NYC’s Prince St. Pizza is Coming To Chicago and I’m So Happy I Could Cry
Timeout Chicago - One of New York’s most famous pizzerias is headed to Chicago.
Prince Street Pizza plans to open a location in West Loop this fall at 939 W. Randolph St., which was previously the home of Stephanie Izard's private event space Little Goat Kitchen. Originally established in 2012 on Manhattan's Prince Street, the restaurant now boasts 13 eateries across New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Southern California and Toronto. Seoul Taco owner David Choi will serve as the managing operator of the Chicago outpost.
“We are thrilled to open Prince Street Pizza in Chicago as it’s one of the greatest food cities in America, known for its incredible pizza. Our signature Sicilian pies are a great balance between the city's famous tavern and deep-dish styles and we look forward to introducing them this fall in Fulton Market. It’s an honor to be surrounded by some of the best restaurants in Chicago, in a neighborhood with such a vibrant food culture,” Prince Street Pizza co-founder Lawrence Longo said in a release.
Prince Street Pizza offers “Sicilian SoHo Squares”—featuring a thick, crisp and fluffy crust—as well as Neapolitan pies. Its signature creation is the Spicy Spring, a slice topped with fra diavolo sauce, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella and pecorino romano. Chicago-exclusive menu items are also planned for the new restaurant.
HALLELUJAH PEOPLE!!!!
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This is landmark news. What a fucking heater the Chicago food-scene is on.
We have Boston's Legal Seafood opening here next month, and now we get news that one of NYC's best pizza joints is coming and setting up shop in the West Loop.
Massive news for those of us who grew up spoiled, not realizing how great we had it on the east coast.
I wrote this very divisive blog a few years ago that Chicagoans hated and called me a moron for but other east coast transplants agreed with where I said this -
So over the weekend this guy who clearly has zero taste, casually downed one of these "pizzas" with his significant other and decided to let the world know about it on twitter.
Innocently enough, he remarked that it was a pretty good take on Chicago Deep Dish.
The Chicago pizza crowd was not happy.
Per usual.
This guy got lit up.
And I'm not saying it's not for good reason.
That's not pizza of any kind period. What you got was focaccia my man.
But, for a city that pride's itself on how good its pizza is (it's not), have you ever seen a collective of people so sensitive?
If your pizza is good enough to stand on its own, i.e. - NY, New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, basically the entire northeast, you don't really feel the need to defend it and fight about it anytime somebody brings up the topic.
When Chicago people talk up to east-coasters about how thin crust pizza sucks, because their interpretation of it is a thin crust from Pizano's (yes that's really how the spell the word), you just roll your eyes and laugh.
But Chicago people will fistfight you over what "real" Chicago style is, who has the best version of it, and why it's better than anywhere else in the country. Even though they've never been anywhere else in the country…
When I get crucified for writing this you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
But what do I know? I'm just an Italian kid from out east and grew up visiting family and friends in Italy my whole life. I'm no Jewish media mogul.
This guy was correct on one thing. The brick description.
You've got your exceptions of course.
Lou Malnati's isn't as heavy as others. If you get it without that slab of sausage it's kind of light. Same with very underrated and slept on My Pie. And the best in the business, Pequod's, is on the heavier side but it's always worth it.
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The rest though? Brick city.
You're talking a cinderblock of unaerated dough. 10 pounds of cheese. And bland tomato sauce that I don't think has any paste in it (again I'm not the expert).
As Carl so eloquently documented a few months ago, these deep dish pies are good once in a while. But you're out of your mind if you're crushing one a week or more.
The tavern-style is the real traditional Chicago style and there are actually some very legit spots throughout the city and it's suburbs.
As I've stated before, I have nothing but love for Vito and Nick's
WSD has taken me to a spot out by where he grew up which was shockingly very good.
And if Phil's didn't refuse to deliver North of the river I would order it once a week minimum.
But this? This ain't it guys and gals -
Again, I'm not saying they're all dog shit. There are some gems. Just not really downtown (except for Malnati's and Pequod's.) It's either the chains, or bars with really meh pizza.
Also, not trying to sound like a snob, but who waits 2 hours for a pizza? That's a long time to wait for a porchetta, nevermind a pizza. That's lunacy.
You know how long pizze in Italy take to cook? 90 seconds.
Fun fact - did you know Chicago style was invented by a German?
p.s. - I took Dave to Santarpio's in Boston last summer, because it's close to Logan, and it knocked his socks off. He was one of those talkers before, but he's done a turnaround since. It wasn't even one of their best bake days.
They were just here last week, posting up in a tent at our friends Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash music festival-
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They had crazy lines all weekend.
If you think their lines on Prince St. are bad at 1am on a Saturday night in NY, just wait until you see what the lines on Randolph Street in Chicago are going to look like on Friday and Saturday nights once Good Night John Boy closes down.
Can't wait to welcome the Morano family to Chicago with arms wide open.
p.s.- Power Ranking Prince St. slices
1- Spicy Spring
2- The Original Prince
3- Sunset Square
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4- The Fancy Prince
5- Spicy Vodka Square
6- Mercer Margharita
7- Prince Perfection
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8 - Boozy Broome
p.p.s. - Here's one of Dave's better reviews of the place, from 2016, with Kevin Hayes and some NY Rangers