Eat At Burt’s Place
In the Fall of 2007, one of my favorite foodie mags – Saveur – devoted an entire issue to eating in Chicago. And there on the cover was the most beautiful slice of pizza that I had ever seen, at some place called Burt’s in Morton Grove. At the time I lived in St. Louis, but I kept the issue and vowed that, as soon as I could visit Chicago, I would try that pizza. Despite a couple of delays, yesterday it finally happened. And man was it worth the wait.
Burt’s is a really happy hole-in-the-wall. The current incarnation is about 25 years old, but I’m sure that most of the furnishings came from one of his earlier restaurants.
An avid jazz fan, Burt also likes to collect antique phones, radios and other antiques, which line the place and contribute to the dusty feeling. The walls are littered with reviews and stories about Burt’s odyssey, his unique personality, and mostly his success at delivering the goods. After 40+ years in the business, he still works the kitchen alone, and his wife Sharon takes care of the front.
Which brings me to my arrival. I dropped in on a Friday at 11:30 for an early lunch. The place was empty. In fact, Burt was chatting with a vendor when I walked through the door, and I was psyched that I had beaten the crowd. Sharon came out to greet me, and that’s when I started to get my education.
She asked me if I had called ahead. That kind of caught me off guard. I said no, and she told me that it probably wouldn’t matter; go ahead and have a seat. What I learned is that, Burt’s Place is so popular he doesn’t book tables, he schedules his ovens. You have to call, tell him when you want to eat, and he’ll have the pizza ready. When the ovens fill up, you’re screwed, even if the restaurant is empty. It kind of amazed me. Now that I know better, I have a menu at the house, and will use it to order before making the 30 minute drive north of Chicago (don’t even ask if it’s worth it.)
My antipasto salad was iceberg lettuce with olives, peppers, pepperoni, and had a tasty vinaigrette. Nothing to write home about but a nice way to start. I ordered a 10″ sausage, sliced tomato and fresh spinach pizza. All of the toppings are fresh, and I can assure you that on my next visit I will order something completely different, because I want to try everything. The banana peppers are an intriguing idea, and I’m really sorry that I skipped the fresh garlic, which was always a favorite of mine in New Jersey (especially with the sliced tomato.) Things like sliced bell pepper and fresh jalapeno make this more like a candy store than a pizza joint.
Sharon told me that they call it “pan pizza,” but when we talked regional style she kind of laughed and said, “it’s just our style.” Not Chicago, Sicilian, or stuffed. Burt just does it his way. And it’s the best way. I took a slice home to try Saturday morning. HEAVEN! Laura avoided the sausage and took a bite. I watched her face transform as the flavors, textures and bit of oven char (a trademark of his) hit. No problem getting her to join me next time.
So: 1) eat at Burt’s as soon as possible; 2) call ahead to make sure you don’t have to wait; 3) enjoy your micro-brew beers, because there is no hard liquor (bad for me, but it was lunch); 4) be nice to Sharon because she is nice to you.
I can’t wait to go back. If any of my friends want to visit Chicago, I promise we will schedule pizza for dinner one evening.
