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Lou Decruss[_1_]

On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 21:21:00 -0600, (Mark D) wrote:

>Well, I'm 51, was born, and raised in Chicago, so I've seen the changes
>over the many years I lived there. I now live in the Desert Southwest,
>and thank god I can make a reasonably good pizza, either thin, or deep
>dish.

Probably only those of us who live in Chicago can appreciate your
post. I'll do some random snipping but it was excellent.

>About the only deep dish, or I should say "Pan Pizza" I can recall, was
>usually available from the local, neighborhood Italian Bakeries, and
>this tradition still continues at places like D'Amato's Bakery, Masi's
>Superior Bakery on Taylor St, and Western Ave, and Pompeii on Taylor,
>and Laflin

Pompeii is still there but has been overrun with yuppies from the
hospitals. Most of the locals think their pizza sucks. There's a
bakery a few blocks east called Scofini that makes a pizza in a
disposable foil pan about 12 x 18 for 9 bucks. You've got 2 choices.
With of without sausage. They sell out pretty early and close at 5 or
6.

>And yes, Armands in Elmwood ark did a pretty good job years ago, but I
>haven't been there in some years.

I was there a few months ago and it's really gone down hill. I was
very disappointed and won't be returning.

>The really good Pizzerias in Chicago are basically long, long gone.
>These were places that were family owned, and family run.
>Places like Genaros on Taylor back in the '60;s used to make Pizza,
>Then there was Blackies on Taylor St (When old man Blackie was alive)
>was a fantastic thin crust. Was only a block from where I lived!

The problem is then the "old man" takes a night off the quality goes
down drastically because the employees don't give a shit. We've got a
place literally across the street form us that I've had by far the
best pizza from. But a few weeks later we got one that was worse than
something you'd get from Dominoes. Horrible.

>Of course my Granmother, and aunt's all did outstanding jobs, and
>there's nothing like the TLC they could put into thier pizzas!

That's like the ladies at Scofini's.

>One vital key believe is using the best ingredients. So many now no
>longer are family owned, and run, and they buy, and use the cheapest
>ingredients, thus trying to maximize profit.

I don't know if Little Ceasars is still around here but I read they
purchased ingredients they had to use quickly as it was almost
expired. YUK!

>Yes, the dough is paramount, and when I could get it, I would buy the
>best homemade Italian Sausage in the little ItalianStores in Chicago.
>Since I can no longer get good Sausage out down here in Southern New
>Mexico, I resort to making my own.

LOL. Hard to get Taylor Street out of your blood?

>Here, the natives believe that Dominos is the cat's meow, and they
>wouldn't know a good Pizza of it fell from the sky, and hit them upside
>thier heads! ;-) In fact, if they ever had a good NY, or Chicago pizza,
>they probably wouldn't like it, that's how crude thier tastebuds are
>here
>Mark.

Pretty sad. At least YOU know the difference.

Lou