weinerjb wrote:I've really been wanting to try Great Lake. Does anyone have a recommended methodology for getting one of those delicious pizzas from their oven to my mouth with the least amount of hassle? (Note that I understand that some substantial effort is going to be involved, given the popularity of the place - I'm just looking to minmize that effort).

From what I can glean from reviewing this thread, the best thing to do is: (1) find out what time they open on a given weekday (2) call the moment they open (3) order take out (4) go pick up pizza and appointed time and enjoy. Is this accurate? If that's all one has to do, why are there such long lines? Is everyone just really desperate to sit down and eat their pie in the restaurant? I feel like I must be missing something. (And if I missed it in within this thread, I apologize).

If you go when they open, you likely aren't going to have to wait for a table, so that's an easy way to go. Another option is if the place is full, you can give them your phone number to call you while you go have a drink nearby (In Fine Spirits or Hopleaf). I've walked into a nearly empty Great Lake at 7pm on a Friday, so it's hard to predict and good to be flexible.

Also, if you want the pizza to be at its best, eat it there or get takeout and eat it on the outside bench (which is a good option if the weather's nice). I wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes to eat the pizza if you can help it - - it's still wonderful after it cools, just not as wonderful.

Ronna

My wife and I went down there during a weekday a couple of weeks ago...a little past regular dinnertime, around 8ish or so. There was no line, but all the seats were full with another couple just coming in before us. We were told they can seat us in about 20 minutes, and to leave a cell phone number.

We went around the corner, walked about 1/2 a block north on Clark and found a small wine shop where I picked up a bottle of red to go with dinner. By the time we walked back, they called us telling us they were able to seat us.

Going for broke, we ordered both a #1 and a #2 with bacon. The #1 was good, but the #2 was excellent. Great chew and crispness in the crust, and the favor of the porcini mushrooms went really well with the smokiness of the bacon. A little bit pricey, but was a good experience overall.

One strange thing about their credit card system and I'm not sure if it was already mentioned here, but they are not set up to take tips through the credit card, so be sure to bring a few bucks even if you plan on charging your dinner to the Visa.

pacent wrote:My wife and I went down there during a weekday a couple of weeks ago...a little past regular dinnertime, around 8ish or so. There was no line, but all the seats were full with another couple just coming in before us. We were told they can seat us in about 20 minutes, and to leave a cell phone number.

We went around the corner, walked about 1/2 a block north on Clark and found a small wine shop where I picked up a bottle of red to go with dinner. By the time we walked back, they called us telling us they were able to seat us.

Going for broke, we ordered both a #1 and a #2 with bacon. The #1 was good, but the #2 was excellent. Great chew and crispness in the crust, and the favor of the porcini mushrooms went really well with the smokiness of the bacon. A little bit pricey, but was a good experience overall.

One strange thing about their credit card system and I'm not sure if it was already mentioned here, but they are not set up to take tips through the credit card, so be sure to bring a few bucks even if you plan on charging your dinner to the Visa.

I was under the impression there were no tips because there are no traditional "servers" working for tips. Either that or they don't want to pay the CC charge fee on the tips as well as the pizza.

There are servers. You don't have to retrieve your pizza from behind the counter nor go back there to get water refills. As they say, don't forget to tip your server.

I did asked if I could write in a tip, and the waitress politely said their credit card machines are not set up to accept tips without going into any further details. She also said it was quite alright if I did not have any cash on me, but being as how she did bring us our pizzas, refilled our water, cleared our table, and boxed up our leftovers, I had my wife run down the street to the convenience store to hit an ATM.

Tonight I was talking to an artist about food. She asked what my favorite place was in the city and I told her that was impossible.

We'd been to Sun Wah last night for the GNR's -- those cabbage rolls were fantastic! We did my birthday at Sun Wah a couple of months before.

Each week for about the last month, I've made it to Hoosier Mama's Pie.

Then I mentioned dinner with my husband last Friday at Great Lake.

Then I realized I'd eaten there the month before with a new friend. I also ate there the month before that with an old friend.

The #1 on Friday night, with mushrooms, was perfect.

I always end up staring at the slice of pizza as I eat it. I keep thinking if I look long enough I can figure out what it is that keeps me eating this pizza hot from the oven, room temperature on the ride home, or the next morning straight from the refrigerator.

Right now, Great Lake is definitely in 1st place for my favorite restaurant.

FYI-Great Lake will be on Unique Eats on Cooking Channel tonight.

I saw on Menu Pages that they are now using Farmers Cheese (and Dante cheese). Would Farmers Cheese be a good substitute for mozzarella? I have never heard of this being on pizza before.

Ram4 wrote:I saw on Menu Pages that they are now using Farmers Cheese (and Dante cheese). Would Farmers Cheese be a good substitute for mozzarella? I have never heard of this being on pizza before.

I had Great Lake last night and one of the pizzas is basically a margherita using farmers cheese and dante cheese. Tasted pretty good to me, a bit sharper than the standard fresh mozz usually used on margherita. They had an option to add garlic for a couple bucks extra, I didn't add it on but that sounded really good after the fact.

I went to Great Lake last night and the corn pizza with cream is back. It also had red onions and garlic. The killer option with caramelized onions and bacon should be back next week. Here's a link to their current menu:
http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurant ... -lake/menu

Pizza with corn and cream? Who knew.

Wanted to share some love for two other current pies, one with tomatillo sauce and the other with Butcher and Larder mortadella. It's strange we don't see tomatillo sauces on pizza much (or at least I haven't) -- it's really bright with a really full mouthfeel that seemed to interact better with the arugula than a tomato-based sauce often does. I appreciate the creative cheese choices -- fresh mozzarella tends to add a lot of moisture and thus gooy-ness/mushy-ness to the crust, and the Dante and farmer's cheeses sure don't.

The mortadella is also an inspired topping. I'm assuming they add it after it comes out of the oven, so it's soft but not entirely melted. Sometimes, since we eat it at home, I'll toss a slice under the broiler to turn Rob's wonderful emulsified porky masterpiece into a decadent melty mess.

That said, I'm of the opinion that Great Lake tastes just as good lukewarm as it does out of the oven. Somehow, the flavors seem to meld, and I can pay more attention to that glorious crust.

I'm lucky enough to live a few blocks away, so we never dine in. These days, gauging how busy GL will be is pretty impossible but we've never had a problem as long as we called more than an hour and a half before we wanted to eat (even on weekends). That said, given the size of the dining room, take out really is optimal, so I second (or third or whatever) the recommendations to BYOP to Simon's just south on Clark.

I'd have a hard time calling any pizza "the best pizza I've ever eaten", but I cannot come up with one that was better that the corn and bacon we had last night. Holy crap was it wonderful. The other two (#1 with garlic, and the tomatillo) were amazing as well, but the corn pizza rose above the others. The crust is really something special.

Any recommendations for reheating my left over slices? I do not want to damage them...

Long time lurker and my first post as hate microwave reheated soggy pizza crust leftovers! I find that putting one or two pieces in a non stick pan on the stovetop and reheating slowly keeps the crust crisp and as doing slow, the cheese and toppings warm through.

Me and the ol girl had two of their pizzas last visit and put the leftover pieces through this process and while not as fantastic as when eaten upon serving, they hold up pretty well.

I reheat in a very hot toaster oven or regular oven, with the slice put directly on a rack (not on a pan, which would cause the crust to get a little soft).

Darren72 wrote:I reheat in a very hot toaster oven or regular oven, with the slice put directly on a rack (not on a pan, which would cause the crust to get a little soft).

I almost do the same - rather than directly on the rack, I put it on foil (but also not on a pan, for the same reason you stated). I also loosely wrap the crust in foil, to keep most of the direct heat off of it, so that it'll heat through but not get too hard.

+1 on toaster ovens -- great for crisping up the crust
Every workplace should have one!

Darren72 wrote:I reheat in a very hot toaster oven or regular oven, with the slice put directly on a rack (not on a pan, which would cause the crust to get a little soft).

If you put the pan in the oven to preheat, then add the slice, no softening issues.

Kennyz wrote:

Darren72 wrote:I reheat in a very hot toaster oven or regular oven, with the slice put directly on a rack (not on a pan, which would cause the crust to get a little soft).

If you put the pan in the oven to preheat, then add the slice, no softening issues.

This is what i've always done, cast iron oven and 400 degree oven works everytime but i've only used the method on tavern style, not sure if Great Lake would be any different.

We keep a pizza stone in the oven. I always preheat oven at 500 for half hour and then throw the slice in, regardless of where it's from, Great Lake, Marie's, Italian Superior Bakery, etc.

Funny last weekend we were in WI at a little fishing shack and the guys nuked the ISB while I used the toaster oven. The guys both thought the toaster oven (their 2nd round was far superior) and attributed it to gender that I was patient enough to not ruin a slice in the microwave.

Am I the only one who doesn't have the patience to heat it at all ? I prefer pizza leftovers cold (all of these versions do fine crisping the crust but it's the cheese that never seems to taste right reheated). And cold Great Lakes is the best of all!

Anyone know what the third and changing 3rd pizza is at G.L currently? Are they still doing takeout?
Thanks

This is usually accurate:
http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurant ... -lake/menu

I can't believe there is a fourth option. What next?

deesher wrote:This is usually accurate:
http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurant ... -lake/menu

I can't believe there is a fourth option. What next?

Current as of two weeks ago for sure. I ordered them all.

Seems Great Lake does deliver if you're a somebody:

From today's Sun-Times:
Staff at Vincent couldn't believe their eyes when rapper Jay-Z and wife, Beyonce, strolled into the Andersonville restaurant for an hors d'oeuvre (frites with dip) Thursday night. "They came in before we opened because they couldn't get a table next door at Great Lake pizza," said Vincent owner Mike Bransford. "The owner of Great Lake walked over later with a pizza for them," explained Bransford.

Marija wrote:Seems Great Lake does deliver if you're a somebody:

From today's Sun-Times:
Staff at Vincent couldn't believe their eyes when rapper Jay-Z and wife, Beyonce, strolled into the Andersonville restaurant for an hors d'oeuvre (frites with dip) Thursday night. "They came in before we opened because they couldn't get a table next door at Great Lake pizza," said Vincent owner Mike Bransford. "The owner of Great Lake walked over later with a pizza for them," explained Bransford.

Other version.
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2011/ ... t-lake.php

Dinner last night was fantastic. First Great Lake Pizza of the year and it's their 5th Anniversary.

It always lives up to expectations. #1 Tomatoes, Mozz, Aged Dante Cheese with Mushrooms.

Spinach, onion, cheddar. Every pizza was spectacular, but I think this was my favorite




Tomato sauce, mozzarella, chorizo.




Cremini and taleggio.




For BYOB restaurants, is it customary to charge a corkage fee to everyone in your dinner party regardless of whether or not everyone drinks? My brothers and I weren't sure if that's just protocol so we didn't say anything, but I'm just curious for the future when we dine out. Thanks!

spiffytriphy wrote:For BYOB restaurants, is it customary to charge a corkage fee to everyone in your dinner party regardless of whether or not everyone drinks? My brothers and I weren't sure if that's just protocol so we didn't say anything, but I'm just curious for the future when we dine out. Thanks!

edit: Nevermind.

Also, those pizzas look really good.

spiffytriphy wrote:For BYOB restaurants, is it customary to charge a corkage fee to everyone in your dinner party regardless of whether or not everyone drinks? My brothers and I weren't sure if that's just protocol so we didn't say anything, but I'm just curious for the future when we dine out. Thanks!

My recollection is that Great Lake charges a "recycling fee" of $2 per bottle. Is that different from what you were charged?

Oh ok! We were charged $2.50 three times on the receipt. Maybe I interpreted it wrong and it was because a total of three 12oz beers were consumed? Oppps my bad!!! Now I feel dumb lol