jnm123 wrote:on the way to the Edens after dinner
jnm123 wrote:But if you're including OMG! Grill in a crawl of sorts, then you'd have to include the place a couple miles down Dempster--Larsa's, which I believe is Lebanese.
Cathy2 wrote:jnm123 wrote:But if you're including OMG! Grill in a crawl of sorts, then you'd have to include the place a couple miles down Dempster--Larsa's, which I believe is Lebanese.
Would Larsa's keep with the pizza theme?
Are you thinking of their Manna Eash?
Regards,
CAthy2
jnm123 wrote:I just checked Larsa’s online menu.
They utilize the old LaRosa’s pizza oven, and while the names of the pizzas are traditional, items like steak shawarma and hummus are used.
ld111134 wrote:To those who have been to Burt’s more recently than I, how does it stack up to other deep dish purveyors in Chicagoland? I went soon after it opened and was struck by the inconsistency, which I attributed to the owners’ inexperience at the time.
Yeah I would call their style "Detroit Inspired." The presentation with the caramelized cheese looks a little like Detroit, but none of the restaurants you mentioned included Jet's and Little Caesar's (both originally from Detroit) serve authentic Detroit style. But you may know all of this.Cathy2 wrote:HI,
My thinking on this crawl is stick to a theme of Burt's type and similiar, which is the Detroit style pizza. Jet's and Little Ceasar's are more complimentary to Burt's and Pequod's than Larsa.
I can already feel the eyes rolling by mentioning Little Ceasar's. The last and only one I had might have been in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Since reading it was based on Detroit style, I want to see how it really compares.
That's my two cents!
Regards,
Cathy2
jnm123 wrote:So...does this mean that Burt Katz is the godfather of the best pizza in the US?!
https://www.facebook.com/nbcchicago/videos/1113387383128910
jnm123 wrote:The passing of the pizza torch from Burt's family to the traders is well-documented in the archives here on LTH, probably most accurately told by BuddyRoadhouse, who've I have known for more than 40 years and who worked for Burt about that long as well.
tjr wrote:For those, like me, who don't know Burt's story, a biography from Dr. Neil Gale (the postcard collector):
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2020 ... place.html
and a more personal portrait by Christopher Borrelli:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/ ... zza-guy-2/
Neither explain where Burt learned to make pizza or why he selected two former futures traders to be his heirs-in-pizza. Or what happened to Sharon Katz. Or the honeymoon Toyopet truck, which Gale hints may still exist.
BuddyRoadhouse wrote:tjr wrote:For those, like me, who don't know Burt's story, a biography from Dr. Neil Gale (the postcard collector):
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2020 ... place.html
and a more personal portrait by Christopher Borrelli:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/ ... zza-guy-2/
Neither explain where Burt learned to make pizza or why he selected two former futures traders to be his heirs-in-pizza. Or what happened to Sharon Katz. Or the honeymoon Toyopet truck, which Gale hints may still exist.
So much to unpack here.
First off, it's almost comical when someone like Dr. Gale, with so little authority, attempts to write so authoritatively. His article is riddled with errors; mostly spelling and grammar, but even the facts, when gotten right, are written with an air of unfounded vague confidence usually seen in a poorly researched high school essay citing only one questionable source.
The most glaring, and obvious error comes near the top. Directly beneath the heading 'BURTON "BURT" D. KATZ' (note the correct spelling of "Burt), Gale spells his name "Bert". He goes on to make the same mistake multiple times throughout the article, although he sometimes, inexplicably, gets it right. After that, it's near impossible to take anything else he says seriously.
Along those lines, and in answer to your question about the Toyopet truck Burt & Sharon drove across Asia and Europe, it sat in his garage in Skokie for decades, collecting dust. He did in fact give it to a guy in Glenview, as mentioned in the article, but he was not a friend so much as someone who just happened to have an extensive, but loose collection of vehicles, who was willing to get it out of Burt's garage. I used to work near the property where it was stored, and wouldn't call it a museum, as described in the article, so much as a moderately curated junkyard for unique and historical vehicles.
I have far more respect and fondness for Chris Borrelli's Tribune article. Not only is it beautifully written, it was carefully researched, including first hand, in-depth interviews with Burt himself. Nothing more to be said about that; the article speaks for itself.
To answer your other questions, Burt learned to make pan pizza at his first store, The Inferno, in Evanston. It was both an investment and a learning experience for him. Prior to that, I believe, he had no pizza making experience. FWIW, Burt never claimed to be a "chef", or even a "cook". He freely admitted that boiling an egg was beyond his capabilities, but in his words, "Pizza and me, we just get along."
He did not "select" his successors in the way a dying monarch chooses who will next sit on the throne. The full story is long and complex, and nobody's business, but the short version is, Burt knew he was near death and wanted to make make sure his family was taken care of. Two guys with the right amount of money approached him, wanting to buy the business, and that was that. They never spent a day in the kitchen with Burt, relying solely on his oral descriptions of what to do. Once they finally contacted me, I was able to give them a more practical education in making a Burt's Pizza.
Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a long and fruitful relationship between myself and the new owners ended badly. Again, a long and complex story that is nobody's business beyond what I've already said.
Sharon Katz passed away in September, 2022. I still have occasional contact with Burt & Sharon's kids, although we haven't seen each other lately.
That's the scoop,
Buddy
BuddyRoadhouse wrote:tjr wrote:For those, like me, who don't know Burt's story, a biography from Dr. Neil Gale (the postcard collector):
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2020 ... place.html
and a more personal portrait by Christopher Borrelli:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/ ... zza-guy-2/
Neither explain where Burt learned to make pizza or why he selected two former futures traders to be his heirs-in-pizza. Or what happened to Sharon Katz. Or the honeymoon Toyopet truck, which Gale hints may still exist.
So much to unpack here.
First off, it's almost comical when someone like Dr. Gale, with so little authority, attempts to write so authoritatively. His article is riddled with errors; mostly spelling and grammar, but even the facts, when gotten right, are written with an air of unfounded vague confidence usually seen in a poorly researched high school essay citing only one questionable source.
The most glaring, and obvious error comes near the top. Directly beneath the heading 'BURTON "BURT" D. KATZ' (note the correct spelling of "Burt), Gale spells his name "Bert". He goes on to make the same mistake multiple times throughout the article, although he sometimes, inexplicably, gets it right. After that, it's near impossible to take anything else he says seriously.
Along those lines, and in answer to your question about the Toyopet truck Burt & Sharon drove across Asia and Europe, it sat in his garage in Skokie for decades, collecting dust. He did in fact give it to a guy in Glenview, as mentioned in the article, but he was not a friend so much as someone who just happened to have an extensive, but loose collection of vehicles, who was willing to get it out of Burt's garage. I used to work near the property where it was stored, and wouldn't call it a museum, as described in the article, so much as a moderately curated junkyard for unique and historical vehicles.
I have far more respect and fondness for Chris Borrelli's Tribune article. Not only is it beautifully written, it was carefully researched, including first hand, in-depth interviews with Burt himself. Nothing more to be said about that; the article speaks for itself.
To answer your other questions, Burt learned to make pan pizza at his first store, The Inferno, in Evanston. It was both an investment and a learning experience for him. Prior to that, I believe, he had no pizza making experience. FWIW, Burt never claimed to be a "chef", or even a "cook". He freely admitted that boiling an egg was beyond his capabilities, but in his words, "Pizza and me, we just get along."
He did not "select" his successors in the way a dying monarch chooses who will next sit on the throne. The full story is long and complex, and nobody's business, but the short version is, Burt knew he was near death and wanted to make make sure his family was taken care of. Two guys with the right amount of money approached him, wanting to buy the business, and that was that. They never spent a day in the kitchen with Burt, relying solely on his oral descriptions of what to do. Once they finally contacted me, I was able to give them a more practical education in making a Burt's Pizza.
Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a long and fruitful relationship between myself and the new owners ended badly. Again, a long and complex story that is nobody's business beyond what I've already said.
Sharon Katz passed away in September, 2022. I still have occasional contact with Burt & Sharon's kids, although we haven't seen each other lately.
That's the scoop,
Buddy