The Contingent Could Have A Private Party At Burt's Place!

Reminder...cash only...I always forget this! I also tip the waiter with a live chicken or small goat....he is very appreciative!

Very appreciative...
 
Buddy

WELL?????????
Hungry people would love to know how it went?

It was delicious- especially so after eating nothing but salads, fish, chicken and egg whites for the past week.  Back to that tomorrow.

It was a Screaming Chicken success (even though he wasn't there).  Everyone arrived on time, all the pizzas were served hot and fresh from the oven, and I was wishing I could be sitting down enjoying the pizza instead of serving it to the crowd.  I'll let others offer their reviews of the food (since I didn't get to eat any).
 
I will say that the dessert, brought in by the JRPfeff clan was unbe-freakin'-lievable!  A killer chocolate torte that was so dense and rich, with a crackling chocolate top crust/shell, it nearly made me cry real tears.  Most intriguing--it wasn't made by The Pie Diva, but rather one of the spawn of The Pie Diva and JRPfeff!  I bow to you Martin for your extraordinary torte baking skills.  And I salute the parents for clearly raising this child with the proper priorities and life skills in mind throughout his formative years.
 
Thanks to all who attended, and I hope you had as much fun eating as I had serving.
 
See you all soon!
 
Buddy

CajunKing - I often have people say "You drove all the way to Chicago just for pizza?"  Yeah, it's a 90 minute drive, but more is there than just the pizza.  Burt's has an unique ambiance, it is cramped and comfortable (with the exception of our surly waiter ) with a steady stream of locals dropping in for their carryout orders.  I found it to be like going to a relative's home for a holiday meal.  It was great to sit with Gregg and Lucy and also visit face-to-face with my virtual friend Sal and his lovely new (non-virtual) family.  They drove 50 miles from the other direction and also had questions about going that far for pizza.
 
After watching too much of Oz Clarke on the tellie, I have picked up a new word - terroir.  Burt's Place has its own terrior.  This sense of place makes the pizza distinctive and unique, and it becomes more than the sum of the ingredients.  The pizza was great as usual - gooey, crunchy, bready & cheesy all at once - with terrific toppings. One slice is not enough and two slices are too much - it is very filling pizza.
 
It was great to have one last (or maybe not our last) chance to dine at Burt's Place.

It was so nice to finally get a little food in me yesterday...
While some may be critical of the "process", it does allow for a clockwork like meal...no surprises.  Arriving 15 minutes before the out of the oven time, 11 hungry soles which included a few Burt-Virgins were wondering what they had gotten into.
Lucy got there right after me and we enjoyed salads and cheesy garlic bread...hers with balsamic and mine with creamy garlic!
At precisely 5pm, at least 6 pizzas appeared.  My choice for last night was sausage, garlic, mushroom, spinach and extra cheese...a new combo for me at Burt's and my most loaded selection one ever.  It was a perfect pie!  The multiple ingredients held up well together and produced the same perfect pizza we have come to expect.
Bringing the leftovers home - the only thing better than Burt's for dinner is Burt's for breakfast - my family confirmed my selection with an enthusiastic dive right in!  We are now enjoying a breakfast of Burt's along with our pancakes!
It was great to see Jim & Bobbie and their family and friends...and I'm hoping it won't be our last crossing of paths!  Bobbie looks well on the way to recovery from her recent rotator cuff+ ordeal!
While I have never been much of a dessert guy, last nights chocolate surprise was so good!  Thanks!
 

Burt's does sound like a wonderful place and it is on my MUST DO list.
Friends, Family, AWESOME PIZZA, and a surly waiter you can't beat that.
 
 
I have driven 6 hours one way for BBQ so I know what is to drive for that special place.  (Then there was the plane trip to get a great bowl of chowder)

ChiTownDiner


My choice for last night was sausage, garlic, mushroom, spinach and extra cheese...

That sounds really good.  Does Burt's use raw garlic or is it roasted before being used as a topping?
 
I'm sorry I missed it but sometimes things just don't quite work out...hopefully next time.
 
Brad

All ingredients, including the sausage, go on raw and are fully cooked during the baking process.
 
Buddy

What he said...

Here's a link to the Burt's Chicago Tribune story from Thursday.  It's posted in the Pizza Forum.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Burts-Pizza-in-Suburban-Chicago-m670050.aspx 
 
Interesting that there was NO mention of the man behind the curtain...