much appreciated. We also bought a couple of loaves of bread and tried the small round loaf last night for dinner. It has a tight crumb and well developed flavor. We'll try the "split" loaf tonight but it looks beautiful. Just tried some of the pizza bread (ricotta topping) and I think I'll be ordering their pizzas for my mother's 89th birthday party.

I talked for some time with Pam and she and her family couldn't be any friendlier. They have that special quality that makes you feel welcome from the moment you walk in the door. This place will be on my regular rotation on my trips into the city. I, too, don't know why they aren't busier. I hope we can help spread the word and make sure they're in business for a long time to come.

Thanks, everybody, for making this GNR happen. I'm so happy to see the Saccamenos get the kudos they so richly deserve!