THE GREASY FOODIE: Pequod's

The Greasy Foodie

The story begins blustry day Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008 in a cramped booth at a fake NYC deli in Nashville called Noshville. In between my wife, Rachel, and my brother, Michael, I sat across from my "cooler than me" cousins Mark and Sarah, and Sarah's just as cool husband, Danny. Mark, who lives the awesome life being a lawyer living in San Francisco working for Facebook, with his only downfall being his SEVERE lactardation..which has never been medically or scientifically proven to exist in Mark.. Sarah and Danny are foodies from NYC who have tried every dive "chicken finger" hut and "curry on a stick" in the big city. Danny and Sarah had discussed that they were trying to go to as many places from Bobby Flay's 'Throwdown' show as they could, and that there was one in Nashville we had to try.....a place that I had never heard of in my 13 years of living there..I will get to that adventure later.

I got an idea from my cool cousins idea. An idea became a hobby. And the hobby became an obsession. And thus produced the list.....a world-famous spreadsheet...of every restaurant that has ever been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel....every restaurant from the famous shows like "Throwdown", "Man V. Food", "Man v. Food Nation", "Food Feuds", "Food Wars", "Best Thing I Ever Ate", "Food Paradise" and "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives" to the obscure "Best Food Ever", "Meat and Potatoes", and "101 Best Places to Chowdown", plus my additions of the restaurants of famous chefs, favorite catergories (burgers, wings, pizza, bbq, and sandwiches) and local places of legend. Names, cities, food they are famous for, and addresses. It was and still is an obsession. As of 11:31am on November 27, 2018, THE LIST HAS 4,660 RESTAURANTS ON IT...WITH A FEW OVERLAPS HERE AND THERE. And then over Pastrami Eggs Benedict at Nate N' Al's Deli in Beverly Hills, Hannah and Andrew, our good friends, gave me the idea of the blog. Document every place I went. And thus, "The Greasy Foodie" was born. I will log the places, the shows they are from, and what I had. So far, every place I have been has been amazing, except two, one being mediocre, and another being down right awful.

If there is a city you have been to, or are going to, or are from and want to know what from my list is in the city, send me a email at agmarks@gmail.com

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Pequod's

From Best Pizza in America and Pizza Paradise

8520 Fernald Ave, Morton Grove, IL 60053

http://pequodspizza.com/mortongrove/

What they say: ""Deep Dish" (5-pound pizza with caramelized crust in a "seasoned" deep-dish pan, layered with mozzarella cheese slices, tomato sauce, giardiniera, pepperoni, mushrooms, green & red peppers and sausage, sprinkled with romano cheese and oregano); "Thin Crust" (dough topped with house-made tomato sauce, red & green bell peppers, black olives, then topped with slices of mozzarella, pepperoni, and chopped white onions)"

Chicago pizza is a unique artform. It is also a polarizing gastrointestinal experience. Either you love it or you hate it, there is no "It was fine" or "I don't care what we have for dinner…deep dish pizza. Sure" purgatory kind of response. And like most heated food feuds and duels and wars, locals stake their claim to their favorite, all doing it the same, but a little different. The cheese, the sauce (sauce or stewed tomatoes), the crust (corn or butter or none). Each characteristic lends itself to the great debate of which is the best deep dish in Chicago. The tourists take Uno, Gino, and Giordanno. The family says Lou's. However there is one pizza in Chicago that brings up memories of hanging out with friends before, during, or after a school event. Pequod's. My father-in-law grew up down the block from Pequod's and one night, I asked him if we could go to Pequod's. He smiled and said "Pequod's. I havent been there in YEARS! Now you are talking!" Ranked with Lou's as the best deep dish in Chicago, Pequod's is a urban myth, legend, and rite of passage. Two locations. That's it. A dive bar feel. Dingy, dark, plastic table cloths. Drinks in large plastic cups. It's your ideal pizza shop. But the pizza…my god the pizza. They do something no other place in Chicago does. They dont fit the crust and dough to the pan, they leave about an inch of space…..to allow for a cheesy overflow. When the pizza is perfectly cooked, the cheese overflows down this tiny crevasse and overtakes the back of the many times naked crust, and it gets burned and crunchy and delicious. Every bite has a cheesy, crunchy, bite. It is a wonderfully amazing deep dish pizza.

Want to be scoffed at by locals and called a tourist..go to Uno's, Gino's, or Girodanno's

Want to be beloved by locals…go to Lou's

Want to be respected by locals…go to Pequod's

THE GREASY FOODIE