Joe's Pizza on Higgins

This is my first post in decades! As a disclaimer, I will say that I know Frank, Joe's grandson, but I only recently had the opportunity to eat at Joe's Pizza. It was great, a classic red-sauce Italian joint. They make everything themselves, the sauces, the pizza dough. Joe immigrated to America from Bari, and his son, Frank's father, still makes the bolognese sauce himself. We had the spaghetti with red clam sauce which was a hearty portion of perfectly cooked pasta abundantly sauced in a thick, rich red clam sauce. Salads were fresh and copious. The white pizza with mozzarella, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic was killer. The eggplant parmesan was enormous, freshly prepared so that the slight crunch of the crispy crust segued into the lush eggplant and the rich marinara. The place is a true neighborhood joint on a quiet corner. It's early, but I would totally nominate this place for a GNR!

5747 W Higgins Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 685-2301

I never tried their entrees [my loss, apparently], but this was my go-to source for pizza when I lived in the area.

Miss it.

Giovanna

I don't pull punches if a place is good or bad so here we go. My brother lived around the corner from Joe's a few years ago and really wanted this place to be great. The staff were very nice. We had the pizza a few times and it was always nothing special. My brother at other times had chicken parm, Italian beef and sausage, fried shrimp, and baked mostaccioli (among other things). In his words - all mediocre to fair at best. No GNR vote from us, sorry. If they really make everything themselves - they need to try a lot harder.

We had the pizza a few times and it was always nothing special.

I'm a simple woman with simple needs.

What I like in a thin-crust pizza, your basic tavern pizza:

thin, crispy crust
good fennel sausage
fresh mushrooms
not-too-sweet tomato sauce
decent quality, not rubbery cheese

I am constantly astonished how hard it is to find a good version of this. I have yet to find good version of this kind of pie since I moved to Morton Grove*. I think it should be a neighborhood staple, but it isn't. When I lived in Nearly Norridge, Joe's provided me with this kind of pie.


*anybody wants to have a discussion at the picnic about what I've tried and found wanting, I'm eager to talk about this and get new tips. best I've been able to find [that will deliver] is La Rosa's in Skokie.

Giovanna

Hi Giovanna, it's funny you mentioned La Rosa. My brother (same one I mentioned earlier) moved to Evanston and he recently tried La Rosa and liked it. The strange part to me is when we lived in the 70's in Skokie, La Rosa was down Crawford for us and we never got it. He said avoid Village Inn in Skokie, it's not that good. Barnaby's on Caldwell in Niles is ok and pretty close to you, but it's not as good as GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook which is my go to by house for this style. I never cared for Pequod's thin either. I would also mention Marie's in Chicago on Lawrence (not that far for you as you might think) as a favorite of mine my entire life, but they are on probation with me after numerous mediocre pizzas over the last two years which is breaking my heart.

I too love a simple tavern style crispy, paper thin crust, with fennel sausage, and oily (not rubbery) cheese. You may be right, there isn't anything really special in the Morton Grove area for tavern style thin crust.

Ram4 wrote:Hi Giovanna, it's funny you mentioned La Rosa. My brother moved to Evanston and he recently tried La Rosa and liked it. The strange part to me is when we lived in the 70's in Skokie, La Rosa was down Crawford for us and we never got it. He said avoid Village Inn in Skokie, it's not that good. Barnaby's on Caldwell in Niles is ok and pretty close to you, but it's not as good as GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook which is my go to by house for this style. I never cared for Pequod's thin either. I would also mention Marie's in Chicago on Lawrence (not that far for you as you might think) as a favorite of mine my entire life, but they are on probation with me after numerous mediocre pizzas over the last two years which is breaking my heart.

I too love a simple tavern style crispy, paper thin crust, with fennel sausage, and oily (not rubbery) cheese. You may be right, there isn't anything really special in the Morton Grove area for tavern style thin crust.

Barnaby's on Caldwell in Niles is ok and pretty close to you, but it's not as good as GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook

The Barnaby's in Niles was pretty awful, imho. I got a pizza that looked like it was made on a frozen, pre-formed crust.

I've been having issues with un-evenness with Marie's pizza's, too. I suspect there's a pattern of who is cooking when, but I don't go frequently enough to figure the pattern out.

Giovnna

Giovanna wrote:

Barnaby's on Caldwell in Niles is ok and pretty close to you, but it's not as good as GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook

The Barnaby's in Niles was pretty awful, imho. I got a pizza that looked like it was made on a frozen, pre-formed crust.

I've been having issues with un-evenness with Marie's pizza's, too. I suspect there's a pattern of who is cooking when, but I don't go frequently enough to figure the pattern out.

Giovnna

Roger that. Barnaby's in Niles is a disaster. My office is .4 miles from there and when we want Barnaby's we trek up to Northbrook. I'd rather eat a frozen pizza than eat at the Niles location (which is owned separately, btw).

=R=

Giovanna wrote:

Barnaby's on Caldwell in Niles is ok and pretty close to you, but it's not as good as GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook

The Barnaby's in Niles was pretty awful, imho. I got a pizza that looked like it was made on a frozen, pre-formed crust.

I've been having issues with un-evenness with Marie's pizza's, too. I suspect there's a pattern of who is cooking when, but I don't go frequently enough to figure the pattern out.

Giovnna

Please join the LTH North Lunch Group on the 22nd for the good stuff.