Cathy, I was in Kansas as part of a book tour. I'm one of the authors of "Everybody Loves Pizza," and had a rip-roaring weekend talking pizza to various groups (large and embarrassingly small) in Topeka, Wichita, and Kansas City.

I hesitate to brazenly shill for my book here, so I'll just leave it at that.

Jeff,

Culinary Historians and ChicaGourmet are hosting you and Penny on April 22, which is on the Events board. I'm sorry I am not going to be there. I have a conflict doing something I'd rather NOT be doing.

If you have any speaking engagements on the same in the Chicago area, then please post them on the Events board. What I missed on one occasion, perhaps I can pick up somewhere else.

Thanks!

Regards,

Howdy folks,

I’ve been away for a bit, traveling on Barbecue Sauce business. It would seem that while I was away, there’s been a fair amount of activity on this thread.

In reading your posts, I find there are a few questions, misconceptions and issues that should be addressed. I particularly want to speak to the reaction that my comments regarding Pequod’s current owner were inappropriate.

My “strident” and disparaging remarks regarding the current owner of Pequod’s were unsuitable to this forum, and I apologize. Not so much to their target, as to the members of LTHForum, whose judgment, and in whose intellectual capacity I should have placed more trust. Your assertions are correct; an objective comparison of the pros and cons of Burt’s versus Pequod’s would have been enough to make my case.

In hindsight, I realize my real frustration was in coming to a website that is populated by people who are obviously in the know, who care about good food; and reading all the accolades for Pequod’s with nary a word about its founder or his current establishment. Thank you to those of you who took my suggestion, and visited Burt’s Place. I’m glad you enjoyed your food, and, I hope that if I was waiting on you the night you came in, that my service added positively to the experience.

Now, if you will please allow me, I will try to tackle your comments.

Josephine,

I’m impressed that you actually went to the trouble of going to both Burt’s and Pequod’s on the same night. Without even being there, I can tell you that the man seated across the room was, in fact, Burt. Mrs. Burt’s name is Sharon, and she is a nice lady.

The pizza does come out quickly as you noted, about 25 minutes from order to serving, if Burt isn’t swamped with other orders. I believe you were there on a Wednesday or Thursday; 25 minutes sounds about right. If you’re coming in on a Friday or Saturday, you would do well to call ahead to place an order. It’s certainly not necessary, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s not a bad idea. In case you’re wondering, nothing is pre-made. The dough is roughly patted out in the pan ahead of time and allowed to rise, but other than that, each pie is made from scratch. The telephone number (write this down because it’s unlisted) is (847) 965-7997.

Your friend Cathy is correct on the sausage having a nice garlic overtone, but it is not sliced, as you indicated. What you were looking at was loose sausage, hand formed into a patty, and placed on the pizza. The sausage is extremely lean, too. In its raw state it almost looks like lean ground sirloin, very red with little fat. In fact, a long time customer of ours bought some recently to make meat sauce at home. She started to brown off the sausage and found she had to add olive oil to the pan in order to keep it from sticking!

As for your notes on the décor and atmosphere at Pequod’s, the reason there are similarities is that when Burt sold the place in ’86, the current owner was smart enough to know that he needed some remnants of the original ambience if he was going to keep any of the old customers. Burt was gracious enough to sell him some of his lesser pieces to adorn the walls.

As for the absence of ladies underwear; the reports of crude humor and inappropriate wall hangings came from converts coming in to Burt’s to tell us about what was happening at the old store. I haven’t set foot in Pequod’s in twenty years, so admittedly I don’t know any of this first hand. But if enough people tell you the exact same thing often enough, you gotta figure it’s true. On the other hand, d4v3 has confirmed in one of his posts that there were indeed the juvenile decorations of which I wrote, and more. We still get ex-Pequod’s customers almost weekly, and as no one had indicated the removal of the underwear, I assumed it was still there. I apologize for my assumption, it was out of place.

I cannot comment on the metal chairs and Formica tables. When we left in ’86, the room had a similar feel to Burt’s current place. Although there were no booths, we had large round tables covered with deep red oil cloth tablecloths and heavy wood captains chairs at every table.

Finally, the background media. As previously mentioned, Burt loves classical music, opera, blues, and jazz. He also recognizes and respects his customers’ desire to be able to talk to each other without needing to shout. While he may have a handful of antique televisions on display, he would never have one blaring sports, or any other programming, while you eat.

G Wiv and Cathy2,
As stated at the beginning of this post, my personal comments regarding Pequod’s current owner were unnecessary. I apologize to the LTH members for going overboard in my approach. I should have known that the people on this site are smart enough to make up their own minds when presented with clear, objective evidence.

That said; let me give you a little background and history so that maybe, you can understand the level of frustration that brought about my initial comments. I worked for Burt at Pequod’s from 1973 until he sold the place in 1986. I started when I was 15 years old washing dishes, then worked my way up through the kitchen; made it onto the floor as a busboy and finally headwaiter/floor manager. Although I was never an owner, Burt’s level of trust and reliance on my abilities to run the front of the store made me feel that I was an integral part of the business.

We all worked hard to build that business, and we succeeded to a high degree. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there were lines going out the door. Think Paradise Pup, in Des Plaines on a warm spring day and extend that image throughout the year, warm or cold, wet or dry, snow, hail, typhoons, it didn’t matter, we were busy from dinnertime to closing at midnight.

Our clientele covered every age group, every ethnicity and nationality, every political leaning you could name. We created an atmosphere at Pequod’s that fostered a willingness in our customers; people who had never met, to get to know and talk to each other (It should be noted that even today, at Burt’s, we’re getting the grown children of those original customers, now bringing in their own children. We’ve got three generations of the same families visiting us). It was a golden era and a very special time and place.

Burt ran the place the way he liked, eschewing every hackneyed business dictum (the original Morton Grove store on Fernald, off the main drag, surrounded by private homes, should tell you how he feels about that old saw, “Location, location, location”). He played classical music and opera, and we were still packed with high school kids. When they asked him to change the station he politely but firmly refused, telling them very diplomatically that this is the music we played here and there was no negotiation. And you know what? Those kids kept coming back! Some of them even got to like the music.

Burt served a good, honest product at a fair price in a store where everyone was treated with respect. We were known for kibitzing with the regulars, giving them a mock “hard time”, but when we treated you like that, you knew you were part of the family. In essence we ran the store and created an atmosphere of familiarity that we would have wanted if we were customers ourselves.

When Burt sold the place in ’86, I will admit there was some anger on my part. It’s difficult to say, but some of it was directed at him for not selling the place to me. In hindsight, it was the biggest favor he ever did for me and I’ve forgiven him several times over. I wasn’t ready for the level of commitment needed to be a restaurant owner, I had my own career going (by that time Pequod’s was my second job; I was only working Friday and Saturday nights, taking Sundays off to be with my family), and frankly I don’t think I could have done it without him. Besides, his opening the new place three years later was a direct cause of my starting the Barbecue Sauce business soon after.

The main focus of my anger, though, was on the new guy. Let me ask this; if you had never owned or run a restaurant before in your life, and suddenly you bought a successful restaurant (paid top dollar for it too, I might add), one that literally had lines going out the door every weekend of the year, where you had a steady and loyal customer base who brought in new family and friends on a regular basis, wouldn’t you wait at least a few months, just to see what made the place so successful, before making any changes? I mean, if it was a struggling business, then I can see where immediate change might be necessary, but this place had everything going for it.

The new guy started making ridiculous changes from the first minute of the first day. Burt even stayed on for a month, after the sale was complete, to guide and inform, so there would be a smooth transition. The new owner never approached him for help or advice. He thought he was smarter than all of us, even though the level of success he had paid so dearly for was all our doing.

I’m sure some of you are making the argument, “It’s his place; he can do what he wants with it.” You’re right. But, if you’re going to buy a restaurant and make it over in your own image, why not buy a place without an existing reputation and character, spend a lot less money, and turn it around? I mean, what if it’s specifically the classical music that makes the place so special? What if it’s the fact that there are no televisions in sight that keeps your regulars coming in week after week? And what about the food? Clearly they’re not making the pizza the same way Burt did. Why change the food in a successful restaurant? Before making any changes, shouldn’t you wait and see just what it is about the place that keeps your customers coming back so regularly? Why make changes that are going to result in chasing away a broad existing customer base?

Others of you are probably saying to yourselves, “BuddyRoadhouse couldn’t handle the changes. He’s used the word “change” in a negative context numerous times in this post” (I’m nothing if not self-aware). Well, your right and your wrong. I actually thrive on change. Finding a newer, better way to do something has always been a joy for me. The difference here is that nothing about these changes was newer or better. Not only that, but they were made, as I said, without any previous restaurant experience or any amount of time to find out why we did things the way we did them while Burt ran the place.

My final and most definitive argument regarding the poor management of Pequod’s by its new owner is this: As I stated, we used to have lines waiting to get in. We would take your order while you were waiting in line so that when you sat down your food would come up quicker. People tried to bribe me for a table (I never took the money). So, let me ask you this; anybody have any trouble getting a table at Pequod’s lately?

Sorry for the rant, but, I do not suffer fools gladly.

D4v3,

I’m very happy that you enjoyed your experience at Burt’s.

Thank you for the vindication regarding the crude décor at Pequod’s. As I said, it’s been a long time since I’ve been near the place, and was basing my comments on remarks from ex-Pequod customers who show up on Burt’s doorstep. You are correct, though, the motivation for my statements was more out of enthusiasm for Burt’s as opposed to any long harbored resentment for the current owner of Pequod’s, despite evidence to the contrary in the above argument.

Good call on the peppers. Burt uses fresh peppers of every color available on any given trip to the market. In addition, if you order mushrooms, you will find, depending on availability and price, mixed in with the typical white buttons, chunks of shiitakes, portabellos, and porcinis. His spinach is fresh leaf as opposed to the frozen, chopped variety (if you get the spinach, make sure to order it with another ingredient on top. The one draw back to fresh spinach is that it dries out pretty quickly in a 700 degree pizza oven. The extra ingredient on top will keep the spinach moist). Also, if you like a nice tangy flavor every once in a while, try the banana peppers; good stuff!

As for the difference in crust thickness from outer edge to center, each crust is hand patted, with all the potential imperfections that implies. I wish I could say the difference you noticed was by design, but alas, it is just happy coincidence.

stevez,

Good eye on the IHOP plates. But, let me ask you this; are they vintage International House of Pancakes plates, or are they specially designed International House of Pizza plates?

Also, you’re right about the antipasto salad. It is a good little salad but should be renamed, having no resemblance to an actual antipasto. It is something I have tried to convince Burt to change, but as stated above, he does things his way, rightly or wrongly.

As for the onion rings, knuckle under next time and try them (order a smaller pizza). They are excellent, particularly when dipped in my Barbecue Sauce!

Finally, for those of you who have stuck around this long, let me make some recommendations so you’ll always be happy eating at Burt’s. All the pizza ingredients are exceptional; from the crust to the cheese to the tomatoes and all the toppings. Burt does have some additional items on the menu as a courtesy to that group of folks who come in with one guy who doesn’t like pizza (?!?). Lasagna, ravioli, mastaciolli; they are just “okay” and do not even begin to compare with the pizza. If that one “odd man out” is in your group, encourage him to get the hamburger. It is an excellent ½ pound institutional burger that I eat from time to time when I want a change of pace. If you stick to the pizza, salads and garlic bread (the garlic bread is outstanding, by the way) you’ll have a wonderful experience every time at Burt’s.

Thanks one and all for your patience with my posts and your willingness to give Burt’s a chance.

Hope to see you soon,

Buddy

Burt's Place
8541 N. Ferris
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(847) 965-7997

I've been going to Pequod's several times a year since 1996, and I have to say that I love it. I will admit that I can't quite understand your resentment to the current owners (since I didn't live through the experiences you did), but your post was interesting to read. For the record, I often have had trouble getting a table at Pequod's, and I would always describe it as thriving. Although I've certainly never seen a line out the door..

That said, your descriptions of the pizza at Burt's really have my mouth watering. As soon as I can eat bread again (later this week), I'll be sure to head over there to try some out. The photos look terrific, and the reviews from other forum members make it sound awesome. The idea of digging into a fresh, delicious pizza, while listening to opera or classical music, is really pretty cool.

I used to get my hair cut at an "old man barber" in Evanston, and he'd always have opera blaring .. it was so great!

Cameron.

Buddy, I posted a thread here a few months ago regarding the situation you described with the new owner. I posted it about restaurants in general. It just bugged the heck out of me why someone would pay a premium to buy an existing business and then change (IOW RUIN) what made the place popular.

This is also known as 'New Coke Syndrom"

Last night I completed the Pequod's/Burt's Battle of Moton Grove taste test. Having gone to Burt's in the recent past, it was time to compare it to Pequod's. I think the best way to define the difference between the pizzas at these two places (leaving aside the decor) is that Pequod's attempts to give you more of everything, and as a result puts out an inferior product in most (but not all) regards. The Pequod's pizza has a thicker, breadier crust as well as much more sauce and cheese. The thicker crust, in particular I found not at all to my liking. I give the King of Morton Grove Pizza prize to Burt's except in one regard. One of the reasons I like that particular style of pizza is the caramelized cheese around the edges of the pie. Pequod's has much more caramelization on their version. If only Burt would find a way to make pizzas with a little more of this blackened cheese on the edges, he would achieve perfection of pizza estilo de Morton Grove.

Pequod's Pizza
8520 Fernald Ave
Morton Grove, IL
847-470-9161

Burt's Place
8541 N. Ferris
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847 965-7997 (unlisted, but plainly printed on their take-out menu)

Midas,

Do you mind linking to your old post?

Thanks!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Midas,

Do you mind linking to your old post?

Thanks!

Regards,

Unfortunately, it wasn't much of a thread.

But here it is.

This thread has made me soooo hungry!

This has been a very interesting read for me since I gew up in that area (Skokie, near the old Niles East high School, class of '75). I spent many Firdeay and Saturday nights eating pizza at both Pequod and Gullivers. I drove delivery for Gullivers for a couple of years ('74 and '75, I think).

I was still a regular at Pequod until around 1978, when i switched colleges and headed out of town. I didn't get back there again until the late 80's, so I missed any of the srange stuff that Buddy noted as the ownership changed. Unless i am confusing people, I thought that the new owner is a guy named Jeff, and he was the waiter when i was in high school. When i went back in the late 80s, he resognized me and to9ld me that he had bought the place. I would hope that he knoew about the history and the reason for the name, etc. since he worked there for a long time, but you never know!

I have never tried Burt's Place, but my parents still live in the area, so we'll go there the next time we are visiting. Thanks for all of the pizza memories!

Today, in cleaning up some papers accumulated over the past few weeks, I came across the take-out menu from Burt's which reads, "Pizza for Adults".

I'm thinkin' there's some history to that bit of copy, and, unless he's the menu-maven-in-chief, it doesn't all belong to Buddy Roadhouse.

Having read the glowing comments on Burt's on LTH, a fellow pizzaphile and myself went there for lunch last Thursday. Burt's is open for lunch from 11:30 to 1:30, Wed. thru Fri. We were the only ones in the room while we were there. Burt was a charming and gracious host who, while serving us and making the pizza, told us about himself, his establishment and his menu. And, the pizza was spectacular. Not a Uno type thick crust, but a bit thinner, very crispy (crunchy) crust that actually tasted good. The ingredients, sausage and onions, were nicely applied. They didn't totally cover every square inch of the top, rather, they were spaced so that one could actually taste the individual ingredients. A totally enjoyable lunch that, with two bottomless iced teas and a 14" pie cost $18.00. It's a bit of a drive to Burt's from Forest Park, but it is worth it and I will be making it again. Actually, thanks to LTH, I'm now a regular at Candlelight and Vito and Nicks. So Morton Grove isn't really that far after all.

For what it's worth, the person who answered the phone at Pequods in Morton Grove yesterday said that the Chicago (Clybourn) location should be open in the second or third weekend of May.

Ron_L wrote:This thread has made me soooo hungry!
I was still a regular at Pequod until around 1978, when i switched colleges and headed out of town. I didn't get back there again until the late 80's, so I missed any of the srange stuff that Buddy noted as the ownership changed. Unless i am confusing people, I thought that the new owner is a guy named Jeff, and he was the waiter when i was in high school. When i went back in the late 80s, he resognized me and to9ld me that he had bought the place. I would hope that he knoew about the history and the reason for the name, etc. since he worked there for a long time, but you never know!

Ron, you must be under a misconception regarding Pequod's current ownership. At the risk of revealing my real name (Not that big a deal, really), I am Jeff, your waiter from the mid '70s through June of 1986. Although I treated my work as if I had a vested interest in the place, I have never owned Pequod's or any other restaurant for that matter.

I'm not sure who is claiming to be me, or why they are telling you that I own the place. If this conversation took place at Pequod's after June of 1986, I can absolutely, positively guarantee you it was not me to whom you spoke. If this conversation took place somewhere else, and you actually did meet me, if I said anything that could have been misconstrued to make you think I owned the place, I apologize for the misunderstanding.

If you want to see me with your own two eyes and determine whether I'm the one who told you that I owned Pequod's, you can visit me at Burt's most Saturday nights. During the summer, I am frequently travelling on my own Barbecue Business, and am replaced by Sharon, Burt's wife. I will be there this Saturday, April 29th, from 4:30 til closing at 10pm for cross examination.

Buddy

Josephine wrote:Today, in cleaning up some papers accumulated over the past few weeks, I came across the take-out menu from Burt's which reads, "Pizza for Adults".

I'm thinkin' there's some history to that bit of copy, and, unless he's the menu-maven-in-chief, it doesn't all belong to Buddy Roadhouse.

The "Pizza for Adults" line is Burt's clumsy way of letting you know that we are the anti-"Chuck E. Cheese" of the pizza world. No arcade games, no animatronic critters singing Happy Birthday every fifteen minutes, no screaming rug rats running amok through the aisles. Just good, high quality pizza served in a relaxed and amiable atmosphere.

I actually do the master copies of the menu that is then printed up for patrons. When Burt asked me to use the phrase "Pizza for Adults", I had the same (I assume) X-rated notions that you did upon reading it. I encouraged Burt to change that copy to "Pizza for Grown-ups". After several other similar comments by customers, he agreed the word "Adult" was not communicating the idea he had in mind, and we changed the copy.

There is no connection between this unfortunate choice of words (And isn't it sad that we live in a world where the innocent, and once dignified word, "Adult", has come to imply something that is prurient and taboo) and the juvenile decor at Pequod's of which I complained in earlier posts. Nor is there any other agenda or message being sent.

Although Burt is a frugal individual who will use up, and not throw away the remaining menus that say "Adult", regardless of what you or I think, all future copies of the take away menu will read "Pizza for Grown-ups".

Buddy

Fascinating stuff here, even from 1800 miles away in SoCal! I make twice a year visits with my family to visit my parents in Downers Grove...how strange is it to tell them I want to go out to dinner in MORTON Grove to a place that none of them have ever heard of?

Make mine a large sausage...Buddy, keep the good stuff coming at Burt's...and I'll look forward to hearing about your BBQ sauces!

My wife and I are visiting Chicago for the first time Memorial Day weekend. After reading this thread I am going to visit Burt's to taste the pie's for myself.

Howdy folks,

Just wanted to say thank you to Mr. and Mrs Greasy Spoon, the originators of this thread, who stopped in at Burt's last Saturday night for dinner. Your "after-the-fact" thank you note, written on the back of your check, was much appreciated and Burt is keeping it with the rest of his archives.

I know a simple thank you note doesn't seem that significant, but this whole internet thing is a mystery to Burt. Being completely computer illiterate, the notion of hundreds or more people reading and talking about him and his restaurant in cyberspace is quite fascinating to him. A quick, sincere note from someone involved in the process is a real keepsake for him! I've been printing out some of your comments and responses for him, because I know he'll never get to this site to see them for himself.

Greasy Spoons, I'm glad you enjoyed the pizza. I am a little sorry if we weren't quite as attentive as we like to be. We were in the midst of getting out a take away order for five XXL pizzas while at the same time trying to do all the usual early evening prep work and taking care of the unusually brisk, early, in store business. We did as much business by 7:30 as we'd normally do all night on a Saturday!

Add on to that the fact that one of Burt's daughters surprised us with an out of town visit with the grand-kids and you've got two old men running around pretty good for a three hour stretch!

Anyway, I'm happy that you were happy, and hope to see you again sometime soon so we can give you the same high quality food and even better service.

Thanks again,

Buddy

P.S. To one and all; calling in your order ahead of time is always appreciated. It gives us the opportunity to gauge our timing and to make sure you get the best possible service and food. If pizzas are taking an unusually long time one night, we'll tell you so, and give you the opportunity to come in a little later. Also, if you're trying to get to a movie, play, concert, etc.; by calling in, we can insure that your food will be ready when you arrive and you can get to the performance on time. Once again, the unlisted telephone number is (847) 965-7997. For those without benefit of a menu, Burt's ingredient list has all the usual "nothing fancy" pizza ingredients you could ask for.

See you soon!

B.

p.p.s. Due to Barbecue Business, I will be away from the restaurant for the entire month of May. However, Sharon (Mrs. Burt) will be around to take good care of you.

b.

I'm planning a trip to Burt's tomorrow night for dinner with a friend .. can't wait! We're long time Pequods fans, so I'm really excited to try out the orginal, as it were.

Cameron.

What is up with the pornographic takeout menu?

Hey now....I am not at all happy about the increased business at Burt's!! We live in the neighborhood and have been loyal customers for more than 10 years. During that time we've enjoyed having Burt, Sharon and Buddy to ourselves!!!! Now back to reality...I am thrilled to see that this wonderful restaurant is finally getting the recognition (and business) which it has always deserved. Since my first taste, I have touted the wonders of Burt's to any and all who would listen. All I can say is....couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

LTH,

I tried Burt's pizza last evening and, minor issues with BuddyRoadhouse's posting style aside, Burt's pizza is really quite good. I liked pretty much everything about the place. The physical space has a step out of time feel, as do Mr and Mrs. Burt, right down to Mrs. Burt's sweet disposition, which, for some reason, I found evocative of the 60's, to the rotary phone, which they actually use and Burt's graying pony tail.

Pizza wise, and this is not in comparison to Pequods as it's been just about forever since I've last been to Pequods, the crispy, burnt appearing, but delicious tasting, cheese edge really made the pizza, though I liked the sausage and crust as well. I'll be back to Burt's soon, it's a cool little place with very good pizza.

Interestingly, I chatted a bit with another couple in the restaurant, the place is small enough that cross conversation occurs naturally, and it turns out they heard about Burt's on LTHForum as well. For a guy who still uses a rotary phone Burt is sure getting a lot of play from the internet.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary:

Burts pizza was delicious. Much better than we remember Pequods. Less bready. Unique, but somewhat reminiscant of the good qualities of Lou Malnati's. The carmalized crust was just right.

We agree with you about the atmosphere. Felt like you were at someone's house. We'll be going back. We can see it becoming a regular.

We forgot to add, we had ordered our pizza for pickup, to go. But Burt encouraged us to eat it there. He said it's best out of the oven.

He was right.

He told us he makes all his dough daily, never refrigerated or frozen overnight.

To correct a previous post, there are plenty of tv's at Burt's. Several 3" antiques! Burt says they still work.

After all of this talk about Burts we decided to give it a try. I picked up a chees e and sausage pizza and an order of onion rings. The onion rings were really good and that was after the 10 minute car ride home in the styrofoam container!

The pizza was delicious. It definately reminded me of Lou Malnatis. The best way to describe it would be that this is probably what the first Lou Malnatis pizza tasted like. They are still good today , but Burts pizza truly tasted homemade. The inside of the place was awesome as well. The whole place looked like it was picked up and transplanted from Saugatuck MI.

We will be back for sure!!!

Jeanne...Can't believe you're from Niles and hadn't been to Burts!! Never fear going east of Waukegan Rd!!!

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:stevez,

Good eye on the IHOP plates. But, let me ask you this; are they vintage International House of Pancakes plates, or are they specially designed International House of Pizza plates?

I had dinner at Burt's again last night and can confirm that they are indeed pancakes, not pizzas featured on the IHOP plates. We were the only customers at 7:30 P.M. on Sunday from the time we arrived until we left.

Well, I'm heading to Burt's tomorrow night due to all of these fine comments on here. I was going to get it to go but it sounds like eating it there is the best.

My next stop later this week is Romano's in Des Plaines. Am finally getting around to trying all of the pizzas in the area since I moved there a few months ago.

LuvstoEat wrote:Jeanne...Can't believe you're from Niles and hadn't been to Burts!! Never fear going east of Waukegan Rd!!!

I'm transplanted from the Belmont Central area of Chicago and my hubby is from Skokie, so we haven't truly explored yet. My husband did, however, have a Bringer' Inn tee when he was a youth!

rdstoll wrote:Well, I'm heading to Burt's tomorrow night due to all of these fine comments on here. I was going to get it to go but it sounds like eating it there is the best.

My next stop later this week is Romano's in Des Plaines. Am finally getting around to trying all of the pizzas in the area since I moved there a few months ago.

Romano's "panless" pizza is very good and unique. I think I might have posted about it some time ago, but I don't have the time to search right now.

rdstoll wrote:Well, I'm heading to Burt's tomorrow night due to all of these fine comments on here.

FYI Burt's Place is closed Monday and Tuesday.