Bill's Pizza Pub

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

It was last summer that I visited Bill's Pizza Pub in Mundelein. In an area (Chicagoland) rich with tavern pizza joints, most of which are from the 50's, I was excited to experience Bill's and taste what many longtime fans call the best pizza in Chicagoland. Its the perfect place for both a family night out and a guy's (and girls too!) night out and its been this way since 1957.


a locals favorite in Mundelein, IL

Bill's doubles as a family restaurant and tavern with its Northwoods feel inside the large building it sits in. They have plenty of room and a gaming section for the kids and a long bar with all the sports action on the TV's for adults. The beer is ice cold and served in frosted mugs and peanuts are a part of the place. You see they have baskets of them at every table, all along the bar and in the video game rooms too. You just grab some, eat them and throw the shells wherever the hell you want. It's always been like that. I love places like Bill's that don't let traditions like these die and why don't more bars serve peanuts? I love them when watching the game and the more of them I eat, the more beers follow.


Tradition carries on at Bill's

I visited here with my guy who like myself grew up on tavern style Chicago thin crust and we loved everything about the place upon entering and I myself had a good feeling before we even took a seat. I felt like I was up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and I guess that to some people of Chicago, Mundelein might as well be. Bill's was started by Bill and his wife as teenagers in '57. The original location was a one time garage. It's still all in the family and they use use the same recipe from when they started. So we grabbed a booth and took a look at the menu while chomping away on some peanuts. I took a little video shot of the inside area at Bill's which can be seen below. Really cool interior at this place.


View from a booth at Bill's


Video view inside Bill's Pizza Pub

The menu's main draw is obviously the pizza but they also have appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads. We knew what we were there for and didn't waste anytime ordering some beers from the tap and a large thin crust sausage pizza. Within a minute or so she was back with our frosted and filled mugs and shortly thereafter our pie arrived.


Large thin crust sausage from Bill's Pizza Pub

It was the sign of good things to come when the waitress put our pizza down on the table and the strong aroma of a freshly baked pie filled the booth. As always I let it cool down so I didn't burn the roof of my mouth and after a couple minutes I shook on my red pepper flakes and oregano. I was really impressed with this pizza and had no problem eating my entire half in my sitting. I thought that its biggest strength was the oregano seasoning that came on it baked into the pie as seen in the pic above.


a piece of tavern style thin from Bill's

The sausage was very nice just like it is at all tavern pizza places and the cheese was a little more abundant than most spots I've been too. It was nice that they didn't skimp on the well seasoned sauce either which would of let the cheese totally takeover. The crust was crunchy and it passed the crispiness test with a center piece staying straight when held up in the air. Bill's serves what I consider to be an excellent tavern style pizza pie. I haven't been back since my initial visit because I have not found myself in the area but I now realize I don't need a reason and its worth the drive. I will get back here soon and encourage anyone who hasn't been to do the same. For all of y'all that have been going here forever-you know whats up-if I may say.


Bill's pizza is good stuff indeed

Luckily for all the neighbors and those close to Bill's they also have a pickup garage where you can call in for pizza and or get hot dogs and other Chicago fast food stand items. I'm not sure if this is where the original Bill's stood but they have the old neon sign that must of lit up the street back in the 50's that still lights up today in front of the place. They also have a location (Bill's North) in Third Lake.


Old neon sign at the to-go garage

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 4
sauce: 5
toppings: 4
Crispness: 4

Score: 17/20

Bill's Pizza Pub
624 S Lake St
Mundelein, IL 60060
(847) 566-5380
Website

Scudiero's Italian Bakery & Deli

-The Sammy's of Chi (land)

Over here at S'C'&C we like to give the much deserved praise to the family run joints that have consistently put out a good product. Today we head out to Melrose Park to a spot that's been around since the 50's. It all started in the 1930's in Serino, Italy when a third generation Italian baker was handed down the family bakery from his dad who got it from his dad. After the war he decided to move the family to America and in 1954 he opened his small Italian bakery in Melrose Park on Lake St. It was called Melrose Park Italian Bakery and they offered many specialty Italian products but it was his old world recipe from Italy for Italian bread that gave the place its place in Chicagoland restaurant history.


Melrose Park Italian Bakery aka Scudieros's via the 50's (Pic from Website)

Umbaldo Datoli passed away in 1969 and the bakery was taken over by his daughter. It was then in 1976 that her husband Joe would quit his job and help out with expanding the business. By 1978 they changed the name to Scudiero's Italian Bakery and Deli. The fresh baked Italian treats like an array of cookies as well as cannoli's are loved by everyone in the neighborhood from youngin's to old timers. Joe was a diehard baker and as the years went on Scudiero's continued to be a neighborhood favorite. So much so that they even stayed opened on Sundays so that people going to tailgate and having parties at their places for the Bears games would have his bread, subs and pizza for the game.


Scudiero's on Lake St. as it still stands today

The bakery went from just that to a hangout where people spent the day munching away and chatting up whatever was on their minds. The place was loved by everyone and the spot you went to if you wanted to run into an old neighborhood friend you haven't seen in years and was visited by 1000's and 1000's of people including the late great Frank Sinatra. They posted pictures covering the walls of customers and celebs holding a Scudiero's fresh baked bread bag of which they just bought. In 1998 the place went under a total remodeling and it is what it is today. It was a sad day when Joe passed away in 2007 but the place stayed all in the family and is run by two of Joe's six sons who happen to be twins. Anthony and Aldo, who is a fifth generation baker still use the same recipes that have been in the fam for over 150 years.


Pizza, Subs, Salads...it's all good


Sicilian style pizza is available as well as round individual pies


as well as salads, dried sausage and cheeses

I like it all at over there but what really keeps me coming back when in the 'hood is the Italian sub. As you might expect the bread on the subs at Scudiero's is excellent and always has the perfect texture and when paired with good quality meats, some addictive oils and seasonings as well as always being made to order it becomes an excellent sandwich.


Scudiero's Italian sub

I find myself in Melrose park a few times a month and I love stopping in here. You'll always see some old neighborhood guys chatting it up at a table with come coffee and cookies and the folks behind the counter are great people who will remember you when you come back. The prices are very fair and the quality always good. Its a great neighborhood joint that we should hope we never lose. It's the places like these that you just don't see too much of anymore. So here's a toast to Scudy's living on forever and staying all in the family in doing so. Cheers.


Get in my mouth!

Scudiero Italian Bakery
2113 W Lake St
Melrose Park, IL 60160-3618
(708) 343-2976
Website

Bari Italian Foods

-Chicago's Italian Grocers

Welcome back, the football season has begun and with that it means the Fall is here and so is primetime grilling and Smokin' season. You can expect alot of football related food posts on chibbqking and today's is a Chicago classic that me and many, many others just cant get enough of. Bari Food's on Grand ave. is one of the few Italian grocery stores/delis left in that area and is a spot I get too more so than often during the pigskin season. It's just a little storefront that used to be easier to spot when it had a sign, but that's been gone for a while. Bari is mentioned on some printed paper plastered on the windows along with some current sales. But the fact of the matter is Bari don't need no damn sign, it's a Chicago institution that I've been going to since I was a kid. Oh and what do I think about the 2010 Bears? No comment. I could write an entire story in itself about how weird of an organization the Bears are. All of the the people running it from the coordinators to the coach to the front office to the owners, all odd. Why do they have to be so god damn weird at Halas Hall? Oh well at least I know I got Bari this season.


a Chicago legend (pic by Bertran Projects. Circa 2006)

Bari is a family owned Italian grocer known for having one of the best sandwiches in Chicago along with a great deli/butcher and most everything you need for cooking up an Italian feast . They do it all right at Bari and take hardly any shortcuts and that includes making the sausage in house and cutting meats to customers specifications along with homemade canned and bottled goods like those seen below. The super hot giardiniera is what it says it is. it's not for those who don't like it HOT. i brought a jar of this stuff to the cooks at my hotel in Jamaica and they thought it was scorching. My buddy likes to use it in his housemade marinara sauce to take it up another level. This stuff is great for tailgates and just to have in your fridge for those that think they can handle it all.


Bari makes alot of its own items

It's by no means a big place, its actually pretty small but between the four short aisles and the deli counter/butcher in back they pack the place up with a great selection of offerings. Like I said above, its a place you can go get a bunch of stuff needed for a feast or even a tailgate. I love going to Bari and the feeling it gives me of going back in time to an old school butcher and what that was like back before I was even around. The place has a great charm and real character to it.


Fresh sliced deli meats, dried sausages, salads, antipasta, they got it all


Cured sausages are big with da superfans

Perhaps Bari's biggest money maker is its deli in the back where they pump out 100's and 100's of fresh made to order subs on a daily basis. You can almost always count on there being a line to order a sandwich off the menu on the wall in back surrounded by Chicago sports memorabilia. If you call ahead they'll have your order ready within 15 minutes or so. There's never a bad time to get a sandwich from here but I love to get the three footers early Sunday morning and eat them for the first slate of NFL games.


The line extends to the aisles for sandwiches


The sandwich menu

Bari is my gold standard for an Italian sub and where I will usually end up when I'm craving one mightily. Its the use of quality meat cuts with fresh ingredients, both of full of flavor that really sets them apart from the rest. Everyone loves the Italian and it is my go to "with hot". The bread is delivered fresh several times a day from D'amato's bakery next door. It's also the sandwiches strongest quality. The crunchy French bread is the best of its kind in the city and they got it right next door whenever they need it. Always super fresh. Any best sandwich in Chicago list of mine includes an Italian from Bari. Others swear by the prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. They're all good.

Italian sub with hot from Bari

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--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

Located to the right of where you wait for your sandwich to be made is the butcher. This is where you go to get all of your gameday and at home grilling needs. If your planning a big Sunday night Italian dinner than Bari is a spot to shop at if your in the vicinity. Along with all sorts of specialty products you'll find some great meats and sausage. Like I said up above this place is an old school butcher and will take care of you with beef, pork, chicken and some of the best housemade sausage in Chicago. Its a S'C'&C Hall of Fame legend.

Bari's butcher case


Sausage is made fresh in house with mild, hot and Barese being available

I got a little tailgate recipe that's sure to be a go getter and instant touchdown at any grilling event. The best part of it all is you can get everything you need for this simple yet so succulent recipe at the great Bari foods. I never order Italian sausage sandwiches from restaurants or beef shacks with the exception of Combos from Johnnies. This is because this sandwich here is what I want when I am in dire need of some Italian tube steak. The Barese sausage is some of my favorite sausage of any kind. Its a little smaller and is ground with garlic and herbs and made with sheep casing as opposed to pig casing which is what they use for the Italian sausage. Both are amazing so you might as well have the two of them. Read on.

The Bari Gameday Sausage Sandwich @ Home

Bari Sausage Sandwich

Ingredients

-1 lb each of hot Italian sausage and Barese sausage from Bari's
-1 loaf of french bread from D'Amato's next door (at the moment across the street)
-2 cups/cans beef stock
-3 green peppers, sliced for sweet peppers
-2 smashed garlic cloves and some crushed red pepper

Directions

1) Start out by grilling the sausage (over charcoal for best results in taste and flavor) and sauteing the sliced peppers in a pan on the stove with oil or butter. When peppers get that nice color add in the smashed garlic and let it cook for couple minutes more. Then dump in the beef stock and red pepper flakes and let it come to an almost boil and then put the heat on low.

2) Slice bread and place a piece of hot Italian in the middle and a couple pieces of barese sausage next to it. Add sweet peppers on top and then dip the sandwich at each end into the stock and then take a spoon and pour some gravy over the sausage and peppers.

Grilled Sausage and the sweet peppers in beef stock

Always a satisfying sandwich
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-Chicago's Italian Grocers

Another Grand ave. classic

I mentioned in the post that Bari gets it's bread delivered fresh from a bakery next door named D'amato's. I also said that this is where you need to go to get a loaf of French bread for the recipe up above and any other recipe that calls for it. D'amato's is another one of my favorite spots and since it's linked to Bari and a place I visit often when going to Bari I'm featuring it on here with them. Stop here for all your baked bread needs and some amazing cookies for after the grilling fests and while your at it get some of their pizza bread, its the best snack to munch on while getting the grill and everything else ready for the festivities. As of summer of 2010 they are remodeling their location next door to Bari but are open across the street.

D'amato's pizza bread (Veggie on L and sausage on R)

Bari Italian Foods

1120 W Grand Ave # 1

Chicago, IL 60642-6048
(312) 666-0730

D'amato's Bakery

1124 West Grand Avenue

Chicago, IL 60642-5801
(312) 733-5455

Milwaukee Germanfest

-Feastin' at locals favorite festivals

Our next stop is a straight shot up the lake from Chicago into the great city of Milwaukee. It's also time to introduce the newest series here at S'C'&C which is to feature different food related festivals I visited last summer, which I will now share with you thru this summer. I'll be sure to always make the post in advance of their 2010 date's. This year the Milwaukee Germanfest which is held on the lakefront kicks off on Thursday July 22nd and goes 'til Sunday July 25th 2010. It also happens to be the 30th anniversary of what they call "Milwaukee's Original Haus Party". Last year me and a couple friends embarked on a daylong journey to Milwaukee and ended our trip with a stop at Germanfest and made sure we went out with a bang. I've let it be known that Milwaukee is one of my favorite cities in the US to visit and summertime is best. This is a place that knows how to throw parties and its been that way since the 1840's when the population of the city was heavily increased by German immigrants. The German heritage and culture is still widespread throughout Milwaukee today and if there's one Germanfest in the US you want to visit, Milwaukee's is it. Beer, Brats and Blondes...oh my!


I'm going going, back back to Milly Milly

According to Wikipedia today's greater Milwaukee area phonebook has over 40 pages of listings with Schmitt or Schmidt which is far outweighing the number of Smiths. Milwaukee has some great German restaurants along with classic beerhalls and some great architecture and they've all been a part of the community for generations. We went on the opening day which was a Thursday last year and admission was free and we took in the scene, chowed down on the food and put down plenty of beer during our visit. I snapped as much as I could remember too and hope to get back this year. So here's a little sneak peak into what you can expect at Germanfest in Milwaukee on beautiful Lake Michigan.


Germanfest is one of Milwaukee's many summertime parties


You can expect plenty of food and beer


Fresh roasting chickens on a spit were there as we entered


But it was the pig roasts that got our immediate attention


Spanferkel (roasted suckling pig) dinner


Pig's feet were cheap and full of flavor


I always gotta try whatever the local Elk's are frying up wherever I'm at


Potato Wedges with sour cream were good beer food


Milwaukee Elk's Lodge Fried Chicken was da bomb


Make sure you go on a very empty stomach


Mader's is a famous local German restaurant


Tubed meats are a must at any Germanfest


The line for these was so long it's one of the few items I didn't get to try


Tenderloin Sandwich


We didn't try any German pizza but it was interesting


Pizzas pre-toppings


What makes up a German pizza you ask?


Plenty of good beer and beer halls to consume it in at Germanfest


Dessert Time


Cherries are big in Wisconsin


So I had to get a cherry strudel while I was there


Sil's Drive thru is popular in Milly for its mini donuts


They had a mini donut making machine at the fair


It was pretty cool watching them be made


Excellent donuts they were...
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So if your thinking of heading up to Milwaukee for Germanfest or for any other reason we have plenty of other good eat rec's that can be found right HERE. Its an amazing eating city and a great place to spend a summer weekend or even just the day eating and drinking away. See ya next time on Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing with the King.