The last two years have seen a bumper crop of new pizzerias in Chicago with styles ranging from deep-dish and tavern style to Detroit and Sicilian.
At a new spot on the Northwest Side, the staff started off with one style, then added a second after popular demand.
The Chef behind Giant – one of the city’s better restaurants – jumped into pizza during the pandemic, then opened a spot next door doing thin, East Coast-inspired pies. Those required some tweaking, and while he perfected those pizzas, he added a weekly tavern style to the mix. Guess which one is more popular with the neighbors.
Chicago isn’t blessed with a ton of slice shops. But at Pizza Matta – a sister restaurant to Giant in Logan Square – the vibe is certainly East Coast, with its compact dining room and modest case.
“You know we have Giant next door and we take a lot of feedback from customers and the feedback was they wanted slices,” said owner Jason Vincent.
Vincent spent months working on an East Coast style thin that now ferments for eight days, allowing for more depth and complexity.
“Fermentation definitely deepens the flavor; it makes it sour, but also very pleasantly so,” he said.
Bianco di Napoli tomatoes serve as a base, then a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano. Vincent always places a few balls of fresh mozzarella beneath his handfuls of Grande shredded mozz, adding an extra boost of creaminess. The Cleveland native opts for Columbus, Ohio-based Ezzo pepperoni, and bakes the pie for about a dozen minutes, until it emerges with an evenly browned crust, a tight but airy crumb and a properly charred undercarriage.
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Experimenting with his dough sheeter, he decided more recently to add a Chicago-style thin.
“Two different doughs, two different fermentation lengths, two different sort of critical points that you have to look at every day when you check on your dough,” he said.
The thins cure overnight in the fridge to help dry them out, unlike his other pie.
“I’m assuming like having twins, where you see ‘em both, but you have to check on their needs independently,” he said.
Same basic construction – sauce then Pecorino and mozzarella – we go with a sausage and giardiniera because, why not; and the bake time is similar. Post bake, he finishes it with shredded Sarvecchio, kind of a Wisconsin parmesan that’s super nutty. The results – that crispy, crunchy crust – cracker thin, is exactly what the regulars love. The pies are elevated somewhat, thanks to Vincent’s commitment to using the best ingredients he can find.
“The thought of using commodity pork or chicken or whatever just bums me out,” said Vincent.
Lots of name dropping on this menu – in a good way: Ezzo pepperoni, Slagel Farms sausage, ham and chicken; Four Star mushrooms. If there was ever a marriage between a thoughtful Chicago chef and a pizzeria, this is it.
Here's where you can go:
3211 W. Armitage Ave.
773-661-6521
