Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder

One time when we were visiting our daughter and son-in-law in Chicago we were watching the Food Network and Rachel Ray was doing her Tasty Travels in Chicago. One of the restaurants featured was the Chicago Oven Grinder on Clark Street. It looked interesting, so we decided to give it a try. Plus there was the draw of the building being across from the site of the Valentine's Day massacre, with the building the restaurant is in having been a lookout. That appealed to the historian in me. Once we got there it was apparent the whole city saw the episode and thought the same thing.

Brian and I dropped of Teresa and Nicole and went out to find a place to park. we got one a few blocks away and when we got back Teresa said the wait was about an hour and a half. After discussion, we decided that by the time we went to get the car, decided where to go, and drove there we'd have to wait someplace else. We stayed. Now they didn't take our name, the man at the door just looked at my wife's face and said he'd remember her. He did. We were called in right after the people who got there before us, and right before the people who came after. Interesting.

Once inside the smell of the food, make even stronger by the wait, was amazing. It was also small, so I can see why there was a wait. We ordered the pizzas and a couple of oven grinders. The pizzas were different. Kind of like a Chicago deep dish pizza served upside down in a bowl, with the crust on top. Think pizza pot pie and you have the visual. We shared the one pounder, and a half-pounder. The oven grinders are baked heros, subs, grinders, hoagie, or whatever you call them where you live. Very good, and very filling. We split the Italian combo on this one.

An interesting side story here. If you note on the right of this blog I have some books featured. I write a mystery series called the Maria Hart Mysteries. I have an image of what she looks like, as well as her husband. While standing in line for the bathroom (they have a one-hole men's room) I was behind a man who was exactly what I thought Dan Hart should look and sound like. I looked over at his table later and his wife wasn't Maria though. Too bad.

Anyway, the food was great and well worth the wait. Check them out sometime and visit their website for more information.