Finally stopped in for a Muffuletta the other day. The only thing I can add to the previous comments about it is that it's my new favorite sandwich.

A friend and I ventured over to ISB for lunch today and are so very glad we did.

We both opted for the Friday lunch specials . . . I had the 8" roasted potato/egg/onion sandwich and he had the 8" tuna sandwich. When we were asked if we wanted the bean salad we said sure, sounds good and were then directed to the (very nice) adjacent dining area. While we waited we checked out the great family photo's on the wall and peered in at the very cool looking bakery area (where in my last visit, years ago, I'd seen Antonius dusted in flour helping out Frank Masi). In surprisingly short order our food was brought to us, two terrific looking sandwiches and rather large side salads of cannellini beans, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and other things which I'm now forgetting dressed (very lightly) with a balsamic vinaigrette. This salad struck all kind of right notes with me, fresh, crunchy, creamy . . . just needed a dash of salt and pepper to bring out all of the flavors. After I applied some of the giardianiera from the side cup to my egg sandwich I tore into it and thought it was everything a Friday egg sandwich should be . . . just on much better bread than I'd ever had it served on before. My friend thought the same of his tuna sandwich. While we were discussing the marvelous bread texture and taste we were brought a couple of glasses of home-made wine! Seriously, this is like going to somebody's home - if that somebody has a really nice home, is a great cook, and is super friendly to boot. But wait - there's more as we were then brought bowls of some really lovely looking cold watermelon soup. I was already concerned if I would be able to finish the salad AND the sandwich and now there's soup, too? But soup this good, once tasted, commands you to finish it. The flavor of the watermelon came through quite nicely and there was an excellent balance - not too sweet but justright and oh so refreshing. While throughout the meal both owners came by to see how everything was, we really enjoyed the discussion we had with Angelo at the end of our meal. My friend, who usually observes a form of a low-carb diet, shared with Angelo that he hadn't eaten a sandwich in 3 years but was glad that he had one here so that he could enjoy such quality bread.

So, we go to pay. I had ordered a few sandwiches to take home (happy wife = happy life!) and, of course, we'd had the salad and soup so I'm doing the mental gymnastics to guesstimate what my total might be . . . and I'm floored when we are told that the "special" INCLUDES the salad and soup (and, of course, the gratis wine that was shared with us) for $6.50! Yes, SIX FIFTY (or, as I've heard some of the younger generation say it "fitty"). Are you kidding me? It costs me six-fitty for crap a la king in my company's cafeteria and I'm bursting at the seams with fresh, quality, home-made food served in a nice place by even nicer people? I honestly felt guilty paying so little for so much. Oh, and the to-go orders were similarly filled out with the salad and soup.

It's a good thing I was (and still am) so full or else I might have done evil things with all those beautiful items in the pastry case calling out to me. I will definitely be coming back . . . again and again. What a terrific local option.

Ok, I guess i need to pay more attention!! Second time I have been here, driving down from the Northside only to find the place dark....The reviews and discussions of the possibility of a real New Orleans style Muffaletta are more than I can take! They are Closed Mondays.. They close at 1pm on weekends.So alternate Bari:2 Subs and a pound and a half of hot sausage for grill. D'Amatos Bakery: slice of cheese and one slice olive and artichoke pan pizza. Assorted cookies for the 3 year old. Pit stop at Twisted Spoke and I am feeling better.....

This past Friday, Amata and I got a couple of items for lunch to take out... Amata had the prime rib...
]
She praised this generously filled sandwich in very high terms... I would have sampled it but this is, after all, Lent...

And so I had the Italian tuna sandwich...

... as delicious as it was large... the best tuna fish sandwich from a restaurant I've had in Chicago...

Also in the goody bag were two containers of soup (asparagus, broccoli rabe and shells) and two containers of ciambotta, a dish about which I have posted elsewhere...
viewtopic.php?p=9771#p9771

Fabulous lunch at a great price...

Bon pro',
Antonius

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

Having now shown up here a couple of times only to find it closed, it's probably worth noting that operating hours have changed since Antonius opened this thread . . .


Posted hours at Italian Superior Bakery - 11.0416

One of these days, I'm going to actually get to ISB when they're open!

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ronnie, i can understand your frustration. can you, as a moderator, go back and change the hours in the OP, as many might read it and use it to plan their trip, as you apparently did. thanks, justjoan

justjoan wrote:ronnie, i can understand your frustration. can you, as a moderator, go back and change the hours in the OP, as many might read it and use it to plan their trip, as you apparently did. thanks, justjoan

We don't edit our members' posts, even in these types of instances but hopefully Antonius will see this and update the information he posted up top.

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Of course they DO have that dub-dub-dub thingie and the ring-ring-ring thingie working for anyone that might want to inquire directly from the source rather than rely upon (potentially) dated 2nd and 3rd hand references . . .

Kman wrote:Of course they DO have that dub-dub-dub thingie and the ring-ring-ring thingie working for anyone that might want to inquire directly from the source rather than rely upon (potentially) dated 2nd and 3rd hand references . . .

Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal at all. I wouldn't have made a dedicated trip without calling. After having met Angelo, the proprietor, at the GNR Awards dinner last Monday, I was especially excited to finally try ISB. After yesterday's miss, I figured that by taking and posting the picture I could drive it into my own head what their hours actually are, while posting some (hopefully) useful information in the process.

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Hey Ronnie,

I have changed the times in the o.p. but will also double check with Angelo and make sure I've got them right/up-to-date.

A

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Kman wrote:Of course they DO have that dub-dub-dub thingie and the ring-ring-ring thingie working for anyone that might want to inquire directly from the source rather than rely upon (potentially) dated 2nd and 3rd hand references . . .

Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal at all. I wouldn't have made a dedicated trip without calling. After having met Angelo, the proprietor, at the GNR Awards dinner last Monday, I was especially excited to finally try ISB. After yesterday's miss, I figured that by taking and posting the picture I could drive it into my own head what their hours actually are, while posting some (hopefully) useful information in the process.

=R=

You know I was only teasing, right?

One of these days you'll hook up. It's really impossible to overstate how nice everyone there is.

Kman wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Kman wrote:Of course they DO have that dub-dub-dub thingie and the ring-ring-ring thingie working for anyone that might want to inquire directly from the source rather than rely upon (potentially) dated 2nd and 3rd hand references . . .

Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal at all. I wouldn't have made a dedicated trip without calling. After having met Angelo, the proprietor, at the GNR Awards dinner last Monday, I was especially excited to finally try ISB. After yesterday's miss, I figured that by taking and posting the picture I could drive it into my own head what their hours actually are, while posting some (hopefully) useful information in the process.

=R=

You know I was only teasing, right?

One of these days you'll hook up. It's really impossible to overstate how nice everyone there is.

LOL...it was a rookie mistake on my part, so I was being overly sensitive.

I really do know their hours by heart now, though.

=R=

Antonius wrote:Hey Ronnie,

I have changed the times in the o.p. but will also double check with Angelo and make sure I've got them right/up-to-date.

A

Great, thanks.

=R=

Deal site alert:

$2.48 for 2 slices of 1-topping pizza @ KGB Deals
Referral link / Non-referral link

That's a hell of a deal, and I hope it works out well for them and gets a bunch of new people through the door.

Deal site alert:

$2.48 for 2 slices of 1-topping pizza @ KGB Deals
Referral link / Non-referral link

anything that attracts more business to the bakery is a good thing. but this deal shows and describes the pizza as square, and ISB's pizza comes in large rectangles. rather weird..... justjoan

My wife and I had the muffaletta and were underwhelmed. The bread was too chewy, the olive salad had no bite and the meats were "meh".

Returned with a friend today for another enjoyable lunch. "Hot" specials today were chicken or eggplant parmesan and meatball sandwiches. All of the tables had folks seated at them but we were able to share a table with a solo diner - who definitely was enjoying his chicken parm sandwich (and it looked great). We had both ordered the meatballs and the sandwiches came out fairly quickly accompanied by a side of penne with red sauce. The sandwiches were cut in two, each half holding 1.5 - 2 large meatballs. As is typical of the genre it was a bit of a challenge to eat as a sandwich owing to the tendency of the meatballs to try and pop out of the bread. I deconstructed the first half and generously covered it with the provided giardiniera and ate it via knife and fork. By the time I was ready for the 2nd half the sauce from the meatballs had softened the bread's interior such that the contents stayed in place a bit more and I ate it in sandwich mode. Paired up with the pasta it ended up being just a bit more food than I could comfortably consume for lunch and I felt guilty for not finishing it. I really like the sandwich but the next time it's on the menu I think I will instead try one of the parm options - they really looked terrific.

Everyone there was as friendly as ever, the food was as good as ever, and walking back out into a FINALLY nice, sunny day and strolling down Taylor Street (well, at least back to where the car was parked) made for an exceptional Friday lunch.

i've been lucky enough to be able to occasionally stop by the bakery on friday. friday is different from all other days, as there is always a friday lunch special. today's pork loin sandwich with fennel coleslaw was extraordinary, as was the side of white wine cooked potato gnocchi. the sliced pork is tender and juicy, and the slaw is kind of sweet and sour- an incredible match.
unfortunately, the pastry section of the bakery has shut down. the good news is there will be an expansion of take out food to come. and gelato has been added to the bakery. today i sampled pistachio, chocolate, vanilla and lemon- all perfect for a hot humid summer day. i met louie, an lth lurker there today- he chose to eat his lunch in the dining room. i took mine to go. this place is well worth the jaunt to western and taylor. street parking is easy. justjoan

italian superior bakery, 933 s. western

The family and I were making our Sunday visit to ISB and Pam gave us a flyer they had printed up with their holiday hours for 2011... Here are the main bits of info:

Thanksgiving
Extended hours on Weds., Nov. 23rd 7am to 5pm
Thanksgiving Day 7am to 11am
Closed Fri. Nov. 25th through Mon. Nov. 28th
(Open again on the 29th.)

Christmas
Extended hours on Fri. Dec. 23rd 7am to 5pm
Sat. Dec. 24th 7am to 3pm
Closed Christmas Day, Sun. Dec. 25th to Wed. Dec. 28th
(Open again on the 29th.)

New Years
Extended hours Sat., Dec. 31st, 7am to 3pm
Closed New Year's Day, Jan. 1st to Mon., Jan. 2nd
(Open again on the 3rd.)

Note too: on the days of the holiday bakes, the volume of the orders is such that there will be no bread and pizza for walk-in customers. Of course, you can place an order (do so no later than 3pm the day before). Pizza orders will be accepted only for 1/2 pans or more...
The dining room will also be closed on the dates mentioned above with extended/holiday hours and there will be no sandwiches or lunch specials available on those days.

If you have any questions or need to place an order, give them a call at: 312.733.5092

There are a lot of families that place large orders for the holidays, including many of families that started out living in the Taylor Street neighbourhood and are now spread out in the suburban hinterland... As I've said before, it's really wonderful to see how the Saccameno's have continued the tradition that the Masi's had established and then have gone on to add so many great new features to the business...

Bon pro'...
Antonius

Out of the mid-day snow, walking into ISB was a magical experience, with inviting warmth, wonderful aromas, local color, and reliably wicked good food: carved ham sandwich, potato soup with bacon, sheet pizza, olives. They also had a veritable assembly line for freselle salads going, for both eat-in and carry-out, and if the demand and quality are there in January, I can't wait to remind myself at the height of the summer basil and tomatoes.

Stopped in to pick up a slice of brocoli pizza for lunch & grabbed a flier listing their new lunch specials as of March 6:

Tuesdays: Lasagne & Meatball $9
Wednesdays: Pulled Pork Sandwich w/ garlic corn $7
Thursdays: Meatball Sandwich w/ roasted carrots $7.50
Fridays: Rime Rib Sandwich w/ coleslaw & roasted potatoes $10

Speaking of Pizza sold there......I gotta say, my last visit there was anything but stellar.

I ordered a 1/2 a Muffalata Sandwich- and a slice of Sausage Pizza.
When I asked for the pizza to be warmed up- he responded..."We don't do that here".
hmmmmm- it's a bakery- they do have Ovens right?
I mean- I can see em!
Microwave- check- they "got" one of those too.
The sweet gals @ D'Amatos always - every time I'm there to buy a slice-
ask-....."can I warm that for ya - hon?"

Anyway- while waiting for my sammy- I looked in the cookie/pastry glass display- and it was barren.
Empty.
Maybe, they weren't selling enough product, and throwing away too much?
I was thinkin' of inquiring as to where all the baked treats went...but with the sons attitude about warming a simple
slice of cold pizza- i figured he wasn't worthy of the small-talk.
Besides- didn't want to distract him from preparing m Muffalata.

So- after eating my "OK" sandwich- and not eating my cold pizza- I walked up to pay, and he kindly rang
me up for ONLY the sandwich....saying the cold pizza was on him.
Nice try to rectify the situation- but after having a few warm/nice chats w/ the Mom on prior visits,
and bringing friends in for lunch there....I doubt I'll be back- after not feelin' the love.

Hombre de Acero wrote:So- after eating my "OK" sandwich- and not eating my cold pizza- I walked up to pay, and he kindly rang
me up for ONLY the sandwich....saying the cold pizza was on him.
Nice try to rectify the situation- but after having a few warm/nice chats w/ the Mom on prior visits,
and bringing friends in for lunch there....I doubt I'll be back- after not feelin' the love.

I'm sorry you feel that way; sounds like he did everything he could. I can confirm they're no longer filling the dessert case since they were not selling, and the relative/friend who was doing the pastry work has other outlets. I have never been disappointed by the hot lunch specials and personally enjoy my sheet pizza at room temp, going back to family experience and other places like Mamma Susi (Turano). I wish you luck if you do try ISB again.

PIGMON wrote:

Santander wrote:

Hombre de Acero wrote:So- after eating my "OK" sandwich- and not eating my cold pizza- I walked up to pay, and he kindly rang
me up for ONLY the sandwich....saying the cold pizza was on him.
Nice try to rectify the situation- but after having a few warm/nice chats w/ the Mom on prior visits,
and bringing friends in for lunch there....I doubt I'll be back- after not feelin' the love.

I'm sorry you feel that way; sounds like he did everything he could.

I couldn't agree with you more, Mr. Santander.

If you haven't already, try ISB's prime rib sandwich sometime. It's way better than "OK". In fact, it's one of the better lunch bites I've had this entire year. This high quality tasty beef dipped in a lovely beef juice is a perfect match for their fine in-house baked Italian bread. I couldn't agree more with stevez when he accurately states above that "The crumb and crust were perfect for this application", elevating this sandwich way beyond your run-of-the-mill Italian beef commonly found throughout town.

Regarding the comment a couple posts up about the pizza at ISB, it might do well to note the following...

In the original post of this thread, I remarked on ISB's approach:

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.

This style of pizza — bakery pizza or 'pizza bread' — has traditionally been treated in exactly the way ISB treats it. It comes out of the oven and is left to rest a little, then cut and sold. Perhaps D'Amato's reheats on request now but in the fifteen years or so that I was a very regular customer there (before becoming a regular at ISB, my neighbourhood bakery) I never heard anyone offer to reheat the pizza nor anyone request that it be done.

The pizza is not 'cold' but hot when it comes out of the oven and from there it cools down to room temperature and that, as I said, is just how it was served and sold by ISB in the old days when the Masis had the place and in D'Amato's until the apparent change of policy. This way of serving pizza is also known in Italy.

I appreciate and respect the fact that ISB tries hard to stick to traditional ways of doing things and in the situation involving a customer's disappointment described above, the comping of the pizza seems like an extremely reasonable and friendly response to the situation. The Saccamenos are in my experience consistently and genuinely friendly and generous, not just to me but to everyone I've seen them interact with in their shop. The comments by others in this thread bear further witness to that.

With regard to the absence of pastries, Justjoan reported on this development a little ways up-thread from here way back in July.

Antonius

When I asked for the pizza to be warmed up- he responded..."We don't do that here".
hmmmmm- it's a bakery- they do have Ovens right?
I mean- I can see em!
Microwave- check- they "got" one of those too.
The sweet gals @ D'Amatos always - every time I'm there to buy a slice-
ask-....."can I warm that for ya - hon?"

hombre de acero: you didn't say whether you were told that the pizza was intended to be eaten at room temperature; but i suspect you were, as the saccamenos always explain that to their customers. and as to putting pizza in the microwave..... that's a terrible idea- it completely destroys and softens the texture of the incredible crust. you are right, d'amato's for many years has been asking their customers if they want the pizza warmed up, and i always say, "absolutely not. you are ruining your own product by offering to put it in a microwave-please buy a toaster oven." as far as i know, they are still shooting themselves in the foot by microwaving their pizza. i think you should acknowledge ISP's integrity and be appreciative of the free pizza: you ARE 'feeling the love'; their love for the pizza and the way it should be eaten, even at the risk of offending a customer. (btw, i always warm up my pizza briefly, in a real oven, when i eat it at home)

justjoan, antonius and santander.....just wondering if you heard of a Company(s) called Domino's, Little Caesers, Spacca Nappoli and others
that sell Pizza?
Yes ? ?
OK - Good- and how many of those successful business, making all kinds of money sell "cold" pizza ?
(I'll wait for the answer....take your time.....)

NONE OF EM!

To offer cold pizza to a customer who asks- to have to warmed up - & is told.... "No" because......."we don't do it that way", is to me-
not far removed from The Soup Nazi.
Last time I checked- Pizza, in America is sold hot. Not room temperature. Not cold.

(btw, i always warm up my pizza briefly, in a real oven, when i eat it at home)

and justjoan- why bother to TELL ME HOW TO EAT MY PIZZA, when you chose to
warm your pizza in the privacy of your own home anyway??? You wasted a whole paragraph of words- to
conclude that you do- what I requested- warm or close to,
hot pizza.
What's up with that useless comment?

It seems, that many on lth- will not allow, or accept ANYONE who wants to critique, or comment less than favorably about some small and inflexible small business (nee Patty's).


gets ripped to shreds........when they receive less than steller customer s

Superman, you don't enjoy room temp pizza, that's cool, enjoy the places that serve warm pizza. I think the issue is you feel like you should get your pizza a certain temperature, and that's not something ISB does, much like other pizza places probably wouldn't put your pizza in the fridge for you. Personally, I like the pizza at ISB better than the pizza at Domino's. But I also prefer to not reheat pizza leftovers. It feels like I'm getting two different meals that way.

Love,
John

I would gladly take a cold pizza from ISB than a warm pizza from Domino's anytime

Blown Z wrote:I would gladly take a cold pizza from ISB than a warm pizza from Domino's anytime

Yeah, me too. I'd probably even prefer a piece of ISB's pizza that someone else had already started eating.

Seriously, though, I get the "customer's always right" mindset but not all places can be all things to all people. When in Rome (or at ISB) . . .

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