Carl's Drive In

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Carl’s Drive In
Location: 9033 Manchester, St. Louis, MO



Question: Does Carl’s Drive In make the best burger you’ll ever eat?
Answer: No, but I do have a couple of friends (Steve and Dave) who are willing to make an argument on Carl’s behalf.

Fact: Carl’s Drive In has a great, great burger, but it just isn’t the best burger you’ll ever eat.

Question: Where is the best burger you’ll ever eat?
Answer: Booches in Columbia, MO.

Question: So why not just go to Booches?
Answer: Irrelevant.

Fact: Carl’s Drive In is truly one of the best burger-joint experiences you’ll ever have.

Question: What does Carl’s have that other burger joints don’t?
Answer: Giant frosty mugs of root beer.

Question: But don’t other burger joints have root beer in ice-cold mugs?
False: It tastes better at Carl’s.

Fact: Burgers are made from cows. Cows eat grass. Humans plant grass. Therefore humans eat cows as revenge for them eating our grass.

Question: What makes Carl’s burgers so tasty?
Answer: Yes, they are tasty.

What? Exactly.

Fact: Carl’s takes a hockey-puck sized patty, flattens it as flat as it will go on the grill, or griddle, or whatever you call it, then cooks it until it’s crispy on the outside, locking in the flavor of the meat.

Fact: A polar bear is the most dangerous of all bears.

Fact: I can out run a snake.

Question: What do you get when you go to Carl’s?
Answer: Part 1 – good question. Part 2 – a double cheeseburger, onion rings, and a large mug of root beer.

Question: According to Wikipedia approximately 200-500-million sperm are released per ejaculation.
Answer: Wow.

Fact: The onion rings at Carl’s aren’t that good.

Fact: Carl’s has other stuff besides burgers, but I’ve never tried it.

Fact: If you get anything other than a burger at Carl’s I’ll call you a little girl.

Fact: There’s nothing wrong with being a little girl. Unless it’s because you won’t order a burger at Carl’s.

Question: What makes Carl’s such a great experience?
Answer: Your mom.
For Real Answer: It’s old school. It seats only about 10-15, plus some standing room along the wall. It’s a throw back and feels like a place you’d find on Route 66 back in the day. The service is friendly, the food is cooked in front of you, everything is served on paper plates, and the prices are cheap. And your mom.

Question: What were you doing in St. Louis?
Answer: None of your business.

Fact: It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Question: Does Carl’s have Peanut Butter and Jelly?
Answer: How should I know? They do have grilled cheese and pastrami and tamales. I’ve heard people like those things.

Fact: The Arch in St. Louis is a catenary curve and is as tall (630 ft) as it is wide (630 ft).

Question: How would you describe Carl’s in 4 words or less?
Answer: Carl’s Drive In is…

Fact: I eat because I’m unhappy, and I’m unhappy because I eat.

Question: Is this review at all helpful?
Answer: I doubt it.

Question: What rating would you give Carl’s?
Answer: The food gets a chest bump. The experience gets a half handshake, half chest-bump hug.

Fact: Carl’s Drive In gets a chest bump with a manly ass slap. Go there. Order a burger. Order a root beer.

Fact: Yum.



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Yolk

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Yolk
Location: 1120 S. Michigan Ave.


My wife is subjecting me to watch this awful reality show “Grease: You’re the one that I want!” And since I’m being forced to suffer through it, now you’re going to be forced to suffer a little bit as well.


Tell me about it stud!

They got eggs.
Of all varieties.
Even salads in a bowl.
But the eggs that they are fryin',
Are so satisfyin’!

You better order up,
'Cause the food is good,
But you’ll need plenty of room.
The omelettes are big;
And they come with some sides
Two pancakes that are just huge.

The coffee, the coffee made me do-do.

Yolk’s the one that you want.
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, ooh, breakfast.
The one that you want.
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, ooh, brunch.
The one that you want
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, oooooooooooh.
The one you need.
Oh, yes indeed.

Skillets filled
With a selection
Of veggies and lots of eggs.
And they move in the direction,
Of my mouth.


You better eat up,
'Cause you can’t get enough.

Can’t get enough
Of food that makes you want to cry.

You’ll want to eat up
Your mouth will approve

It will approve
And make you feel full inside.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure you’ll be satisfied.

Yolk’s the one that you want.
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, ooh, breakfast.
The one that you want.
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, ooh, brunch.
The one that you want
(Yolk is the one that you want),
ooh, ooh, oooooooooooh.
The one you need.
Oh, yes indeed.


OK, that was painful. But Yolk isn’t. Great food. Great portions. Huge menu (omelettes, sandwiches, scramblers, pancakes, French toast, skillets, frittatas, salads, burgers, and even crepes). Surprisingly good pancakes for a place that specializes in eggs. Something for everyone. Plenty of seating. Perfect south loop location. And lights that look like eggs. What more could you want?

I love breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day. So any place with a decent breakfast menu is going to get a good rating from me. And if you’re a breakfast place with a great menu, you’re ratings are going to be close to perfect. I’m sure I’ll visit Yolk again and again.

Chest bump with a manly ass slap.


Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Spiaggia

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars




Restaurant: Spiaggia
Location: 980 N. Michigan Ave.


“Spiaggia don’t lie.”

So Geoff and I are sitting down, eating our dinner, and we’ve both been a little over served. After about two bites of his entrée, he turns to me and slurs, “I want to scribe the first line of your review.” Then he took a dramatic pause. “Spiaggia don’t lie. Spiaggia don’t lie.” He makes a good point. Spiaggia don’t lie.

I know what you’re asking yourself. Why in the hell were you and Geoff eating dinner together at Spiaggia? It’s not exactly the kind of place you and a friend go to and grab a bite to eat. Well, friends of ours from high school got married, and the reception was at Spiaggia. Now, my wife couldn’t attend because of a prior commitment, and Geoff’s wife couldn’t attend because he isn’t married or dating anybody. So, we went together. Which worked out great because they had an open bar and Geoff’s been known to put out after he’s had one-to-many. And I was in luck, because he had about nine-to-many.

The wedding was a beautiful Catholic wedding that only lasted about thirty minutes. Most Catholic weddings are a full service, lasting at least an hour. So anytime a Catholic wedding is only thirty minutes it becomes a beautiful Catholic wedding. After the wedding we drove down to Geoff’s place, which is around Grand and Ogden. We had an hour to kill before the reception started, and it was nice out, so we thought it would be a good idea to walk to Spiaggia from there. He didn’t really look at the invite, so he had no idea where it was, and I was convinced that it was on the 600 block of N. Michigan. So we figured we’d hustle straight down Grand, cut over to Ohio, and be there in plenty of time. The walk was nice. We talked. We laughed. We made every girl we saw feel so uncomfortable she would cross the street to avoid us. It was great. So, we hit Michigan Ave., looked around, and had no idea where this place was. We walked around for a couple of blocks, calling everyone we know and asking doormen and people on the street where the place was. Nobody had a clue. Finally I walked into the Coach store and pleasantly approached a couple of the ladies working there. “Do either of you know where Spiaggia is?” The first girl looked blank. Never heard of it. The second girl looked annoyed, “You mean Spagga?” correcting my pronunciation as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it’s down at 900 N. Michigan,” she said and turned to walk away. Thanks for the help. And by the way, bitch, it’s Spiaggia where I come from.

OK, so now we’re at the reception, drinks are flowing, I’m catching up with old friends, all is well. Then we see someone walking around with an appetizer tray, and I get a little excited. Then I see the tray. It’s filled with spoons, and each spoon has a tiny appetizer on it. Now I’m nervous that I’m gonna have to go to McDonald’s after dinner just so I don’t starve to death. I take the spoon, which has a small piece of artichoke on it, and devour it. Great. Eventually another tray comes around with more spoons, but these have prosciutto. Also great. Looking back it was genius. Just a tiny, tiny sample that whet my appetite and left me wanting more. Brilliant.

So we sit down for dinner and toast the happy couple with a glass of champagne. Just then our buddy Andres, aka Ronnie Physical, comes running over and puts everything in perspective for us. “I had no idea how nice this place was. They got white people serving the water.”

For starters we all got the Mozzarella di bufala con pomodori, cipolle, e pepperoni. Which is Italian for good-ass salad. And not the kind of good-ass salad you get in prison. This was basically a caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil and accented with a couple of vegetables. It was fantastic.

Next was the Ravioletti di formagella, which was ravioli filled with goat cheese and covered with a sauce that had a strong olive taste. I don’t really like olives, and the sauce was heavy on the olive flavoring. But even so, it was still really good, it just wouldn’t have been my first choice. And if I go back I probably wouldn’t get it again, but that’s just me.

And now came the entrée. I went with the fish. Normally at a wedding I go with the meat, because the fish is almost always salmon, and I don’t like salmon. But the fish tonight was Swordfish (Pesce spada alla costa assura to be exact) and I couldn’t pass it up. And I’m glad I didn’t. While the steak looked great, the fish was the perfect dish. Great flavor to it and perfectly cooked. My fork effortlessly cut through the large portion and tore off each piece. And I love the way fish can fill you up but doesn’t sit heavy in your stomach, which is good when you’ve had three drinks and are on your fifth glass of wine and your date for the night keeps putting his hand on your knee (not that I was complaining).

After dinner I noticed Ronnie Physical holding two cups of some fancy coffee. I went over and discovered that out in the lobby area they had a guy making espresso drinks. So, I strolled out there and got Geoff and me a couple of cappuccinos. When I brought it back to the table Geoff lit up. I’m no coffee expert. I brew it every morning, I know I like it strong, and I know I like Intelligentsia. But that’s about as much as I know. Geoff, on the other hand, is a bit of a coffee expert. Well, espresso really. And after one sip he turned to me and said, “Wow, this is perfect.” So that means they know what they’re doing. Then he touched my knee again. This was going well.

Dessert came and was a chocolate multi-layer cake served with a small side of ice cream. Guess what? It was also great. It was also at this time that Mr. M, (Two Moons Mathismo’s dad) was talking to our buddy Cornell who lives in New York. Cornell was inviting him out to visit, and Mr. Mathis responded by saying, “I know, I know. But I got to figure out what to do with my wife. You know you don’t bring sand to the beach.” Maybe it was the 1.3 blood alcohol level, but I couldn’t stop laughing.

As dinner wound down the music wound up, which allowed Geoff to do some Crip Walking and me to drop the Skateboard on fools. And that was that. Geoff and I danced the night away to the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Bel Biv Devoe, Bobby Brown, and more. We stumbled out of there at 1 a.m., but rumor has it the rest of the crowd danced until 3, as the staff stood there crossing there arms and hoping the night would be over sooner than later.

Just a great night overall. There’s nothing better than catching up with friends you don’t get to see often enough. And there’s also nothing better than Geoff’s goodnight kiss, which is the perfect blend between passion and compassion. Thanks Geoff.

Spiaggia was great. And if the wedding menu we were served is this good, I can only imagine how good the full menu is in the dinning room. But, until I actually eat in the actual restaurant, I can only give Spiaggia a chest bump with a manly ass slap. But I’m sure it would get a perfect score on my next visit. Stay tuned.



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Fat Willy's Rib Shack

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
Location: 2416 W. Schubert

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I’m a very proud person. And one of those times when I get very proud and braggatory, if you will (yes, I know braggatory isn’t a word, but it is now, so suck it), is when I feel like I’ve discovered something before anyone else I know has, and then I’m the one who tells everyone about it and sets the trend. For example, years ago I “discovered” Norah Jones (insert Brokeback Mountain joke here), and I absolutely loved her stuff. I started telling everyone about her and got as many people to listen to her as I could. Eventually, she got popular and even won a Grammy. When that happened I was very proud. I felt like I was a big reason for her success. I loved being the trendsetter. Being able to say, “Yeah, I was listening to her before anyone else was.” Why do I tell you this? Well, Fat Willy’s was almost one of those moments when I could claim its “discovery” as my own. A couple of years ago I went and saw a movie at the AMC City North 14 on Western, and I saw Fat Willy’s, and I said to myself, “I’ve gotta eat there. It looks like my kinda joint.” (And honestly, the fact that this is located across from a theater where thousands of people have gone, and 90% have for sure noticed Fat Willy’s, it makes it that much more ridiculous that I felt like I “discovered” this place) Well, I never did eat there. Not since I first saw it.

And I wanted to, and I talked about it a lot, but I never did. Then, not too long ago, Fat Willy’s was one of the featured restaurants on “Check, Please!” My buddy Denny called me up soon after and wanted to go check it out and maybe catch a movie. That was it. I had officially missed my chance to be the one to tell the world about how great this joint is. I’m not sure why I care, but I do. And I know you don’t care, so let’s just move on.

Here is what Fat Willy’s has going for it:

THE NAME
Seriously, how can a place called Fat Willy’s Rib Shack be bad? It can’t. If a guy named Fat Willy came up to you and said, “I’m Fat Willy, and I can tell you where to find the best barbeque in town” you’re gonna believe him. Why? Because his name is Fat Willy, so he must know what he’s talking about. It’s almost like a Mafia thing. If they call a guy Tommy The Gun, then you know he got that name for a reason. Same with a name like Fat Willy. It means a guy named Willy knows food. And why does he know food? Because he’s fat. So, short story long, you call a joint Fat Willy’s Rib Shack and you’re pretty much telling the world that you’ve got some kick ass ribs. And they do.


EMPLOYEES MUST HOLD HANDS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK
That’s an actual sign I saw in the restaurant. I don’t know why but I must have read it 100 times and laughed each time I did. It’s so simple and stupid (and I’m sure it’s been done thousands of times across the country and around the world), but it’s the first time I’d ever seen it, and it made me laugh. I’m very easily entertained.


THE LEMONADE
They have hand squeezed lemonade. Now that I just typed that out, I’m not sure I want someone’s hands all over a bunch of lemons and squeezing them into a glass. It reminds me of the time that I was at a buffet, and I grabbed some hard-boiled eggs that didn’t have a shell on them, and my friend Steve asked me, “Is the shell already peeled?” “Yeah.” I answered. Then he asked, “Who peeled them?” At that point my gag reflex acted up a bit as I imagined a former inmate with his dirty, never-washed hands back in the kitchen peeling my eggs. But I’m sure the employees of Fat Willy’s clean their hands. And even if they don’t, they at least hold them before returning to work, and that’s good enough for me. And by the way, the lemonade is awesome. I can’t wait to go back there in the summer, sit outside, and down a couple.


TEXAS TOAST
They have Texas Toast. Enough said.


THE FOOD
And most importantly the, the food is great. Great barbeque. Just a smooth flavor that isn’t over-powering and doesn’t try too hard. Terrific stuff. And they have a ton of stuff to choose from. I went with the rib tips, which were great, but I wouldn’t recommend them. Rib tips (and I always forget this) require a little more effort than anything else, because you have to work around the bits of rib bone, and it’s harder than a typical slab of ribs, because they are cut up into pieces. You could get brisket, slabs of ribs, different types of sandwiches, mac and cheese, and so on. All the stuff you would expect to find at a barbeque joint you’ll find here. And the portions are large and hard to finish, even for me. (note: that’s if you get the full basket. You could always go with a half order, or the half basket.)


I can’t wait to go back to this place, and I’m hoping many, many times. Especially in the summer when they have a good sized outdoor eating area. I know I didn’t discover the place, but I still give it a chest bump with a manly ass slap and recommend that you go.



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Cuatro

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star



Restaurant: Cuatro
Locations: 2030 S. Wabash


There are some things I’m a sucker for. Like kids singing the chorus in a rap song, good butter, chocolate covered chocolate mixed with chocolate, good food, and BYOB restaurants. Well, Cuatro delivers on the last two, and delivers in a big way.

But, before I get too deep into this, realize that this will only be BYO for the next couple of months as they wait for their liquor license. So, get there now and enjoy your own bottle of wine or moonshine, if that’s your thing.

Cuatro is located in the South Loop, although it’s far enough south that I wouldn’t call it South Loop, but maybe south of the South Loop area. Either way, it’s nice to get to a different part of the city, rather than depending on all the spots convenient to home. I don’t think people venture to the different parts of the city enough, but believe me, the food here is good enough that you’ll want to make the trip more than once.

We started off our meal with four appetizers for four people. Seemed like a lot, but actually ended up being the right amount. I’d recommend an appetizer per person and sharing (the apps aren’t that big). We had a tamale-type thing (excellent), a vegetarian ceviche (surprisingly good), an empanada (not as good as Tango Sur’s, but still pretty tasty), and some other meat and cheese stuffed thing that was just OK. A pretty good start to what ended up being a really, really good meal.

I actually decided to order a salad, because one of the other people in our group ordered the pork chop (which takes 30 minutes to make), so I figured I’d need filler in between the apps and entrees. And I made a good choice. I got the ensalada caribe, which is lettuce topped with pineapples, oranges, cucumbers, and something else sweet. Then the whole thing is covered with a vinaigrette type of dressing, and it was awesome. The perfect blend of sweet and bitter. For a guy who isn’t big on salad, I’m big on this one.

But the entrees were the real story here. They range anywhere from 16-25 dollars, which I thought might be a little high, but now I know why they were priced that way. They are HUGE. I’m not a big “let everyone have a taste of your entrée” kind of guy. See, when I order something, it’s because that’s what I’m in the mood for. So when I have to give some of it up, I’m not happy. Because if I wanted to eat what someone else ordered, then I would have ordered that. But at Cuatro, not only did I not mind sharing, liked it. And it’s because the portions are so ginormous that you can give half of yours away and still have more than enough to eat. Here are the four entrees we had, from worst to first.

4 – a 14 oz. New York Strip with a twice-baked potato. Nothing special. Was cooked right, was the size of a cow, but didn’t have a distinctive flavor or anything.

3 – a cheese-stuffed chicken breast. Really good. The cheese and spices gave the chicken a great flavor. It may have been a tad dry, but I’m not sure. My mouth was watering so bad the entire time it’s tough to tell what was juicy and what was dry.

2 – a braised rib. I ordered this. It was gigantic like the Titanic, and I sank it with my belly. I was very happy I ordered it. Juicy and flavorful, but not too powerful, and filling, but not make-you-sick-cause-you-ate-too-much filling. Good stuff.

1 – the pork shop. The cream of the crop. It takes 30 minutes to make, which should tell you all you need to know. And it’s worth the wait. And it’s HUGE (have I mentioned how big the portions are?). And it had this sugarcane rub crust thing. Uh, just the best. It was so juicy, and sweet, and a little spice, and good, and I wanted to eat the whole thing off the guy’s plate. It gave me fork envy.

And I really liked the atmosphere here. A very diverse group of patrons, relaxed vibe, good music, comfortable corner booth (I felt like I was at prom), and great service. I mean really great service. The server was super friendly, giving great advice and recommendations. And the bus boys/girls cleared plates and forks and knives and brought you more forks and knives (so your dirty ones don’t have to sit on the table like most places make you do). They just really made the whole experience enjoyable.

So, if you’re looking for some really good Latin American and Caribbean foods to spice up your night, journey down south to Cuatro at 2030 S. Wabash (that sounded like something Alpana Singh would say at the end of Check, Please! God help me.).

Final rating: Chest bump and a manly ass slap. I’d definitely go back.

Tango Sur

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Tango Sur
Location: 3763 N Southport


Song: WHOA
Artist : BLACK KELL

( Verse 1 )

I had Tango Sur on Southport, it was whoa!
It’s got the best steak in town I mean whoa!
It’s an Argentinian steakhouse, I mean whoa!
Should've seen the size of cuts on these steaks, whoa!
Now money ain't a problem, low prices is like whoa!
The empanadas so good I’m like whoa!
They’re fried and juicy and perfect like whoa!
Prosciutto wrapped around melon, I'm like whoa!
They got steak stuffed with cheese like whoa!
Order beef for two and be full like whoa!
Coming home with a stuffed tummy like whoa!
Waiters running ‘round servin’ you like whoa!
More or less, more or so

( Chorus )
You just gotta go
I live the fat life, I don’t eat slow like whoa!
My tummy like mo’, need mo’
Just go, Tango, great food like whoa!

( Verse 2 )

Dessert right next door like whoa!
Dairy Queen blizzards on the north like whoa!
Or eat Cold Stone, just to the south like whoa!
I'm getting brain freeze from the ice cream like whoa!
It’s a BYOB drink for free like whoa!
See me drink glasses and glasses like whoa!
Be prepared to wait a while like whoa!
Sit on the curb and drink your wine like whoa!
Waits up to an hour on busy nights like whoa!
But the food is worth the wait like whoa!
Go out drinkin’ on Southport like whoa!
I'm on the go to the Tango, bite for bite like whoa!

( Chorus )
You just gotta go
I live the fat life, I don’t eat slow like whoa!
My tummy like mo’, need mo’
Just go, Tango, great food like whoa!


To recap: Great steak. Great food. Awful parody of a Black Rob song. Great atmosphere. Great prices. Vegetarians look elsewhere. Non-meat offerings are just so-so. BYOB. Long waits. Dairy Queen and Cold Stone nearby.

Easily a chest bump with a manly ass slap.

Piece

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly-ass slap – ½ star

Restaurant: Piece
Location: 1927 W. North Ave.

Do you like pizza? Do you like beer? Do you like Cheap Trick? Do you like Rachel Ray? Do you like The Real World: Chicago?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will love Piece. If you answered yes to the last question, then you love crazy chicks named Tonya.

Piece is a Wicker Park favorite. It’s a pizza joint and a microbrew rolled into one great joint. One of the owners is the former guitarist of Cheap Trick. And, if you ever watched Real World: Chicago, Tonya used to wait tables here when she needed money to pay all her medical bills (boob implants). Plus, Rachel Ray was recently here, and even created a chocolate pizza that is now part of the dessert menu. If the star power doesn’t intrigue you, the food will.

The pizza is thin-crust, so anyone outside of Chicago will love that you don’t need a knife and fork to dive in. They offer three different types of pizza - one with a traditional red sauce with mozzarella cheese, one with a white sauce and a blend of cheeses, and one with no sauce and some other hippy, vegan, tree-hugger type ingredients. And once you get your pie, you will not be disappointed.

The pizza’s are big, and with plenty of ingredients to choose from (including crab and other non-traditional options), everyone can get something that suits their taste. I enjoy the “Ricky Kim”, which is pepperoni and peppercini.

And nothing compliments ice-cold beer like an ice-cold brew. Piece always has at least 7 home brews on tap, and up to 10 guest brews. The other night I enjoyed a Dark and Curvy, and will be going back to snag a couple of growlers of it to enjoy at home.

I also love cheese. And if that cheese is melted, mixed with spinach and/or artichoke, and served with chips, then I love it more. Guess what? Piece has a great spinach and artichoke dip. Maybe the best in the city. Yeah, I said it.

The atmosphere is great. They always have sports on and the crowd is eclectic. Get there early though, as a typical Friday night wait is 90 minutes.

When I’m not looking for a big old Chicago stuffed pizza, this is the place I like to frequent for my pizza cravings.

I give it a chest bump with a manly ass slap.