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The newspapers did not mention they were related. Everyone , enjoy the last season at kiddieland.

It really is the end of an era.

Regardless of the specific circumstances, it's very tough for family businesses to survive being passed from one generation to the next. So many of the places we love -- many of them owned and operated by families -- I think we sometimes take it for granted how many obstacles the folks who run them have had to overcome in order to endure.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

HI,

Santa's Village may be getting a second reprive. Investors from Utica, IL bought all the rides with plans to open once more in the Starved Rock region. It wouldn't surprise me if financiing keeps it on ice for a while. I just hope they can hold onto everything long enough to reassemble it.

I think I went to Santa's Village exactly once as a kid. Wasn't too impressed, though I know it holds fond memories for many.

As for Kiddie Land, most family businesses don't survive to the third generation. The classic mistake: give the go-getters the business and give the building it resides in to the rest of the family. It is far better to give the entire package to those who will run it and figure out another way to satisfy the others.

Regards,

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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

And what about the varieties of Nick & Vito's pizza for sale at the concession stands at these amusement parks? Which do you folks like best?

From CBS 2

The feud between the branch of the Fritz family that owns the park and the branch that runs the land trust has been going on for several years. The Chicago Tribune reported that the land trust owners, Shirley and Glenn Rynes, sued their relatives in 2004 to try to get Kiddieland evicted, claiming that they hadn't purchased an insurance policy and were setting off unsafe fireworks. But two courts ruled that the park owners were properly insured.

Look at this way-- we may lose Kiddieland, but gain a Menard's!

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Nope! CostCo.

Grrr...

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Maybe a Vito and Nick's Pizza too!

there's already a Menard's just a few blocks away.

Why are we talking about Kiddieland in a V&N thread? I don't mind, just curious.

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What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

Just a naturally-occuring tangent about some of the conflicts and pitfalls often encountered by family-run businesses, one of which V&N's happens to be. I'm sure we'll get back onto the core topic soon enough.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Its not often I sway away from my usual pizza (tavern style sausage, nothing else) but lately at V&N's its been a one sausage/one combo pizza. I know I read about the combo pizza (beef, sausage and hot peepers) on here somewhere. What a great combo of flavors and something that really works as far as crazy pizza toppings go. I don't why I never thought of this heart stopper before. We used to get the beef with hot peppers pizza at Candlelite when they were good but never with sausage added in making it a combo of sorts. Thanks for the tip.


Way better than anything at Ian's

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Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing

those are some of my favorite pizza ingredients, sometimes I add some green pepper as well.

great pic btw.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Back to pizza. If anyone is in the neighborhood there is an excellent thin cracker crust pizza to be had at Pudgy's pizza in the Hegewish neighborhood. Its right down the street from Baltimore food and liquor where you can get the best pork kabobs I have ever had.They are sold raw , you have to grill them.Some folks go for the Bobs mistake pizza , a combo pizza. Pudgy's pizza 13460 S. Baltimore Ave Chicago. Baltimore food and liquor 13322-24 S Baltimore Ave Chicago.

LOL!!!

My wife and I attended a wake in Evergreen Park, went to VN's afterwards, first time.

1) Regulars at the bar, nice fellas, told us to "put the (paper carry-out) menu away and order only pizza".

2) I'm mid-40's and the bar regs in their 50's told me to "take my suit jacket off" (like we all still 17 or something). Lucky I didn't have a tie on too.

3) Regulars ripped on me for ordering the beef/giardinera pizza (non-traditional).

4) Regs said: "Oh you must be one of those that saw VN's on the TV show. When people come in here and order that pizza we know they're not from around here, and that they saw the TV show." "we never heard of that pizza, ever, until the TV show."

5) Regs laughed when my wife missed that quirky turn to the ladies restroom (sign is hard to see) and headed towards the mens room.

6) While drinking a beer waiting for the pizza, my wife's "Go Cubs Go" ringtone goes off.

7) We ate half the pizza at the bar, asked for pizza to be wrapped up, the Regs said: "you could've offered us a piece (of the Italian Beef and giardinera pizza since they've never tried it), ah you must be Northsiders" they laughed together at their own comment.

8 ) Got to the car, realized I had forgotten my suit jacket, had to go back in there to get it, both Regs looking at me again. LOL!!

It was comical and funny.

Oh yeah, pizza was excellent but the next time I'll get the standard cheese-sausage. Hot giardinera on a pizza overwhelmed it for me. Maybe I'd get sausage & Italian beef, no giardinera.

According to the Regs the fastest way to/from the restaurant is 87th and the Dan Ryan, not Pulaski to the Stevenson.

Johnsoncon,

Thanks for the report. I can tell you and your wife were a good sports. I could envision many fleeing.

Regards,

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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

I'm from the north suburbs- born 1965, have lived in the city since 1993, but have family roots on the southside (S. Aberdeen) back in Englewood in the 1930's when it was practically a suburb, and grandparents married at Visitation on Garfield Blvd. I've never figured out how to answer southsiders. Technically I am one, but really I'm not.

funny story of your visit to V & N.

the advise I was given regarding the S. Side and has worked for me when I have ventured solo into the Bridgeport neighborhood bars is: "keep your head down, and dont speak unless spoken to", and I'm a White Sox whose family is from Bridgeport and points south.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Excellent advice! I quickly learned that about 25 years ago when I walked into a Canaryville bar. I think the jukebox stopped playing. I grew up on the southwest side and had relatives that lived in Canaryville but just was not from the neighborhood.

Also, I love V & N but after reading the LTH, I have discovered Villa Nova Pizza and that is my new favorite. I believe it may be slightly better than V & N. Though eating at Villa does not give you the experience of eating at V & N.

My usual shtick when I walk into a southside bar is to got to the juke box (if it's one of those digi ones) and put on some really long abstract jazz (ie Bitch's Brew) or some afrobeat. It take a few minutes but everyone starts to look up from their drinks like WTF....I'll prolly learn better when I get my ass kicked but it hasn't happened yet.

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"By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"

Oh boy...., really disappointed by my visit to Vito and Nicks for a late afternoon snack today. Bad/really slow service(and I was wearing a White Sox hat), and the pizza just wasnt very good imho. As most who have met me know I am a huge fan of GNR's, Ive hit 34 in the last 2 years or so, and have only had 2 bad meals up til today(both of those previous bad experiences @ the same place).

Folks can take issue with writing off a place after one visit, but I will stand by my putting Vito and Nicks in my bad column after one trip. Too far to drive, too many good places out there to return to, and too many new places to try to waste another meal imho.

We arrived @ 3:30 and the place was maybe 1/4 full, and by the bickering of the vocal staff I could tell they were overwhelmed. Waited a while, and went up to the bar to get my own beer(one of the highlights was old style light drafts for $1.00). Menus came as I was finishing that beer so I ordered another when the menus came. Took a look at the menu and ordered an order of garlic bread(pretty good for what it was), and a large sausage pizza with the egg cooked into the middle. Beer finally arrived as I was about to go to the bar. Pizza took about 40 minutes, and looked good when it came out. the egg topper was interesting, my problem was with the lack of sauce(sauce was tasty, just really lightly applied), and the sausage they use(not enought zip). It just really fell short. The thin cracker crust was nice, but nowhere near the same league as Marie's.

90+% is a pretty good success rate for GNR's in my experience(only 2 places out of 34 I wont return), so its all good, Vito and Nicks just didnt work for me.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Jim,

It's very interesting to me that you had this experience. Exactly 2 years ago we went to V & N's on the day after Thanksgiving and it was also a brutal experience. It's the only time I've ever been there when it wasn't stellar. I actually thought about it today because we were pretty far south (went to Calumet Fisheries, among other destinations) but I remembered how bad it was that day and decided against it. Our experience mirrored yours almost exactly: half-full restaurant, terrible service, 1-hour wait for our pizza and the pizza was lousy, cool with a gummy crust.

I'm certainly not making excuses for the place (I've got no horse in this race) but it seems that too many key people at V&N's have Black Friday off. As such, I've written it off as a day-after-Thanksgiving destination. Other than Black Friday, I've always had great pizzas there so if you get a chance, you may want to try it again on another day -- apparently, any other day.

=R=

_________________
I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

perhaps based on their track record and fans, if I am 8400 south again another try may be in order..

funny thing I was pushing for Calumet Fisheries or Nuevo Leon today, but pizza won out.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

83rd & Pulaski ONLY. I have been going there for years.
Was there 11-25-09, after our annual turkey bowl. Over 40 years.
The best thin crust pizza, bar none, in Chicago & suburbs.
Wally Wade

8433 S. Pulsaki, thats the location we hit, maybe as Ronnie said it was the "b" team working the day after thanksgiving.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

I don't doubt you had a bad pizza. Do you like the style, though?
It is always lightly sauced when I've had it. I think the sausage is killer.
In the 40 years I've been going to S. Pulaski I've never had a bad pizza.
It's good in Lemont, too. Plus, you can bowl there!

I like Marie's(more cheese and sauce and crust is floppier at Marie's), too, but it's not V&N. I'll admit a bit of nostalgia for V&N. My parents would go there in their dating days and my grandparents lived a few blocks away. Many a birthday was celebrated there in my youth...

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Reading is a right. Censorship is not.

I did like the crisp thin crust(I hate pan/deep dish/stuffed pizza). & I also liked how the egg cooked up in the pizza.

For the record Coalfire is my favorite pizza in Chicago.

The bickering waitstaff, my beer being continually empty for long stretches of time, and the average pizza we had made for an uninspired visit.

like I said upthread, its all good, spent under $30, visited a GNR I had not been to, and got out of the house for the day. A pizza I didnt care for(my wife was more critical than I) isnt the end of the world for me.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

the one on pulaski is great . the hickory hills branch had a bad experience & will not go back.

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philw bbq cbj for kcbs &M.I.M. carolina pit masters

Another good icebreaker in Bport/Canaryville bars is to ask your drinking companions if they know the difference between Bridgeport and Canaryville.
In Bridgeport they take the dishes out of the sink before they p**s !

Usually good for a few laughs.... YMMV

The one in Hickory Hills is a Vito and Nicks II. It is not the same owners as Vito & Nicks. The only other "original" Vito & Nicks is in Lemont. Vito and Nick's II is a franchise with locations even in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, and one soon to open in Florida. I don't know the exact story behind the split, but you know how family food-related businesses seem to fracture here in Chicago (see Caputo's, Bobak's, etc.)....