I would be remiss in getting into an update of PCOC's most recent gatherings before offering PCOC member Kevin Collins and his fiancé (and hopefully future full-time PCOC member) Emily, PCOC's heartfelt congratulations on their recent engagement.
PCOC really loves and admires these two for many reasons, but their love of pizza certainly stands out as one of this couple's finest qualities. This member can attest that he has not seen many couples as devoted to chowing down on a good pizza pie as Kevin and Emily. We at PCOC look forward to Kevin and Emily's journey together and know that all is good on the horizon, as we all know how the old saying goes, "A couple who eat pizza together stays together." Bravo Kevin and Emily. All the best from PCOC.
There is another pizza-related story regarding Kevin and Emily's April nuptials. While possibly rumors, there are various reports circulating from the Collins camp that pizza will play an integral role in their wedding celebrations. PCOC's President has received word from anonymous sources that several members close to the Duece anticipate that delivered pizzas will certainly come into play post-reception, most likely at the Drake Hotel in Oakbrook. It is expected that these pizzas will likely be ordered by an overserved guest or two (BK, Bruz) from the reception who will likely pass out soon after ordering them, leaving other hungry revelers (B, Ford, Turtle, and suprisingly, Duece and Emily) with surprise pizzas to pay for and chow down on late in the evening. As to whether there is any accuracy to these reports, all I can say is let's hope so.
Moving on to the PCOC meeting updates, this report will cover the two most recent PCOC meetings, starting with Tuesday night's meeting at Delisi's and concluding with the August 9 meeting held at Moretti's. PCOC members, please take special note of the important PCOC procedural and planning news contained at the end of the Delisi's report.
Meeting #29, August 23, 2005 at Delisi's On Tuesday evening, PCOC convened for its 29th meeting at Delisi's Pizzeria at 5806 N. Western on Chicago's far north side. Charter member Maggie Matthews chose Delisi's after hearing from her many contacts in the St. Hilary's area that Delisi's had some serious pizza game. Without vouching for the honesty or character of Maggie's local sources, I am happy to report that they sure know pizza because, in this member's opinion, Delisi's does put out some fine pies. Before getting to the nitty gritty on Delisi's pizza, a bit of a description on the place is needed to get the real feel of this great northside spot.
Delisi's is located on a strip of Western Ave between Bryn Mawr and Peterson that is dominated on the east side of the street by the never-ending wall of the massive Rosehill Cemetery. On the west side of the street, where Delisi's is located, there isn't much going on with the exception of a couple car dealers slinging beat-up rides and an occasional fast food spot serving out burgers, beefs (and even ghetto fries, but that is another story). It doesn't seem like there is much foot traffic on this stretch of Western which certainly must play a part in making Delisi's a place that seems like it is almost exclusively frequented by locals.
As you approach Delisi's, the first hint that you get that it is a pretty laid-back place is when you notice that the front door is really just a screen door: a brown screen door that looks like it could be the back door to any house or apartment in the city that, at this time of year, instead of opening out to a backyard or back stoop, opens right out onto the open air of Western Ave. Once through the screen door, if you've never been there before, you might think that you are in the wrong place as the inside of Delisi's doesn't look like a pizzeria, but really just looks like a bar with a few tables scattered around. And really, that is exactly what Delisi's is: a small neighborhood bar that serves excellent pizza (and judging from the menu, but not the tables of other patrons, sandwiches and dinners too). Pizzas are served to drinkers and diners at tables all within an easy yell of the bartender.
Speaking of the bartender, on Tuesday night, PCOC was blessed to enjoy the service and company of one of Chicago's finest bartenders. Marilyn, a longtime bartender at Delisi's, is, in my opinion, the driving force behind what makes Delisi's so laid-back and interesting. Within seconds of my early arrival with PCOC members Bryan Brisch, Maggie and Matthew Couri, Marilyn was deep into conversation with us about her story, our stories, Delisi's, pizza, beer, and even the "hurricane in her head." All the while, Marilyn was keeping track of a couple tables and a small group at the end of the bar, stocking beer faster than she likely has ever done before (as Brisch was guzzling BLs on a breakneck pace from the minute he sat down), and later, even banging on TV that was on the fritz, showing all of us just how you might develop a head hurricane like hers.
Despite all of what was happening around her, Marilyn still had the presence of mind to closely advise us on our pizza order. Even though we told her that we are partial to thin crust pizza, she insisted that we try a pan pizza. And when we told her we like out thin crust pizzas well done, she knew exactly what we were talking about and told the guys in the kitchen to make them crispy. But Marilyn's abilities were not limited to keeping cold beer in our hands (as she said, "F*ck it, how about another bucket"), or giving insider info on Delisi's pizza, she also is Delisi's DJ, and a good one at that. While Marilyn was certainly a big part of PCOC Meeting #29, the real star of the night in my book was Delisi's pizza.
For our group of nine, we ordered three large thin crust pizzas and one large pan pizza. Between the three thin crust pizzas, I was able to try some plain sausage, some spinach and tomato slices and some sausage and pepperoni, and I thought all three were excellent. What makes Delisi's thin crust pizza so damn good is its combination of a crispy, cracker-thin crust, good amounts of sauce, and a healthy amount of fresh, flavorful toppings. It is hard to say what really makes Delisi's thin crust pizza stand out for me, but it has something to do with the miracle of how the thin, crispy crust is able to support a healthy serving of sauce, tasty cheese and a substantial amounts of toppings without buckling, or being overlooked as an essential (if not the essential) part of the pizza. Whether its religion, science or pizza artistry that allows Delisi's to pull it off, count me as a fervent believer. The only thing I could think of that might improve the thin crust pizza at Delisi’s is to add a bit more tang to the sauce, but I am not sure that is even worth messing with the fine thing that Delisi’s has going.
As for the pan pizza, I thought it was pretty good too. As Marilyn explained to us, Delisi's pan pizza is well known in the area, and actually has a connection back to Ike Sewell, the legendary inventor of Chicago-style pan pizza and original owner of Uno's. It turns out that one of Delisi's first pizza cooks learned his trade while working at Uno's, and judging from the pan pizza that we had, he learned it pretty well. The crust was flaky and had a good buttery taste. The tomato sauce was fresh and tangy tasting, and the sausage, like that on the thin crust pizzas, had great flavor. While it doesn't reach the level of an Uno's of Malnati's pan pizza in my book, I thought it was not too far off. Some PCOC members thought that the pan was a bit too doughy, and I might have to agree. This may be what separates Delisi's from Malnati's and Uno's.
Overall, I was mightily impressed with Delisi's thin crust pizza, thought that the pan was pretty good, and, when considered together, I think Delisi's pizzas (and bar scene) make it a legitimate contender for one of Chicago’s finest pizza spots.
There were several developments in PCOC planning discussed at Tuesday's meeting. It was decided that, due to the Labor Day weekend, the next PCOC meeting will take place on Thursday, September 8. Matt Dine won the honor of choosing the location for the next meeting and was granted the latitude by PCOC members present to go outside the boundaries of pizza if he so chooses. Of course, this is a pizza club and a pizza place would be preferred, but considering Mr. Dine's record and achievements, PCOC trusts him to make the right decision. It was also decided that the September 8 meeting will be a mandatory, voting meeting. Among the topics to be discussed and voted upon at the meeting are recent attendance issues, a possible membership drive/pizza telethon to be broadcast worldwide on the PCOC Worldwide Cable Channel, plans for the First Annual PCOC Charity Gala, PCOC t-shirts, PCOC Pig Roast plans, PCOC's potential corporate status, the First Flying PCOC to Milwaukee this winter, and discussions on setting a date for PCOC's Annual Awards Dinner Extravaganza. If a PCOC member cannot be present for the September 8 meeting, please submit a verified excuse form to General Counsel Brian P. Collins, Esq. Mr. Collins will determine the validity of all submitted excuses and allow proxy votes as he so chooses. Any concerns or issues that a PCOC member would like to be addressed at the upcoming meeting can be submitted to the Office of the President.
Meeting #28, August 9, 2005 at Morretti'sPCOC is happy to announce that the report for this meeting was supplied by Charter member Ms. Nora Couri. While well known to PCOC members for her patience and understanding in dealing with her husband, Mr. Matt Couri, Ms. Couri is also a gifted writer with an impeccable eye for quality pizza. What follows is her report on Moretti's, the West Loop bar/club/pizza place/union hall/volleyball court. For all PCOC members, please take note of and reflect upon her concerns regarding recent attendance concerns.
"I thought the pizza was good and I liked the bucket'o'beer special. It was a huge place, with a bit of an odd location in the teamster’s office complex. What was not good was the poor poor showing by members of PCOC, which led to the ordering of only 2 large pizzas. This initiated discussion of penalties for unexcused absences. Also discussed was positive reinforcement options to garner more interest among pizza club members. There was some concern that PCOC has lost its novelty. Further discussions were made regarding potential charity events. The poor attendance led to "half ordering" and did not give us the opportunity to sample more of a variety of pizzas. We ordered the Morretti's special -- onions, green peppers, mushrooms sausage and pepperoni and a half sausage and half sausage and pepperoni pizza. No veggie options. I won the bill guess, which was around $90 -- another showing of poor attendance."
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