Man does not live by Italian Beef alone. Fancy toast for lunch at Middle Brow Bungalow. Lots of parking, comfortable to hang out, friendly staff, great pizza and beer if one is so inclined.


Middle Brow Bungalow, count me a Fan!

G Wiv wrote:Middle Brow Bungalow, count me a Fan!

Me, too!

Here's a shot of their delectable, single-serving Shakshuka, a breakfast/lunch special they seem to run with some regularity . . .


Shakshuka

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ronnie_suburban wrote:Here's a shot of their delectable, single-serving Shakshuka

Looks great! Almost went Shakshuka but the cured egg was calling me.

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Here's a shot of their delectable, single-serving Shakshuka

Looks great! Almost went Shakshuka but the cured egg was calling me.

You need to learn to stop limiting yourself. No reason not to order both!

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Looks like they're doing tavern style pizzas on Tuesdays = https://chicago.eater.com/2022/10/31/23 ... tos-images

Dave148 wrote:Looks like they're doing tavern style pizzas on Tuesdays = https://chicago.eater.com/2022/10/31/23 ... tos-images

Looks like it's similar to what Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream/Kim's Uncle are doing. You could call it artisan tavern-style.

We gave it a try on Tuesday, and liked it with one large caveat: the sausage is really wrong - it’s a crumble with very little flavor, instead of one or two fennely homemade hunks per square. Tavern squares are really just a delivery mechanism for sausage, after all. I actually enjoyed the pepperoni more because of this, and that feels like a crime against the genre, though perhaps only a misdemeanor since the pepperoni is really good. For tavern this is a sauce forward pie, but it was cooked perfectly and the ingredients tasted very fresh. Tiny squares too, which I happen to like - one-biters. I have good pics but still lack the technical chops to figure out how to post them.

Also know, this is a popular special, and MBB was slammed. The staff was sweet, but the kitchen/bar was overmatched by the demand. We waited a really long time for each beer, the bread, and then they rolled the pizzas out one by one followed by a long-overdue salad. Unlucky, we got the veg first, which was of course incredibly unpopular with the kids and the whole meal took about 2 hours, or too long for a pizza dinner (but admittedly less time than drives to 84th and Pulaski and back with a pizza dinner in between). Luckily, it was one of these warm(er) November nights, and we discovered the basketball hoop out back. Had the kids known about it earlier, the wait complaints would have been neutralized and we would have been happy knocking back beers (ordered two at a time, knowing what I know now) and listening to the fun music and engaging with a lively crowd for as long as they’d have us. Even without this reinvention, we still had a nice time, and like I said the staff was terrific and did their best to accommodate. Maybe when outdoor isn’t an option the kitchen and bar won’t be so slammed - there is only so much space inside.

Ahmad Shareef wrote:We gave it a try on Tuesday, and liked it with one large caveat: the sausage is really wrong - it’s a crumble with very little flavor, instead of one or two fennely homemade hunks per square. Tavern squares are really just a delivery mechanism for sausage, after all. I actually enjoyed the pepperoni more because of this, and that feels like a crime against the genre, though perhaps only a misdemeanor since the pepperoni is really good. For tavern this is a sauce forward pie, but it was cooked perfectly and the ingredients tasted very fresh. Tiny squares too, which I happen to like - one-biters. I have good pics but still lack the technical chops to figure out how to post them.

Also know, this is a popular special, and MBB was slammed. The staff was sweet, but the kitchen/bar was overmatched by the demand. We waited a really long time for each beer, the bread, and then they rolled the pizzas out one by one followed by a long-overdue salad. Unlucky, we got the veg first, which was of course incredibly unpopular with the kids and the whole meal took about 2 hours, or too long for a pizza dinner (but admittedly less time than drives to 84th and Pulaski and back with a pizza dinner in between). Luckily, it was one of these warm(er) November nights, and we discovered the basketball hoop out back. Had the kids known about it earlier, the wait complaints would have been neutralized and we would have been happy knocking back beers (ordered two at a time, knowing what I know now) and listening to the fun music and engaging with a lively crowd for as long as they’d have us. Even without this reinvention, we still had a nice time, and like I said the staff was terrific and did their best to accommodate. Maybe when outdoor isn’t an option the kitchen and bar won’t be so slammed - there is only so much space inside.

Fantastic review! I am a sausage tavern thin guy so the lack of chunks of fennel laden sausage plus a super busy restaurant plus I live in Highland Park = I don't see myself going there anytime soon (watch I'll end up there next week). I've already had the regular pizza at Middle Brow and while unique and decent, I didn't feel it was anything special because (from what I recall) the sauce was the weak link. I had a margherita because it was an Artisan style pizza (I don't always automatically do sausage on that style).

Logan Square’s Middle Brow Beer is now a winery, naturally.
Pete Ternes and Bryan Grohnke’s quiet, low-intervention experiments have borne extraordinary fruit.

https://chicagoreader.com/food-drink/lo ... naturally/

Dave P just reviewed Middle Brow for One Bite Pizza Reviews. I'm a fan of the pizza reviews, makes me chuckle.

That pizza looks fire! I wish I live in the city (on Tuesday). Getting an 8.1, will make them seriously consider rolling out the thin crust every day.

It is a good spot. I visited it weeks ago to see if it was participating in the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild's "#drinkIllinois" program. It was not; so I made it give me an "unofficial" sticker in my passport.
Also, unfortunately, it is another venue which has gone to a "virtual only" menu, and its wifi network does not broadcast to 2.4G devices (such as my laptop), so I did not eat anything there, and I will not go there again.
Gretel and Solemn Oath's Still Life will get the visits.

Went to Middle Brow twice over the past couple of weeks, once on a Saturday to sample all 10 of the pizzas from the regular menu, and once this past Tuesday to try all five of the tavern crust pies. The pictures tell most of the story but a few thoughts:

1) The regular pizza looks pretty different from when they opened but it's just as good if not better (it was better than I remembered but the crust looks better in the older pics (more hole structure) and it's been a while and tastes change so who knows). Every component was good to great except for the one that was overloaded with vegetables.

2) Some of the pizzas are more traditional, some more creative, but they all seem to use quality ingredients.

3) The tavern crust is among the best in town. Crispy crust that stood up to all but the veggie pizza (which we only ordered for completeness and was definitely the least popular of the night); bite size squares that were almost as fun to eat as they were delicious; top quality toppings and ingredients; and a little creativity with the cacio e pepe.

4) A separate point needs to be made for the sauce on the tavern crust pies. This was an absolutely delicious umami bomb. The server revealed there's some cheese in there. I'm guessing it's parmesan because a) umami and b) there was a very liberal sprinkling of parm on all the pizzas. I drank a whole lot of water when I got home.

The pics:

Soppressata, tomato, fermented hot pepper honey

Honey roasted peaches, corn, aged gouda, nduja vinaigrette

Margherita

Sausage + olive

Buttermilk, tropea onions, sungold tomatoes, goat tomme

Mushroom, cream sauce, caramelized onions, fontina, oyster mushrooms, chives

Adult's cheese

eggplant + shishito, shaved garlic, yuzu oil, thai basil, mint

Tempesta pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, tarragon

Red sauce + yuzu oil, shaved garlic, fresh oregano

The soppressata pie was the consensus top pie of the night but I thought I thought the Corn + peach, the pepperoni and the sausage and olive were all top tier.

Pepperoni

Sausage

Cacio e pepe (weekly special)

Cheese

Veggie




I think this post covers all the important points but more pics and more babbling from me can be found at the Chicago Pizza Club blog. Happy to answer any questions here but know that this definitely a place worth visiting.

If any wine connoisseurs have been, I'd be curious about your thoughts about the wine. I wasn't a fan, but I'm fairly ignorant about wine.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Went to Middle Brow twice over the past couple of weeks, once on a Saturday to sample all 10 of the pizzas from the regular menu, and once this past Tuesday to try all five of the tavern crust pies. The pictures tell most of the story but a few thoughts . . .

Fuuuuggg, yeah! This place is one of the biggest things I miss about not living in Logan Square and your post isn't helping in the least! I loved the pizza (under chef Mickey Neely) when they first opened, still loved it after he left, and I'm excited to hear that you -- a pizza maven -- think it's gotten even better. I really need to get back there soon.

Also, it's been talked about a few times around here lately. The Joiners podcast (Danny Shapiro & Tim Tierney) had an episode earlier this year featuring Middle Brow co-founder Pete Ternes. I have to say he's one of the most interesting, intelligent and articulate people I've encountered in the biz (I know him a little bit). His impressive unconventional journey through life has been impressive and downright astonishing. Just a fascinating dude. Here's a link to his episode:

Joiners Episode #32 - Pete Ternes of Middle Brow

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I don't have much to contribute but to say that you are living your best pizza life and I am a little jealous.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Went to Middle Brow twice over the past couple of weeks, once on a Saturday to sample all 10 of the pizzas from the regular menu, and once this past Tuesday to try all five of the tavern crust pies.

Also not much to contribute but have to ask: How many people participated? Or did you take home a massive stack of doggy boxes?

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Every component was good to great except for the one that was overloaded with vegetables.

Which was that? The eggplant?

tjr wrote:Also not much to contribute but have to ask: How many people participated? Or did you take home a massive stack of doggy boxes?

On the 10 pizza night, there were 14 of us and we ate all but 5 slices - 3 eggplant and 2 red sauce and yuzu (which was the last pizza brought to the table). On the 5 tavern pizza night, there ended up being 6 of us. There were 7 but it took an hour for the first pizza to arrive and one person had to leave. Probably had a full pie left that night.

tjr wrote:Which was that? The eggplant?

Yeah, it wasn't good. The leftovers of that one ended up in the compost pile.

Thanks for a most excellent post. Need to get a tavern pie asap.

My previous wine experience with you show a strong knowledge of wine.

I had the regular pizza once at Bunglow. It was pretty good but I didn't love the sauce. I went over there on Tuesday to try the tavern style and was told around 8:30 they had run out of dough. I was not happy as I had been looking forward to it (they do it once a week and still ran out at least 90 minutes before closing). When the woman said, "We still have salads..." Those of you who know how much pizza I eat (and how far I go for it) will know I didn't react well to that. I pretty much just turned and left rather than unload my frustration on her (it wasn't her fault). I ended up walking to Wicker Park to have Piece again since it's been a good 10 years and since I have been to a bunch of the legendary places in New Haven in recent years I could now truly compare it to those and I am happy to say Piece is definitely an authentic version of New Haven apizza. The cheese is very salty just like Roseland Apizza (which isn't a great thing, but that's how it can be).

Your photos look amazing and I am determined to go over and try it soon. The bottom of the tavern style is what it should look like. I happened to be in the city this week so my timing was right... until it wasn't!

Ram4 wrote:I had the regular pizza once at Bunglow. It was pretty good but I didn't love the sauce. I went over there on Tuesday to try the tavern style and was told around 8:30 they had run out of dough. I was not happy as I had been looking forward to it (they do it once a week and still ran out at least 90 minutes before closing). When the woman said, "We still have salads..." Those of you who know how much pizza I eat (and how far I go for it) will know I didn't react well to that.

They have excellent salads.

Ram4 wrote:I went over there on Tuesday to try the tavern style and was told around 8:30 they had run out of dough. I was not happy as I had been looking forward to it (they do it once a week and still ran out at least 90 minutes before closing)."

They were telling walk-ins as early as 6:45 they were out of dough. I don't think it's an issue of them underestimating how much they'd need as it is knowing how many pizzas they can possibly make and needing to make sure people who made reservations are taken care of. These pizzas are incredibly thin - can't take long to cook - but we had to wait slightly over an hour to get our first pie. They were swamped.

Let this be a lesson for all - make a reservation. Especially if you're going right after they're in the news or, in this case, highlighted by Dave Portnoy as having the best tavern crust in Chicago (see G Wiv's post earlier in this thread).

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:

Ram4 wrote:I went over there on Tuesday to try the tavern style and was told around 8:30 they had run out of dough. I was not happy as I had been looking forward to it (they do it once a week and still ran out at least 90 minutes before closing)."

They were telling walk-ins as early as 6:45 they were out of dough. I don't think it's an issue of them underestimating how much they'd need as it is knowing how many pizzas they can possibly make and needing to make sure people who made reservations are taken care of. These pizzas are incredibly thin - can't take long to cook - but we had to wait slightly over an hour to get our first pie. They were swamped.

Let this be a lesson for all - make a reservation. Especially if you're going right after they're in the news or, in this case, highlighted by Dave Portnoy as having the best tavern crust in Chicago (see G Wiv's post earlier in this thread).

I knew Portnoy's visit would make things more difficult. How big are the pizzas in terms of inches? My brother and I could probably polish off a couple of super thin ones even if they are 14". We normally would share one, but since they are so thin and this is once a week (plus I am not usually down in the city) I might go big.

Ram4 wrote:How big are the pizzas in terms of inches? My brother and I could probably polish off a couple of super thin ones even if they are 14". We normally would share one, but since they are so thin and this is once a week (plus I am not usually down in the city) I might go big.

Either 14 or 16 inches. They were noticeably large. But they're super thin. I'd order two if I were you. If there are leftovers, you'll enjoy them.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:

Ram4 wrote:How big are the pizzas in terms of inches? My brother and I could probably polish off a couple of super thin ones even if they are 14". We normally would share one, but since they are so thin and this is once a week (plus I am not usually down in the city) I might go big.

Either 14 or 16 inches. They were noticeably large. But they're super thin. I'd order two if I were you. If there are leftovers, you'll enjoy them.

Who am I kidding, always better to order extra than to under order. Thanks for the info.

Success! My brother and I walked up at 5:30 on Tuesday with fingers crossed that we'd get to try the tavern style. I wanted to make a reservation but I was only thinking it was over the phone! I am turning into an old-timer. So the reservations were fully booked by the time we realized our error.

We each ordered a 16" sausage pizza as discussed prior in this thread. It took over an hour and a half for the pizzas to come out! They apologized after an hour with a couple of not so pleasant free drinks but I was not that annoyed. It was a beautiful night to be outside anyway and I wanted that pizza. I am happy to say we both loved it and we ate both pizzas with no leftovers. It was similar in many ways to Kim's Uncle (both are what I call Artisan Tavern style) with a lot of flavor in the ample sauce, minimal cheese (good!) and that wonderful paper thin dough though I have to give the sausage at Kim's Uncle the nod. I am amazed they only offer this once a week. I am thoroughly impressed and can't wait to have it again. My brother moved back to the city so he's thrilled to be so much closer than I am.

Really enjoyed Tavern Tuesday at Middle Brow. Or, in our case, it was more like Tavern Tuesday Afternoon. Given what we'd heard/read about the wait times, we presumed that a 4:30 reservation would have us actually eating our pizzas between 5:30 and 6:00. And since my son lives just a few blocks away, we figured that arriving at 4:30 would provide a nice opportunity for some pre-gaming. In the end, arriving at that hour led to a more conventionally-timed experience. I think we were out of there - all fulla' pizza -- by about 5:30.

Yes, I know that before all else, Middle Brow was/is known for its beer but nothing on the beer menu was really calling to me, so we opted for a bottle of one of their wines . . .


Cook Out Sparking Rose
A really fun/tasty bottle and aptly named, too. This fruit-forward, mildly bubbly blend would be perfect at an outdoor summer shindig. As it turns out, it was also a nice pairing for a crisp fall day of pizza-eating.

As was posted upthread, 5 pizzas are available on Tavern Tuesday: cheese, sausage, pepperoni, veg supreme and a special which, on this day, featured Honey Butter Fried Chicken (fried chicken, pickled peppers, honey butter). We ordered 4 of the 5, figuring that a plain cheese pizza would be redundant . . .


Pepperoni


Sausage


Veg Supreme
Okay, clearly this one was a bit torched around the edges but even those pieces were still tasty and there were plenty of other pieces to enjoy, too.


Honey Butter Fried Chicken

For those interested in some "schematics," here are a few additional views . . .


Side View
Just impossibly thin, really.


Bottom View
Nice bubbly charred bits.


Corner
I didn't have a coin on me, so for scale, that's the tip of my pinky. Happily, each of the pizzas had similarly-sized pieces, otherwise we would have fought over them because they were extremely cute.

As is tradition, we way over-ordered, so there was plenty to bring home . . .


Box O' Leftover Pizza
We actually ended up with two nearly identical boxes.

The pizzas were quite tasty. They were also way thinner than any tavern-style pizza I can remember having elsewhere. Even those pieces in the leftover boxes still had plenty of crustal (is that really a word?) integrity. My favorites were the Veg Supreme and the HBFC. That said, this might be heresy but I think I prefer Middle Brow's standard, non-tavern pizzas. I'm very glad I tried these and I'd happily do it again but I don't think one would be missing out on anything by going there for 'regular' pizzas on non-Tavern Tuesdays.

By the time we were leaving at 5:30, it had gotten quite busy, with a smattering of parties waiting. But at that point, neither the indoor nor outdoor seating areas were full. My guess is that capacity is governed by the kitchen, not the available seating. In any case, really good stuff. I'll admit that I've always been a fanboy of Middle Brow but I'd confidently and enthusiastically recommend Tavern Tuesday to anyone who's into pizza. And as a bonus, it's a place in Logan that's actually open on Tuesday!

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Looks great. The HBFC one--I think Piece also did a recent collab with them.

We went last Tuesday at 7PM. We didn't get our pizza till 9:20 pm. The cheese and pepperoni pizzas were deluged with parmagian. Loved the sausage. Extremely thin, fun to eat. Would not go back due to extraordinary wait.

HPGlutster2 wrote:We went last Tuesday at 7PM. We didn't get our pizza till 9:20 pm. The cheese and pepperoni pizzas were deluged with parmagian. Loved the sausage. Extremely thin, fun to eat. Would not go back due to extraordinary wait.

i've been there for lunch several times nothing special going on just lunch and the waits have been really long. Never did understand why…

Pizza looks great but I hear they charge 8% service fee?