Moti - Indian Pizza Glenview (and elsewhere)

The last time I was at the Glenview Joong Boo, I noticed a sign that read Moti and La Michoacana. Funny thing is I'd seen "Moti Massala" on Lincoln Avenue between Fullerton and Webster a couple weeks previous, looked them up and it was a cool-sounding Indian pizza fusion-y place. Could it be the same? At the time, there wasn't a website, even now, it's only a pre-order menu. In fact, searching for this one on Google, I get one on Huron, as well as the one on Lincoln. The selection of pizzas and street food is bigger at the other places, but there's two more menu screens currently dark at the Glenview store.

Even weirder, this one is integrated into a La Michoacana, with ice cream, paletas, mangonadas (which sound like something that would be fine for the Indian menu too), elotes, with more Mexican food to come.

So we went there for dinner tonight. We ordered two 6" pizzas, an order of elotes (accidentally, we wanted the elote pizza) and loaded fries. All of it was a great big happy, except maybe the elotes which were a little bland (should have shelled out for the flaming cheeto topping).

The Chicken Tikka pizza was quite tasty, lots of saucy stuff, pretty spicy.


The Elote Pizza was better than the cup of elote, with cotija, cilantro and spicier


The loaded fries have corn, cilantro, onions, moti and cilantro lime sauces (could be a little crisper). It's a bit of a salt bomb but really tasty. Extra to add protein.


The small pizzas are $4.99, really cheap but more of a lunch than a dinner - we'd have been hungry without the fries. We'll definitely be back.

Moti & La Michoacana
610 Milwaukee Ave, Suite 160
Glenview, IL 60025
https://www.toasttab.com/la-michoacana-moderna/v3/

Looks interesting. Curious about the fries: Menu says they are "baked" but does that mean they are fried first and then warmed in the oven once the sauce, etc. is on? And the naan pizza idea looks like a terrific make-at-home snack using frozen naans.

Notes on the other locations: They don't seem to have the cute little naan pizzas, just 12" and 16", and they look more like pizza crust. The Lincoln shop has a 20% code for instore orders thru May 16, mention the website ad at the counter.

tjr wrote: Notes on the other locations: They don't seem to have the cute little naan pizzas, just 12" and 16", and they look more like pizza crust. The Lincoln shop has a 20% code for instore orders thru May 16, mention the website ad at the counter.

Can confirm: same toppings, just on a cardboard crust. Every time I have Indian pizza I think about how good it can be were it on actual naan; glad to see someone is doing it.

Note to those who see/read this and think “novelty”: it is. But every Indian pizza I’ve had—bad crust be damned—is an absolute flavor bomb, sort of an adult and/or south Asian version of whatever nasty thing you did as a college student when eating pizza (ranch? Fake garlic butter?). Try it.

The Moti Cafe at Huron/Clark in River North has both their Indian inspired pizza but also a naan flatbread which is just a smaller version of the pizza made on naan. It was great for lunch during the before times when I worked in that neighborhood. The momos were also delicious.

Moti Cafe
70 W Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60654
312-344-3670
https://motichicago.com/

I had to pick up a few things from Joong Boo, and noticed the OPEN sign at lunchtime -- previously their hours didn't start until later.

I hadn't tried the "samosa smash" pizza before, so I ordered the 6" (naan) size. Quite tasty, with green and tamarind chutneys, a sprinkling of sev as well as samosa bits and cheese. I was going to get the Moti Fries, but their fryer wasn't up yet (they were doing some electrical work in the place).

It makes for a good, relatively cheap lunch, and good for when I'm not in the mood for dumplings in JB's food court (admittedly and unfortunately not that often).

I tried out Moti in Glenview.
This is an extremely odd, promiscuously fusiony "fast casual" concept that seems to lie somewhere between "insane artistic chef" and "calculated investment money"
I thought the food was very good! Not good enough to get me to drive 30 mins for it, but pretty good.
My fave was the Korean Bulgogi Tacos, full of dash and crackle and delightful mouth feel.
The chaat was good, the pizza was good.
Try it out, see if you like it

Just reading the crazy menu at the Glenview location made for entertainment. Whereas can you get both a mango lassi and horchata for drinks! We had:
The small (naan) elote pizza: not bad, but not very interesting.
Three different tacos: all good.

I'd go back for the tacos.

Thank you for starting Jonah! Been twice, loved it.

Jonah wrote: Whereas can you get both a mango lassi and horchata for drinks! We had:
The small (naan) elote pizza: not bad, but not very interesting.
Three different tacos: all good. .

Not sure if they have both mango lassi and horchata but driving down Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling I noticed another Indian-Mexican Fusion Restaurant called Savory Plate. I wonder if this is the new fusion fast food idea to hit the Chicagoland market.

Savory Plate
71 S Milwaukee Ave,
Wheeling, IL 60090
https://www.savory-plate.com/

polster wrote:

Jonah wrote: Whereas can you get both a mango lassi and horchata for drinks! We had:
The small (naan) elote pizza: not bad, but not very interesting.
Three different tacos: all good. .

Not sure if they have both mango lassi and horchata but driving down Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling I noticed another Indian-Mexican Fusion Restaurant called Savory Plate. I wonder if this is the new fusion fast food idea to hit the Chicagoland market.

Savory Plate
71 S Milwaukee Ave,
Wheeling, IL 60090
https://www.savory-plate.com/

I finally looked this place up this morning, and the menu is pretty clearly divided between Indian and Mexican: burritos, enchiladas and tortas are Mex, entrees are Indo, the only place where it looks like they meet in the middle is tacos (where there's tikka, butter chicken, paneer, cauliflower) and wraps/bowls, but even there they look like Indian fillings in a tortilla, no real fusion going on.

The menu lists lassi but not horchata.

Taqueria Maya in Niles (Golf near Greenwood) also has a nice set of Indian-flavored tacos. Definitely a mini-trend happening.

Moti has added bowls to their menu, and OMG. Had a chicken tikka bowl and it’s the best dish I have eaten in a very long time. Love this place! Friendly staff, ever changing menu, reasonable. Highly recommended!