PCOC Meeting #25 - 6/21/05 Exchequer Pub

The 25th meeting of PCOC was held last evening at the Exchequer Pub on South Wabash in the Loop. (I kind of made this meeting number up, but I think that we should just go with it.) The location was chosen by PCOC member Deuce after he reportedly conducted research personally and via several contacts (i.e. T. Ryan) and deemed the place worth a try.

Walking into Exchequer, it was clear that the place has been around for a good while and, judging from the crowds in the bar and the three dining areas, it looked like they must be pretty good at what they do. While I did not look closely at the menu, it looks like Exchequer has pretty much everything, but that they focus on their ribs and pizza. As for the pizza, let's get to it.

Exchequer offers three styles of pizza delineated by crust type. The first style, and the style that the menu states Exchequer is famous for, is pan pizza. For the uninitiated pizza eaters out there (including many citizens of the member countries of the E.U. and other European states; many people from Africa, Asia, and South America; many in Canada and Mexico; the people from the West Coast and East Coast, especially New Yorkers; those from the Southwest and the South, and many in the Midwest outside of Chicago) pan pizza consists of a deep pan crust with cheese on top and toppings and sauce between. In addition to its pan pizza, Exchequer offers what it refers to as "thin crust" and "crispy crust."

While PCOC has shown a bias in the past for thin crust pizza, as a group, we determined that we had to try the pan pizza and find out if it truly deserves the "famous" tag. For our group of 15, we ordered 2 pan pizzas, 2 thin crust pizzas and 2 crispy crust pizzas. This order was just about right for our 15 (and I stress our, because we PCOC members unapologetically eat pizza at a rate and volume that many would not believe until they see it).

As for the pies themselves, I can report that, overall, I thought that they were above average. I had a piece of the pan pizza and thought it was good, but I really focused on the thin crust and crispy varieties. I thought that the crust, sauce and toppings on the thin pizzas were all above average. In particular, I thought that the Meat-Eaters thin crust pizza was very good and was the best pizza we ordered and that the canadian bacon was a particularly good topping. I really was not sure what the difference between the thin crust and crispy crust styles was, but, as I thought the thin pizzas were all pretty good and very similar, I would not worry too much about it on another visit. The one thing that I thought would have made the thin crust pizzas better was a bit more sauce, especially on the edges of the pizza. I had a couple crust pieces that were a bit dry and that could have used a bit more sauce. On the whole, I thought Exchequer's pizza was above average and I will be back for a pizza or two in the future.

There were a couple important PCOC matters discussed at last night's meeting. July 8, 2005 was the date set for PCOC's First Annual Pig Roast to be held at Jill's farm. Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the Roast, and judging from Big D and Jill's past endeavors, I am certain that I will not be disappointed. That the event will focus on pork, bacon, beer and other adult beverages and will likely not involve pizza is a testament to PCOC's overall commitment to consumption of all kinds.

Jill O'B also updated PCOC on the status of the t-shirt situation. Famous artist (and excellent pickpocket) Mr. Clayton O'B has been commissioned to submit designs for the Club's first t-shirt. Clay's design, while still under wraps, promises to become an immediate sensation making the first PCOC t-shirt worth its weight in gold. Pre-order sales of the t-shirt are brisk and it is anticipated that the first run will quickly sell out.

Quote of the night: "Are there any extra Bud Lights?" Question asked by B to the table.

Additional comments and reviews to follow.