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josh.heil
One Sunday afternoon, I became desperately hungry and was fiending for a nice pie near me. Vito and Nick’s just happened to be 20 minutes away. There was no question but to hop in the car and start driving. The journey there was not the safest being on the south side, but I knew it would all be worth it as my mind could not escape the fact that I was actually headed towards Vito and Nick’s. My mouth watered as I stepped through the door. The place was packed. The low ceilings, the carpet on the walls, the old fashioned pizzeria, the 100 year history, the old Italian Tony at the bar… I could not contain myself. The place was packed. Families and people of all ages dined there and looked like they were having a great time. I sat patiently for the moment the pizza would come out and land in my mouth, satisfying the ultimate pizza desire. After some time, the waitress turned the corner and gently placed the pizza on the table. My eyes widened as I prepared myself for potentially the best pizza that has ever touched my palette. I closed my eyes and thanked God for this moment that was about to ensue. But as the cheese touched my tongue and I bit into the thin Chicago pub-style pie, I remembered that I was still on Earth. My hopes and dreams of an 8+ pizza touching my mouth was crushed. “This is no 8 pizza!” I thought to myself. “Why was everyone lying to me? Is this what Vito was all about? Did Nick approve this?” Even these authentic Italian pizza artists could not master the cheese and sauce pastry. It was very good, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t great. The crust was as thin as can be, literally “paper thin” with minimal flop: perfect for a thin crust, no complaints there. The cheese was tough, however, and ripped right off of the pizza with a singular bite, leaving me with an inadequate amount of sauce and a cracker. The flavor of the pizza was good, though, and I would enjoy it on a nice Friday night at the bar. But would I drive 40 minutes for it like Dave? Hell no. I wanted to just absolutely fall in love with it, but it just wasn’t it. People will wonder why this place has such high scores and why Dave rated it an 8.1. Just like he said in his review (which I watched after the fact), he gave them points for the culture, vibes, etc. and even bought a t shirt. He’s not wrong for liking the place… it’s a great old fashioned pizzeria with a great history and great atmosphere. But I do not rate atmospheres. I do not rate happy people in buildings. I do not rate their history. I rate the pizza. That’s what I came here to do and will stick to that. So after all the deliberating and considerations, I still knew from the first bite it was a 7.4 pie. Not outstanding, but a good pizza nonetheless. That’s a review.
