What happened to Pequod's Pizza... [+ Burt's Place]
What happened to Pequod's Pizza... [+ Burt's Place]
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Post #211 - June 10th, 2009, 8:26 pmAs promised, here are the photos from last night.
Deep dish with sausage, green pepper, and half green olive/half black
Thin crust with mushroom and half pepperoni/half sausage
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Post #212 - November 24th, 2009, 1:56 pmHad Pequod's for lunch yesterday. Was as good as i've ever had from there, and still possibly the best lunch deal in town. 7" personal pie, and a beer/soft drink for $4.95. Perfectly cooked.. sausage was as good as ever (probably my favorite pizza sausage in the city). Don't have one bad thing to say about it, and I too, have been a victim of past inconsistency, especially in the crust.
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Post #213 - July 10th, 2010, 8:58 pmWhat's up at Burt's? I tried calling all day today (Saturday) to order some pizzas for tomorrow night. Ack!! All I got was a busy signal.
They open at 4:30pm Sunday...we ( six of us) want to eat at 5pm. Do we dare walk in tomorrow without having ordered?
Anyone else try to call today?
Suggestions or information appreciated."Call any vegetable...and the chances are good the vegetable will respond to you."
--Frank Zappa
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Post #214 - July 10th, 2010, 11:51 pmTry calling as early as possible on Sunday. You can start trying around noon or even earlier. If Burt is there, he will answer the phone.
Buddy
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Post #215 - July 10th, 2010, 11:57 pmRaccoon wrote:Had Pequod's for lunch yesterday. Was as good as i've ever had from there, and still possibly the best lunch deal in town. 7" personal pie, and a beer/soft drink for $4.95. Perfectly cooked.. sausage was as good as ever (probably my favorite pizza sausage in the city). Don't have one bad thing to say about it, and I too, have been a victim of past inconsistency, especially in the crust.
Just to add a question to a recently revived topic, does the Pequod's in Morton Grove have the same lunch special during the week/weekend? Curious to find out, but I guess I could call some other day if I must (as I couldn't find anything about that on the official web site).
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Post #216 - July 11th, 2010, 12:15 amsaluki68 wrote:What's up at Burt's? I tried calling all day today (Saturday) to order some pizzas for tomorrow night. Ack!! All I got was a busy signal.
They open at 4:30pm Sunday...we ( six of us) want to eat at 5pm. Do we dare walk in tomorrow without having ordered?
Anyone else try to call today?
Suggestions or information appreciated.
When they get so many orders (dine-in and carry-out) that they can't take any more for the night, they take the phone off the hook.
Burt is usually there prepping for the night early in the afternoon and will answer the phone, so try calling sometime after noon...definitely do not try walking in.
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Post #217 - July 11th, 2010, 1:26 am
Agreed. Do not walk in. Repeat. Do not walk in. If he doesn't answer the phone, go to Pequod's. I love them both.abe_froeman wrote:saluki68 wrote:What's up at Burt's? I tried calling all day today (Saturday) to order some pizzas for tomorrow night. Ack!! All I got was a busy signal.
They open at 4:30pm Sunday...we ( six of us) want to eat at 5pm. Do we dare walk in tomorrow without having ordered?
Anyone else try to call today?
Suggestions or information appreciated.
When they get so many orders (dine-in and carry-out) that they can't take any more for the night, they take the phone off the hook.
Burt is usually there prepping for the night early in the afternoon and will answer the phone, so try calling sometime after noon...definitely do not try walking in.
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Post #218 - July 11th, 2010, 10:32 amLTH'ers to the rescue! I just talked to Burt and placed my order for tonight.
While not regulars at Burt's, we have never had a problem getting them on the phone. So, yesterday was bit confusing for us.
Thanks again to all who responded."Call any vegetable...and the chances are good the vegetable will respond to you."
--Frank Zappa
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Post #219 - August 6th, 2010, 8:11 amMy wife and I had the good sense to strategically schedule a trip to Glenview last night so that we could stop at Burt's for dinner. Our large sausage, mushroom, and garlic pizza was as good as any we've ever had there. I hadn't had mushrooms at Burt's and wasn't sure what to expect (mushrooms may be the ingredient most poorly used at pizza joints). But these were excellent, full of mushroom flavor and quite moist. Burt and Sharon were incredibly friendly, making the dinner all the more enjoyable.
We got a nice laugh out of the "Save this restaurant" store from Time Out Chicago that is placed in the menu notebook.
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Post #220 - December 6th, 2011, 11:00 pmAm I the only one that actually prefers Pequods over Burts? I'm referring to the Pequod's in the city on Clybourn.
1) Pequod's is denser, and thicker and the cheese crust is taller and more substantial.
2) Sauce is sweeter
3) More of a salty flavor
4) More pepperoni's
5) Oh yeah, they deliver and its easy to get carry out or dine in.
I guess since I get pepperoni/garlic Pequods to me bring forth more of a tangy flavor of the sauce as well as giving me more pepperoni's. I've read through this tread and understand why most foodies would appreciate Burt's and although I enjoyed the pizza there I felt as if something was missing, maybe because I was already used of Pequods and thus Burts tasted more bland bc im used to the more salty Pequods? Burt's tasted much lighter for those that may appreciate that but if I go deep dish I'm going for the density and salt be dammed.I'm not picky, I just have more tastebuds than you... ; )
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Post #221 - December 6th, 2011, 11:18 pmFoodSnob77 wrote:Am I the only one that actually prefers Pequods over Burts? I'm referring to the Pequod's in the city on Clybourn.
I've never been to the Pequod's on Clybourn but I really enjoy the one in Morton Grove and since it's near my office, we get it fairly often for lunch. We occasionally get Burt's too but Pequod's is a bit easier logistically and it's open M-F for lunch, which is convenient. Since they're only about 2 blocks from each other, one of these days we're going to get both on the same day and do a side-by-side, which I'm guessing has probably been done before.
=R=By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada
Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS
There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM
That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
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Post #222 - December 6th, 2011, 11:30 pmIt has ...
the visit in response to BuddyRoadHouse taunt to check out Burt's, which is Pequod's circa 1985:Josephine wrote:A fine idea, BuddyRoadhouse. As it happened, Cathy2 and I were casting about for a dinner plan yesterday. I had just returned from a pizza shut out in New Haven and Providence (a tale too sad to tell), and she took pity on me. So we headed out to Morton Grove with your suggestion in mind. A head-to-head comparison of the two is recounted below, with photos by Cathy2.
Ever professional, Cathy2 resisted my attempt to sidetrack her into a pop at the corner bar, The Bringer Inn. But which pizza to try first? The primo parking spot in front of Burt's made that an easy decision. And then, suddenly, we were in Wisconsin, or another Place That Time Forgot. And I mean that in a good way. It seems that Burt is a collector of Hamm Radios and other stuff that you don't see around much anymore. It tickled my nostalgia bone in a big way.
We received a warm welcome from a woman who appeared to be Mrs. Burt, while Burt himself (we conjectured) was seated across the room.
Our large pan pizza with half sausage and half pepperoni appeared before long. (True, the place was empty, except for us, but it still seemed pretty quick.)
My initial impression was of a well-balanced work, in which the key elements of crust, cheese, sauce, meat topping harmonized quite well. The crust was lighter and less greasy than Malnati's, but, I'm guessing, in the same general style. (Cathy2 said she had little experience of Malnati's, so she didn't want to offer an opinion.) The charred edge extended around the circumference of the pie, but, as will become clear in views provided below, did not cover the entire depth of the crust. This seemed to provide the right amount of char, rather than dominating the pie. The tomato sauce seemed tangy and fresh-tasting, and was applied such that it mingled nicely with the cheese, rather than making a separate puddle of sauce on top of the pie, which I personally find quite irritating. Cathy2 observed that the sausage was sliced in disks, and had a healthy amont of garlic. The pepperoni was very thinly sliced and carefully distributed so that each bite contained a bit of meat.
Mrs. Burt seemed to be the kind of person who finds it easy to be gracious, and I left feeling I'd be happy to return. (As an aside, Cathy2 was as pleased to find A&W Root Beer as I was to have a Leinenkugel's.)
Around the corner at Pequod's we encountered a somewhat similar room that seemed to be attempting some of the same atmospheric cues as Burts. But it was strange because there were blaring TV's showing poker games and lots of neon beer signs amid the Hamm radios and ship photos. Rather than the cozy booths and wooden chairs, there were metal banquet chairs at formica tables. But no, BuddyRoadhouse, there was no sign of ladies' undergarments used as decorations. The only remnants of a prurient sense of humor were in some candid photos of past patrons gone wild on the wall in the entryway. Cathy2 also (discreetly) checked the men's room and the only decoration there was a fern. Oddly, both WC's have louvered doors that open adjacent to tables in the crowded room, giving one the impression that one's privacy is potentially in some jeopardy. Fortunately, the room was nearly empty, but unlike at Burt's we waited some time for our pizza. The service was adequate, but lacking the warmth we had experienced earlier in the evening.
This time, my initial impression was of a much heavier, denser pizza. The crust was crisp on the bottom, but doughy without being chewy nearer the cheese layer, as if unevenly cooked. And yet the edge was deeply charred. The cheese was set in a heavier layer, and the sauce quite thickly applied over that. The pepperoni, Cathy2 observed, was shingled on like fish scales. One might speculate that this is in deference to Pequod's sea-going theme, and this hypothesis would be further supported by the strong saltiness of the tomato sauce and the pepperoni. While Pequod's pepperoni did have a hotter bite than Burt's, it was also overly salty, making the pepperoni slices unpleasant for me as a longtime foe of over-salting. At this point, Cathy also observed that the judicious use of oregano at Burts was a strong point lacking in Pequod's interpretation.
Cathy and I then adjourned to my house, where we conducted a side-by-side evaluation of the slices.
Packaging: Pequod's (right) uses foil, Burt's (left) does not
Crust edge: Burt's at left, Pequod's at right.
Sausage: Burt's at left, Pequod's at right
Pepperoni: (Pequod's pepperoni (at right) are arranged like fish scales)
A second round of tasting yielded data consistent with our earlier impressions. Burt's was the winner on every count. (Texture of crust, level of carmelization/char, balance of ingredients, amount of cheese, sauce, assembly, seasoning, and toppings) Pequod's seems a brute of a pizza, heavy and salty. Burt's on the other hand, is a charmer with a lighter touch and a sense of how to pull it all together. I'll let you decide for yourselves about the decor. But I'll be going back to Burt's for my pizza with jazz, not poker. Many thanks to Cathy for her company, her focus, and her photos. Thanks also to all who posted, Pequod's fans, too!Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Post #223 - December 7th, 2011, 1:00 amTaunt? I prefer to think of it as a challenge. You took it, we passed. The rest is history.
And a HUGE thank you to all who have made that (still being written) history possible.
Buddy
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Post #224 - December 7th, 2011, 4:41 amFoodSnob77 wrote:Am I the only one that actually prefers Pequods over Burts? I'm referring to the Pequod's in the city on Clybourn.
1) Pequod's is denser, and thicker and the cheese crust is taller and more substantial.
2) Sauce is sweeter
3) More of a salty flavor
4) More pepperoni's
5) Oh yeah, they deliver and its easy to get carry out or dine in.
I guess since I get pepperoni/garlic Pequods to me bring forth more of a tangy flavor of the sauce as well as giving me more pepperoni's. I've read through this tread and understand why most foodies would appreciate Burt's and although I enjoyed the pizza there I felt as if something was missing, maybe because I was already used of Pequods and thus Burts tasted more bland bc im used to the more salty Pequods? Burt's tasted much lighter for those that may appreciate that but if I go deep dish I'm going for the density and salt be dammed.
I have eaten at Burt's twice and Pequod's countless times. Undoubtedly, I prefer Pequod's for the same reasons you do. I'm not usually a sucker for overly salty thing, in fact that's typically my first complaint. Granted, i have never ordered the pepperoni pizza at either, however I still find Pequod's pizzas to be more flavorful. On a pizza of this style, I appreciate the more bountiful toppings. Burt's is certainly a minimalist version of Pequod's (or should I say Pequod's is an exaggerated version of Burt's?). To sum up, I return to Pequod's of my own free will often, and I do not look forward to being dragged back to Burt's by the fans.Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
-Mark Twain
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Post #225 - December 7th, 2011, 9:09 amBuddyRoadhouse wrote:Taunt? I prefer to think of it as a challenge. You took it, we passed. The rest is history.
And a HUGE thank you to all who have made that (still being written) history possible.
Buddy
HI,
I remember fully when Josephine called inquiring about going out to dinner. I said there is this post suggesting people try out Burt's, which has been responded to with silence. Let's check it out. Either we agree or don't, there is an interesting post there.
I wonder sometimes if Burt could turn back the clock to the quiet business he once had.
Regards,Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast
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Post #226 - December 7th, 2011, 9:14 amWe eat at the Pequod's on Clybourn and when it's on it is definitely my favorite deep dish in the city. I'll happily go to Burt's for a group function or if someone really wants to try it, but Pequod's is so close that any minor differences in quality get negated by the convenience factor.
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Post #227 - December 7th, 2011, 9:34 amCount me in with BuddyRoadhouse. I'm not going to just sit here and say that Pequod's is terrible pizza, but I will do my best to justify why Burt's pizza is far and away superior to Pequod's in every regard. The freshness of the ingredients really shines through at Burt's, especially the onions and the mushrooms Burt buys from his market every morning. Burt's bottom crust is not as bready as Pequod's, and his carmelized end crust is perfectly buttery and carmelized, whereas Pequod's end crust lacks that buttery goodness.
As great as Burt's carmelized crust is, the real star of Burt's pizza is his classic Northern Italian mild garlic sausage that Burt pays top dollar for at his secret butcher. The Northern Italian mild garlic sausage was originally (and thankfully) introduced to Chicago at Pizzeria Uno back in 1943 via Anichini Brothers' Sausage Company, which Pizzeria Uno/Due and Pizano's still use today. It's a VERY lean sausage, and it contains very little fennel, if any. Lou Malnati's uses a similar mild garlic sausage from Peoria Meat Packing, which is also very good and contains no fennel, thereby allowing the garlic flavor to really standout; but, Burt's mild garlic sausage is truly the best. Burt's sausage is heavily garlicky, and it's perfectly herbed/seasoned, whereas Pequod's sausage has virtually no garlic what-so-ever, and it's fattier than Burt's, and all the other above mentioned pizza places. Pequod's also uses fennel in their sausage, which I'm not a huge fan of when it comes to deep dish/pan pizza. Even though Pequod's also uses Anichini Brothers as their sausage supplier (Pequod's formally used Scala's Preferred if my memory serves me correctly), the Pequod's sausage recipe is no where near as good as Burt's or any of the other above mentioned places due to Pequod's recipe of a fattier and fennel ridden sausage, not to mention the lack of garlic in Pequod's sausage.
Last but not least, the tomato sauce at Pequod's reminds me of a marinara sauce on your average everyday spaghetti plate. It's far too sweet for my tastes. I love spaghetti, but in my humble opinion, spaghetti sauce does not belong on a pizza. I realize that it's not a spaghetti sauce, but due to its' sweetness, Pequod's sauce reminds me of spaghetti sauce. I guess it's just not for me.
I realize Pequod's has many fans, and I'm not here to change their minds. That said, for the above stated reasons, I firmly believe that Burt Katz makes a vastley superior pan pizza over his former restaurant 2 blocks away at Pequod's.
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Post #228 - December 7th, 2011, 9:39 amI'd love to try Burt's, if anyone's thinking of posting an event.
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Post #229 - December 7th, 2011, 9:51 ammmm... fatty and fennel ridden sausage...
I'd be willing to try a side be side comparison. or simply try burt's again with clean slate, and a group.Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
-Mark Twain
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Post #230 - December 7th, 2011, 9:56 amI've never been to Burt's, so would someone else like to call dibs on posting an event? If not, I can do it.
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Post #231 - December 7th, 2011, 10:20 amnever been
Love to go!
Post away Pie Lady!!"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
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Post #232 - December 7th, 2011, 10:58 amI've been to the Pequod's on Clybourn many, many times, and I think it's fine ... but I can't stand how sweet their sauce is ... guess you love it or hate it. I find that I have to add so much Italian seasoning mix and pepper to each slice to try to balance that sweetness. I really like almost everything else about their pizza quite a bit, although I still prefer the crust and quality of toppings at Burt's.
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Post #233 - December 7th, 2011, 11:19 amI have friends who like Pequod's on Clybourn so we go occasionally. We've been to the Pequod's in Morton Grove because their hours fit our needs. We have been to Burt's several times, love the pizza, love the experience. You know, there's room for them all in my world.
-Mary
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Post #234 - December 7th, 2011, 11:44 amboudreaulicious wrote:never been
Love to go!
Post away Pie Lady!!
see belowLast edited by Pie Lady on December 7th, 2011, 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #235 - December 7th, 2011, 12:38 pmPie Lady wrote:boudreaulicious wrote:never been
Love to go!
Post away Pie Lady!!
Because the holidays are always such a mess, I made a doodle to figure out what works best.
There are 5 specific dates and times, and 3 non-specific times for January in 2012. If there is a majority of people who'd rather wait til 2012, I'll post a more extensive doodle then.
http://www.doodle.com/fwyb39vzftfne8vm
Pie Lady,
I think you will have better luck if you just pick a date that works for you and let others come if they can. Trying to arrive at a date that suits everyone, especially with a place as popular as Burt's, is an exercise in futility. Check out the event organizing guidelines for some more suggestions.Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #236 - December 7th, 2011, 2:13 pmMakes sense. I'll post shortly.
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Post #237 - December 8th, 2011, 4:24 pmFor those interested, I could use some help making a date. I know other people have set up a lunch/dinner at Burt's, so I need to know how it was done. Please see my Events post for details.
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Post #238 - December 8th, 2011, 7:25 pmI haven't been to the Clybourn location, but have been to Morton Grove. My wife likes Pequods, I prefer Burt's. That's why we've been married 39 years, we don't agree on anything.
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Post #239 - December 19th, 2011, 8:51 amLast night on a whim, we decided to order a pizza from Pequod's Morton Grove flagship just to see what its like these days. It's been quite some time since I've had a Pequod's pizza now that I've become a fan of Burts. We ordered a 1/2 sausage, 1/2 pepperoni. To sum it up briefly, The Pequod's pizza was a poor approximation of a Burt's pizza.
Starting from the bottom, the crust was thick and bready, without any of the yeasty taste or nicely developed crumb of Burt's. They achieved the caramelized rim around the crust, but they did so at the expense of a slightly burned bottom crust. The sauce was very sweet and tasted more of tomato paste than crushed tomatoes. Although I didn't taste the pepperoni (I'm a Chicago native and would never eat that on a pizza
), the sausage was bland with nary a whiff of garlic or other spice. It was OK, guess, but it didn't do it for me the way Burt's sausage does (you can take that any way you want 
). Finally, the pizza was topped with enough cheese for two pizzas, venturing close to Lou Malnati's level of cheesiness.
After having only one piece of pizza each, we couldn't bear to eat any more and tossed the rest. It just wasn't very good. Was this an anomaly served by the B-team on a Sunday night after a heartbreaking loss by the Bears? Maybe, but I won't be finding out for sure since it's just as easy for me to call Burt and get one of his masterpieces instead.Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #240 - February 2nd, 2012, 7:51 am(cross-posting in the other Burt's thread)
I'm sure most of you know, the episode of Check, Please! with Burt's is airing this Friday at 8:00pm.
Make your reservations for the next year NOW.
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