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Oops. Marcella's.

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

@Philly53: What about the M&M Pizza makes it your favorite?

Damn, never heard of it. Is it open off-season or only during summer? Thanks!

@CPC Ryan Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

Pauli--- I saw your post on the Boston Sicilian tour so that was my reply

@gaffer Thanks very much for the compliment. As far as waiting goes, I always use the excuse that I have to get moving on the next pie so I can grab a slice right away.

I had visited the old Fidh Piers Daily Catch location and didn't enjoy it nearly as much. The atmosphere in the 22 seater on Hanover Street is very unique. Boy do I miss that place. Last time I was there was the day in 2002 NBA playoffs when the Celtics came from 26 down in the fourth quarter to overtake the Nets. It was by far the most exciting sporting event I have ever attended. And I've been to a slew of Yankee post-season games.

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

I agree wholeheartedly about pizza dying. However most pizzerias would have to raise their prices considerably to make up for the lost revenue that takeout would have generated. Before customers in the dining get too upset, they should consider how much their pie would cost it they didn't do takeout.

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

If I hadn't come from Philly to eat in Chicago I may have gave a crap that the wait was two hours. But I think the real difference is how bad you want something. Did you ever wait for six hours to get concert tickets? I never complained about that, and that is far more uncomfortable than drinking great beer down the street at Hopleaf.

These people do come off slightly arrogant in the way they run the show, but the pizza is perfect. It was more inspiring than any pizza I've eaten in NYC(except Di Fara). They are baking pizza with the best ingredients and the results are really something of beauty.

I can't wait to go back!

Many yelpers adore the pizza but still gripe about being made to jump through hoops to get it
My favorite Yelp review posted 6/27/2009 right after the GQ proclamation------>>>

Pizza was quite good, but it took 2 1/2 hours, and they told us we should only order one because they don't come out at the same time and so we'd have to wait for the second one. Apparently, they only bake one at a time in the oven. While we were there, there was a steady stream of complaints. Two people walked out after waiting 3 hours and not getting their pizza. Two more refused to pay and sent the pizza back. Another guy had a screaming match with the staff on his way out. And then there was the steady flow of people being turned away, having their take out orders refused, and grumbling about it. All of which helps to make sure you can't enjoy your meal.

The business model makes no sense. You have 7 tables, you charge 23 dollars per pizza, and you make each one of those 7 tables take as long as humanly possible so that you can turn away as many more people as possible. Then you serve them with dirty plates and soiled cloths as napkins, and completely ignore them. You act put upon to provide so much as tap water (which you serve tepid). You make them walk right through the middle of the food prep to get to the bathroom (seriously! so I advise all diners to form a pact with the other patrons - whom you will get to know quite well during your 2 1/2 hour wait- that all diners will wash their hands...) And then you act surprised at all the complaints.

I can't imagine they will stay in business after the hubbub dies down. Which is a shame, because they actually do make a pretty good pizza... (or rather, 3 pizzas, as you don't pick your own toppings.) Or maybe people just think it tastes good because they're guaranteed to be starving by the time they eat it.

Greg M.
Chicago, IL

@forzapizza: Deep dish and stuffed pizza are recognized by hundreds of millions of people as pizza. If Ed or anyone else wants to call it casserole, it really doesn't bother me at all. I actually find it kind of amusing.

Daniel, well put.

I have a question for you. I know you put a lot of time into the chicago pizza scene and have a great passion for the city and its pies. So I was wondering how you handle the comments that Ed Levine makes about Chicago pizza. What is the pizza scene like when one of our biggest promoters has a sit down with one of our biggest haters? Just curious.

Thanks

The pizza at Great Lake never ceases to amaze me and it was no different on this visit when I got to watch Ed Levine eat pizza in Chicago that, if Pizzeria Bianco and Mozza are his standards for ideal pizza, is better than anything available in entire Eastern time zone.

For those who've had problems with Lydia and Nick, I have a couple of thoughts beyond simply pointing out that I've found them to be very nice hosts. This is a small operation that turns out exceptional pizzas. If you eat there, the chances are that you are going to have to wait a while and if you prepare for that, I think it's a lot easier to handle. If not, then it's probably best you eat somewhere else.

As far as the calling in orders issue goes, the reality is that almost every night, there is far more demand than supply. That means that virtually every night there are going to be people who want pizza but can't get any. If Nick and Lydia have made the decision to give priority to customers who put forth a little more effort and actually come into the restaurant, then so be it. Great Lake is a neighborhood restaurant that happens to sell exceptional pizza. Implementing policies that favor those more invested in spending time in the community doesn't seem like a bad idea to me at all.

juliecoe, taking orders by phone isnt going to make their oven bigger. the same amount of pizzas are going to be made every night no matter what. they are at capacity. i bet the owners can tell you the number of pizzas they will make that night and be within 4 or 5. they couldnt accomodate phone orders if they wanted to. how could they possibly fit in a phone order when they have a mile long line? if they did, their night would be booked in the first half hour and there would be no point of them having a single table in the place. and then what? their phone line is going to be busy from 530pm until close and people will just get pissed again. not too mention they will still have a line of angry people wondering why there is no one inside.

the unfriendly workers are a different story. thats not right.

my analogy was correct in the first place, and yours does not apply. Great Lake cant make "cd's". Its not that they wont....they cant.