Binko wrote:Well, I won't say I wasn't warned. Still, it may be awhile before I feel spendthrift enough to throw that much money on a frozen pie.

LOL...the barriers to entry are relatively low.

=R=

The problem is, the real Vito & Nicks is literally less than 5 miles down Pulaski from me, and when a large pizza there is $12.75, while the frozen V&N II product is about the same price, it's hard for me to justify. I don't like spending more than $7 on a frozen pizza, preferably more like $5.

Whatever I, I'll be sure not to buy it from their website.

Slice (from Serious Eats) just reviewed it...

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/06/chicago-essential-vito-and-nicks.html

Been on kind of a pizza kick the last couple weeks(Wells Bros., and both V & N's).

Hit the Lemont location on Friday night and had a some really good pizza and fun. Based on my few visits the Lemont location is the equal pizza wise to the S. Pulaski location. THere is something about the bowling alley setting that I like about Lemont. You can bowl, sit in the bar, or the dining room. I have to say I prefer the bowing and pizza eating.

$1 PBR on tap on Friday, as well as cheap Jim Beam.

Pizza's were:
- sausage and garlic
- italian beef and mushroom
- cheese

hands down winner was sausage and garlic. All pizzas were ordered well done, and came out crispy and piping hot.

For me, Pulaski V & N's or the Lemont V & N's, its all good.

jimswside wrote:Been on kind of a pizza kick the last couple weeks(Wells Bros., and both V & N's).

Hit the Lemont location on Friday night and had a some really good pizza and fun. Based on my few visits the Lemont location is the equal pizza wise to the S. Pulaski location. THere is something about the bowling alley setting that I like about Lemont. You can bowl, sit in the bar, or the dining room. I have to say I prefer the bowing and pizza eating.

$1 PBR on tap on Friday, as well as cheap Jim Beam.

Pizza's were:
- sausage and garlic
- italian beef and mushroom
- cheese

hands down winner was sausage and garlic. All pizzas were ordered well done, and came out crispy and piping hot.

For me, Pulaski V & N's or the Lemont V & N's, its all good.

This sounds like an LTH event waiting to happen!!! Holiday party anyone ?

I have relatives close to both Pulaski and Lemont locations and it's the de facto pizza for any family party (with some Palermo's thrown in every once in awhile). Personally, I prefer it from the Lemont location.

Rolled some rocks at the Lemont location and had a couple of pizzas. Quality is right there with the Chicago location. Sausage, mushroom, onion and green pepper pizza and a pepperoni and giardinera pizza. Both were cooked perfectly. Crispy thin cracker crust, well done cheese on top. No sogginess at all.

Can't say I'd recommend the lanes, but the pizza was the level of greatness that I've come to expect from V&N's.

Some one on LTHF suggested Wells Bros. in Kenosha as being "right there" with V&N on Pulaski.
Drove last night to "the land that time forgot". Wells Bros. is OUTSATNDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I grew up on V&N thin crust. Now a long ride across the city, from the northern burbs. Wells Bros is about 30 min. Great thin crust.

Only draw back to both, thin crust like these are so-so for take out. Need to be enjoyed immediately.

Forgot who bloged about Wells in the last month, BUT Thanks.

Wally Wade

My wife and I were here a couple of weeks ago and we were underwhelmed.

I will admit that I am from the East Coast and biased toward New York/New Haven/Neopolitan-style pizza; nevetheless, I wanted to try V&N's pizza because of its repuation as the "best-of-breed" Chicago thin crust pie. Moreover, my wife is a native Midwesterner and she strongly prefers Chicago-style thin crust. Thus, both of us wanted to like the pizza.

We ordered the sausage pie, which was good but not great - the sauce was barely present, the mozzarella was tasteless (probably generic industrial product) and the sausage was mediocre with no real fennel presence. While the crust was certainly crispy (which my wife thought was its best feature), the most notable aspect for me was the sheer density of toppings. We both concluded that the D'Agostino's in our neighborhood makes a better Chicago-style thin crust pie.

On a brighter note, Guy Fieri and his crew came in just as we were leaving.

ld111134 wrote:On a brighter note, Guy Fieri and his crew came in just as we were leaving.

I wonder what were they doing there again. They already did a segment (at least "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" did) on them a couple years ago.

Sorry to hear V&N's didn't tickle your fancy. You should also give Villa Nova a try if you're ever in the Cicero area. Despite being a Vito & Nick's partisan, I've become more and more fond of Villa Nova in Cicero. It's a slightly different kind of pizza, much more cracker-like than V&N's, but I have to admit their sausage is damned good, and I enjoy that true cracker-like crust (in terms of flavor and crispiness) from time to time. Villa Nova is officially my second favorite Chicago thin crust to Vito & Nick's currently. Honestly, for me, it's those two pizzas, and everyone else.

Binko wrote:

ld111134 wrote:On a brighter note, Guy Fieri and his crew came in just as we were leaving.

I wonder what were they doing there again. They already did a segment (at least "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" did) on them a couple years ago.

It looked like he was just there to eat. He might have been shooting at other restaurants in the area.

The one in Lemont was closed earlier this month, supposedly it's open again but I've heard that the parking lot doesn't look as crowded now ...

http://lemont.patch.com/articles/vito-a ... ebt-issues

retzer wrote:The one in Lemont was closed earlier this month, supposedly it's open again but I've heard that the parking lot doesn't look as crowded now ...

http://lemont.patch.com/articles/vito-a ... ebt-issues

I was at Lemont Lanes last Saturday scouting for an upcoming event (stay tuned for details). The bowling alley is wide open and the pizza was as good as the Pulaski location. The bowling alley has been taken over by one of Nick's decendents (Grandson, I believe) who also runs the Pulaski location, where he has been the main pizza cook for many years. Everything seems back to normal.

I've really developed an affinity for the Italian Beef and hot Giardinera Pie at Vito and Nick's. It's kinda the Will Special of Pizza.

Being a northsider, it is a serious trek for me down Pulaski and 82nd. This past football Saturday, getting the pie, bringing it back in good shape and arriving home in time to catch my beloved SEC games just wasn't going to happen.

I thought, mistakenly, that Pete's on Western could deliver an acceptably similar product in time for kickoff.

Big Mistake. Vito and Nick's understands that the beauty of this pie is the judicious use of ingredients. A little Italian beef and a little hot giardinera go a long, long way on this pie.

Pete's didn't under stand that. What I received from Pete's was this once baked mozzarella pie, covered with a new layer of a monstrous amount of beef and what seemed like a whole bottle of giardinera and a big glob of undercooked cheese. Ack!

Let's just say that I have a new found respect for V&N's pie these days and I'm also wondering just what in the hell has happened to Pete's which once made a fantastic cracker crust pie that seems nowhere to be found today.

Probably lack of interest which results in poor product.
I'm a long time V&N fan of the 83rd & Pulaski location, ONLY.
The wife still "Runs Rough Shod" there.

But that being said, I live north & V&N is a haul and real challenge in rush hour.

Wells Bros was mentioned on a POST, I went and tried it. Terrific!!
In Racine, WI., 30-35 minutes from RT 60 & 294.
Lots of TVs in the bar for the games. Try it!!!!!!!!!!!

Wally Wade
PS Check Web for hours.

stevez wrote:I was at Lemont Lanes last Saturday scouting for an upcoming event (stay tuned for details). .

wha' happen..?

Had been kind of holding off a visit to the Lemont location based on the prospect of an event, that is until last night...

Place was buzzing for the couple of hours we were there, a few other tables eating, some traffic in the bar, and a couple of b-day parties on the lanes. Pizza was on the mark again, & has been ever time here. Large: sausage and garlic.. well done. $2 bottles of High Life were a bonus.

Nice suburban one-two punch yesterday.. Chinese Kitchen for lunch(a friends recent visit reminded me I hadnt been in a while), & V & N for supper.

jimswside wrote:

stevez wrote:I was at Lemont Lanes last Saturday scouting for an upcoming event (stay tuned for details). .

wha' happen..?

Had been kind of holding off a visit to the Lemont location based on the prospect of an event, that is until last night...

Place was buzzing for the couple of hours we were there, a few other tables eating, some traffic in the bar, and a couple of b-day parties on the lanes. Pizza was on the mark again, & has been ever time here. Large: sausage and garlic.. well done. $2 bottles of High Life were a bonus.

Nice suburban one-two punch yesterday.. Chinese Kitchen for lunch(a friends recent visit reminded me I hadnt been in a while), & V & N for supper.

There were some internal V&N family struggles going on that I believe, based on a recent conversation with Nick Jr., have finally been worked out. During the turmoil, it wasn't possible to hold an event there for various reasons that I won't go into here. With the LTH Holiday Party just around the corner, we've decided to hold off on an event at the bowling alley (which will now be called something other than Vito & Nick's) until spring. Stay tuned.

stevez wrote: we've decided to hold off on an event at the bowling alley (which will now be called something other than Vito & Nick's) until spring. Stay tuned.

interesting you post that, the menu didnt say V & N's anymore, it was a close enough variation on the name that I didnt think much about it til now.

jimswside wrote:interesting you post that, the menu didnt say V & N's anymore, it was a close enough variation on the name that I didnt think much about it til now.

I wonder if they still display their photocopied Dolinsky.

Some additional shots of the Lemont location:



old school:


large sausage/garlic - well done:

Went to V&N, 84th & Pulaski on Wednesday, 11-23 after our annual football game.
Thin crust sausage, mushroom & a little onion, is still the best!!!!!
But, Wells Bros in Racine, WI is very close. Not there yet.
Wally Wade

Being a big Vito & Nick's fan for years (as well as Villa Nova and HRI), I was anxious to try the Wells Bros pizza that I had heard so much about on this thread. So on Saturday, October 8th of this year, I took a drive to Racine and drove a good deal off the I-94 expressway to find the famous Wells Bros. pizzeria. It was about 1 pm in the afternoon and my mouth was salivating at the thought of having a nice crispy, thin crust pizza. And when I did find the restaurant I attempted to pull open the front door only to find it locked. Then I went around to their side door and found that locked. Their website indicated that they were open for lunch on Saturdays, so I went back to the car and called their telephone number on my cell phone, only to have it ring without answer.

I ultimately left and disappointedly drove back to Chicago. A couple of hours later I again called their telephone number and this time received a recorded message saying that they were closed for the day "due to a wedding." Too bad they hadn't posted that somehow on their website. Someday I may return, but it won't be in the near future. Suggest others may want to call ahead to assure that they are open before traveling.

Unfortunately you overlooked the most important rule of travelling a long distance to eat - ALWAYS call first. This has happened to many of us with many different restaurants. It happened to me twice with Wells Brothers, but one of those times I was in the area anyway. There is another really good thin pizza place in Racine you could have gone to called Mike and Angelo's. Some like it better than Wells Brothers. That sucks when you drive somewhere and they're closed.

The Lemont restaurant closed over the weekend. Word is new owner just couldn't swing it. Too bad.

reviving and old topic. recently saw the diners, drive-ins, and dives episode where the original N&V was featured. I had seen the show over a year ago, and always wanted to try a pizza from there. okay, several months ago I was shopping at Woodlan's in Kenosha, and picked up a N&V II pizza from the frozen section. when home, followed the cooking directions, sliced it up...and really enjoyed it. I like to think I know a good pizza just as much as the next guy. as far a crossbar go, this is right there with home run inn in my book. I do not know the story of the two V&N establishments...and will someday make it to the "Real" place for a freshly cooked pizza.

Also, I live in Waukegan, the home of Quanset Pizza....I am not a fan, thankfully did not grow up eating it, so have an understanding of what real thin crust pizza should taste like. there are several quality pizza places near Great America...Double D's (Waukegan), Fiameco (wood fired pizza in waukegan), Kaiser's (gurnee).

John1434 wrote:Also, I live in Waukegan, the home of Quanset Pizza....I am not a fan, thankfully did not grow up eating it, so have an understanding of what real thin crust pizza should taste like. there are several quality pizza places near Great America...Double D's (Waukegan), Fiameco (wood fired pizza in waukegan), Kaiser's (gurnee).

If you'd like to try a very similar style of pizza to Vito & Nick's that is much closer to home, check out Wells Brothers Pizza in Racine.

Wells Brothers Pizza
2148 Mead Street
Racine, WI 53403
(262) 632-4408

Stevez,

thanks for the recommendation - I have been to Wells Bros on two occasions (in the past year) - I love it, currently my favorite thin crust. (at least until I try the original V&N).

sorry about any errors in my last post...did it via phone text

If I had to chose my last pizza, definitely V&N.
BUT, either way you can't go wrong.

Wally Wade

PS:V&N is CASH ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So don't go there with just "lint" in your wallet or pockets.

solid as always: large: sausage & garlic, well done:



maybe better cold the next morning @ 4:20 a.m.

jimswside wrote:solid as always: large: sausage & garlic, well done:



maybe better cold the next morning @ 4:20 a.m.

hah im sure

pizza looks great!