For thirty years, visitors to Ann Arbor, Michigan, have gone home a little sad because they know their hometown doesn't have anything quite like Zingerman's Deli. Well, Zingerman's Roadhouse might be even better.
In a world where so many pizza creation stories are debatable (if not outright myths), the history of Detroit-style pizza is surprisingly clear. There is no dispute that Gus Gurra introduced the city to its signature pizza style when he added pizza to the menu of his bar, Buddy's. Guerra sold his business in the early 1950s, but went on to found Cloverleaf.
Early every Friday night all summer, both locations of Marczyk Fine Foods—Denver's premier gourmet food shop and deli—give their respective neighborhoods a little burger gift. Much more "elevated backyard cookout" than "fancy-pants burger" offering, it's a tradition the people of Denver are lucky to have.
In the food world, Garfield Ridge on the southwest side of Chicago is fairly unexplored territory. But the locals there swear by Obbie's Pizza, a delivery and carry-out only hole in the wall that's been making customers happy since 1977. While my hope that I'd stumble on a place that should be a city-wide legend did not materialize, I did have some solid pizza.
Back before "slider" became a term to describe any small burger made out of any kind of meat, the word referred to small beef patties, steamed and seared on a griddle and served with a grilled onions on a cheap white bun. These delicious bits of nostalgia are all too rare in most of the country, but the tradition lives on in Detroit.
Each time I go to Baconfest Chicago, I'm blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity shown by chefs from throughout Chicagoland. Over 100 chefs spent part of their Saturday to serve up food to 3000 of the most devoted bacon lovers ever gathered in one place. It was over the top, obscenely gluttonous, and magnificent in every way.
Since 1980, Piero's Pizza has been satisfying pizza cravings in the northern suburb of Highland Park. After trying two of the five styles of pizza on the menu, I was left wondering if there's something about the place I just didn't get.
Take a blend of short rib, sirloin and skirt steak, grind it in-house, allow a thick crust to form without overcooking, top it with some excellent bacon from Gunthorp Farms, a robust cheddar from Wales, and some lightly fried onions, and you're going to understand what kind of quality justifies a Michelin star.
With a location steps from the Magnificent Mile and across the street from Water Tower, Chef Tony Mantuano's Bar Toma would be doing extraordinarily well based on his star power and the location, even if the restaurant served frozen dinners. Fortunately, Mantuano did not rest on his laurels, delivering some seriously delicious pizzas that should have locals fighting tourists for tables.
Under normal circumstances, a bait and switch is a terrible thing. But when you order an egg sandwich and end up with a pulled pork sandwich with a couple of eggs on top, all is right in the world.
