ChitownJackson wrote:

d4v3 wrote:Admittedly, Salerno's is pretty good for that style of Pizza, which is completely different from Villa Nova's style.

Can you fill us in on how they are completely different? I've lived here all my life and have been eating both all my life; I think they are exactly the same style.

Huh? Are you telling me you could not tell one from the other just by glancing at them? Salerno's puts a lot more cheese and sausage on their pies. And VN's almost appear like they were made by a machine, the way the sausage pieces are placed. I think VN makes a good pie, but I would not go out of my way to get one. My only observation here is that I found it surprising that so many people thought it was the best or one of the best thin crust pizzas that they have tried.

I said same style. As in, Chicago cracker, thin crust, cut into squares, caramelized top, etc. The style of pizza that we all grew up on. Of course there are variations within this style but I would never say that Villa Nova and Salerno's thin crusts are "completely different styles."

Villa Nova and Casciani's would be completely different; as would Great Lake and Salerno's. Those are much better comparisons, I think.

Ratios of cheese, sausage, sauce and crust thickness will always be slightly different within the micro-genre of Chicago pizza. That's just how it is. But I'd never word it like d4v3 did.

No, no, no d4v3, it's not what you think
All this recent pizza talk got me in the mood. I actually went to the other place Saturday the 17th with a few friends from outta town, and got a stellar pie. Droolworthy. They were passing through town for a flight out of O'hare, and came back tonight. They actually mad craved another one, and we ordered from there again tonight. So, in between those pies, I got me a big batch of large sausage from Villa Nova. It's been a while since my last one.


They make a pretty pie- no argument there.

I do mildly like their sauce, but after that, I'm just not a fan. And I'm ok with that. I think I've had about 6 pies from there in total, and this one had almost a pastry-ish crust which I didn't recall from the other ones I've gotten from there:


I'm a crust person, and I normally enjoy the VN crust edges. This was probably not the norm, so I won't dwell on it. The edges were lighter and flakier than I remember - almost like a Totino's product (and I don't really mean that in a bad way.) The other things that I don't like about their pie still held true for me. Salt content of the cheese - after a few pieces of this pie, it always just seems to get tediously salty- like I want to eat more, but as soon as I put it in my pie hole, it seems like it's a chore to choke it down because the flavors get overwhelmed by salt. The snausage seems like nothing I couldn't buy at the Jewel about two blocks away from there, and the mid crust sections of crust are severely limp. This stuff reminds me of the old Shakey's locations to a tee.

Looks like this hasnt been nominated for a GNR award yet.

I'd vote for it...

The pizza here is the best thin crust pizza around - you have to go South to Vito and Nicks, West to Barnaby's in Schaumburg, or North to Pats to find anything comparable/better. Its in no way equal to Vito and Nicks - the sausage just doesnt have the fennel to compete - but ordering one of these pizzas 'well done' is as close as you can get to heaven in Stickney.

I've lived in the western burbs for 20 years - and only in the last couple have I discovered Villa Nova. Its made me regret the choices I've made over the previous 18 years...

threegoofs wrote:Looks like this hasnt been nominated for a GNR award yet.

I'd vote for it...

The pizza here is the best thin crust pizza around - you have to go South to Vito and Nicks, West to Barnaby's in Schaumburg, or North to Pats to find anything comparable/better. Its in no way equal to Vito and Nicks - the sausage just doesnt have the fennel to compete - but ordering one of these pizzas 'well done' is as close as you can get to heaven in Stickney.

I've lived in the western burbs for 20 years - and only in the last couple have I discovered Villa Nova. Its made me regret the choices I've made over the previous 18 years...

Villa Nova has many fans on LTH Forum. What's stopping you from nominating it for a GNR? Everyone is entitled to make one nomination. Jump right in and post your nomination on the GNR board!

Please let me second Villa Nova for GNR designation. Sure, I love Vito and Nick's. But, when I don't feel like driving all that way , I gladly go to Villa Nova. Give me their sausage, onion and mushroom thin and crispy, with a browned top and I'm a happy soul. The Villa Nova staff are very friendly, and will make your pie any way you wish. Like Marie's or Vito and Nick's, Villa Nova has their own style of real thin and crispy that is very enjoyable for us thin pizza-philes. Also, I find it interesting that these three thin and crispy havens have been around for at least fifty years. They gotta be doing something right.

thick wrote:Please let me second Villa Nova for GNR designation. Sure, I love Vito and Nick's. But, when I don't feel like driving all that way , I gladly go to Villa Nova. Give me their sausage, onion and mushroom thin and crispy, with a browned top and I'm a happy soul. The Villa Nova staff are very friendly, and will make your pie any way you wish. Like Marie's or Vito and Nick's, Villa Nova has their own style of real thin and crispy that is very enjoyable for us thin pizza-philes. Also, I find it interesting that these three thin and crispy havens have been around for at least fifty years. They gotta be doing something right.

If someone would like to nominate Villa Nova for a GNR, they should do so by starting a nomination thread on this forum.

Thanks,

=R=

Credit where it's due:

Over the years I've kinda been not so hot on Villa Nova. Been a long while since I've been there, but since my favored neighborhood joint closed, and I needed to sate some out of towners, I gave Villa Nova another try to feed 10 hungry adults and a few kiddos. I wasn't expecting to care enough to take pics or make a post, so no photos, but the four pizzas we ordered were some of the best pies I've had in a long time. I'm not sure what they were slinging to me when I've ordered from them in the past, but these pies had cheese that was nowhere close to the salt content of previous visits. Perhaps a new supplier after they ran out? I don't know, but we got a pepperoni, a plain cheese, a margherita, and a snausage and spinach. The Margherita was a bit "Chicago Gruff" with beefsteak tomato slices and run of the mill (tho fresh) basil, but the pies themselves were just fantastic that night. I'm eager to try them again soon, to see if they can be my go-to joint now. Crust was cracker crunchy, cheese was not a salt bomb, the snausage and pepperoni were actually distinguishable from other joints (the pepperoni was especially distinctively peppery!) and it just all really came together for me.

Villa Nova -
If you can hook that up again for me, I owe you an apology for being a naysayer.

@Seebee: I'm glad you enjoyed your pizzas at Villa Nova. I know you weren't their biggest fan, so I'm glad it all worked out for you. I would have felt bad if you went back and still didn't like the place. Villa Nova is STILL my all time favorite pizza place and the girl that manages the place now has worked their since she's been a teenager. She's really nice, and always very family friendly. I've been going to Villa Nova all my life, and the article that's on the wall in the dining area from Serious Eats Chicago was composed on my recommendation. I know I'm a pain in the rear on Serious Eats Chicago, and I bothered them for a long time to go to Stickney and give the place a try. But my intentions were good, and very light hearted.

And no, I don't work at Villa Nova, have never worked at Villa Nova, and I'm not related to anybody who works at Villa Nova. But my family lived two blocks away- literally. I'm probably the biggest Villa Nova fan on this board, and if anyone would like to organize an LTH meeting, I think that would be great. I probably couldn't make it because of my insane work life, but for all those who do go- hopefully, you will all have a great experience.

If I had to pick the three best thin crust pizzas in the Chicagoland area, I'd pick:

1. Villa Nova in Stickney;

2. Pat's on Lincoln Ave., Chicago;

3. Pizano's of Rudy Malnati, Jr. fame.

I think all 3 places have incredible sausage recipes, very good cheese, and very good crusts.

I hope "The Nov" continues to please you, Seebee, and everybody else on LTH.

Good Eating As Always,

deepdish

I've had Villa Nova, but only the New Buffalo, MI location. I think they serve a great version of thin crust, and I'd say it's a top ten joint. Problem is, it's a south side/suburbs restaurant, and most of the board lives/works on the north side. So for me, two of my top thin crust pizza joints for thin are GNR Barnaby's of Northbrook and GNR Marie's Pizza (but I'll take both against the south side ones no matter what). Vito and Nick's is up there as is Villa Nova. One that has really let me down and is no longer going to be considered is Pat's on Lincoln Ave. I like Pizano's and Malnati's thin once in a blue moon.

I tried VN for the first time last night (large, half sausage, half fresh mushroom and onion), and I was not disappointed: it's the best pizza of any style that I've found in a year of poking around the near west suburbs, easily outclassing similar-but-disappointing pies from La Bella (Oak Park) and Jimmy's (Forest Park). It's a decent schlep for me, but I'd rather make the drive and go through the hassle of re-crisping than be let down again.

I live in the area, so VN is a pretty regular occurrence in our house....that said, we mix it up with Waterworks on Ogden in Lyons. Great sauce and very capable alternative. I had stopped going there for awhile because everything smelled/tasted like smoke (from the co-joined bar) - but since they outlawed smoking, it's back on the list in a big way.

stoutisgoodfood wrote:I live in the area, so VN is a pretty regular occurrence in our house....that said, we mix it up with Waterworks on Ogden in Lyons. Great sauce and very capable alternative. I had stopped going there for awhile because everything smelled/tasted like smoke (from the co-joined bar) - but since they outlawed smoking, it's back on the list in a big way.

Stout -
quite some time ago, a friend of mine was in some bar pool tournament round them parts and told me that waterworks made a fantastic pie. I'll def be there very soon, and I'll make sure to post pics. I think I tried to order from there after he told me, but when I called, they said they were out of cheese or something odd, and I just never tried again.

Villa Nova will make an appearance on the television show "Chicago's Best". Supposed to be aired Jan 11th on WGN and then multiple times on CLTV.

Perfect pizza imo: order a mushroom pizza with 1/2 sausage - 1/2 pepperoni with the pepperoni "on top", well done. Pepperoni takes on sort of a crispy bacon consistency...so flippin good...and their sausage has always sort of been the star of the show.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited, too. The only problem is that I think Brittany Payton is a vegetarian, and I don't think she tried the sausage because of that. And Villa Nova's sausage recipe is truly in a class all by itself. Anyone going there should at least try their simple cheese and sausage pizza. The only sausage recipes I've had as good as Villa Nova's are at Pat's on Lincoln Ave., the garlic sausages recipe at Pizano's, Uno's/Due, Burt's Place, and Louisa's, and the sausage at Joe's Italian Villa formerly of Bridgeview. That's it. Good stuff.

deepdish wrote:Yeah, I'm pretty excited, too. The only problem is that I think Brittany Payton is a vegetarian, and I don't think she tried the sausage because of that. And Villa Nova's sausage recipe is truly in a class all by itself. Anyone going there should at least try their simple cheese and sausage pizza. The only sausage recipes I've had as good as Villa Nova's are at Pat's on Lincoln Ave., the garlic sausages recipe at Pizano's, Uno's/Due, Burt's Place, and Louisa's, and the sausage at Joe's Italian Villa formerly of Bridgeview. That's it. Good stuff.

Brittney was kind of a vegetarian (she ate seafood but not meat IIRC) but not any more.

I recently had a pizza from Villa Nova. It was carefully made with nice balls of good sausage placed strategically....but not a huge fan because it seemed greasy a bit. If ordering from there I would be sure to ask for it well done. I hear people mention Benny's as well as Damicos but have not tried them yet.

Chicago's Best - Villa Nova

The "house special"...must be a Vince thing as i have never had or heard of it. Gotta try it...looks good...pie cut even.

My brother and I had a little south side night out with some other guys last week. We started at Scatchell's (Cicero) for beefs (always one of my top 10), some harness racing at Hawthorne (won $220 on a $10 bet) and then the two of us headed over to Villa Nova in Stickney for a "snack." We shared a sausage pizza extra crispy. It was awesome. I hadn't had the original location yet; only the one in New Buffalo a few times and it's been a while. Hands down one of the elite tavern style thin crust joints. Hitting Scatchell's (or Novi in Berwyn) and then Villa Nova is as good as you're going to do Chicago (blue collar) style.

Funny thing.

After years of getting the classic sausage (sometimes pepperoni) and cheese they introduced fresh mushrooms.

Sent my mind whirling and decided to order a half mushroom and half mushroom (fresh and canned). Entered into our regular rotation.


With a side of fried.

Which did you like best: pizza with fresh or canned mushrooms?

What did you think of the fried?

Thanks!

Cathy

Cathy2 wrote:Which did you like best: pizza with fresh or canned mushrooms?

What did you think of the fried?

Thanks!

Cathy

The fresh has a better flavor but the canned has that nostalgic taste. Toss up.

Food service fried, My Bride loves them anywhere but I mostly got them to complete the mushroom trinity.

As posted on their Facebook page, the original location in Stickney is for sale. Owners hope to sell it as a franchise and say the reason is because they no longer live in the area. This caused quite a bit of angst among area residents.

alisonmackenzie wrote:As posted on their Facebook page, the original location in Stickney is for sale. Owners hope to sell it as a franchise and say the reason is because they no longer live in the area. This caused quite a bit of angst among area residents.

And even non-area residents like me! I've made the 45 minute drive to Villa Nova a handful of times for what is easily one of the best thin crust (sausage) pizzas around. I've also had it in New Buffalo.