The Cure For Everything Is Salt …
… tears, sweat, and the sea. (Dinesen)
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Great Lake
1477 W. Balmoral Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60640
773.334.9270
Wednesday night, bachelor night. Honey P. is at tenure meetings, and I’m footloose. The perfect night to try out the new restaurant in our neighborhood.
Great Lake. The shop is a cozy little storefront off of Clark, with one communal table that seats up to eight, a shelf of goodies that nearly covers one wall, and a kitchen of gleaming steel and butcher block.The name hearkens to the couple’s Midwestern roots and hints at the fact that they intend to be more than just purveyors of brilliant pizza. They intend to be grocers as well, carrying specialty items (they’ve already got Metropolis coffee, Rishi Teas, American Spoon fruit preserves, Amish Country popcorn, and Anjou Bakery crostini on their shelves).
Tonight I had my choice of four different pizzas and two kinds of Pellegrino soda. As tempting as the smoked bacon and creme fraiche and onion and rosemary pizza sounded, I chose the tomato, fresh mozzarella, and sopressata. And a limonata. And I eat in. Nick and Lydia, the owners, talked quietly in the kitchen and planned for the spring while I kindled (tonight, Dresden Files) and dined.
The pizza was perfect. It’s nothing like the Chicago-style pizza (also good, in its own right). Nick’s creation was fresh, crispy, honest, and delicious. No surprise, given the ingredients. Their suppliers include Tomato Mountain Farm, River Valley Ranch, Salumeria Biellese, Newsom’s, and Kendall Farms.
Great Lake is open Wednesday through Saturday. Baking begins at 5:00 p.m.
Run, don’t walk, to Great Lake. The only thing more tantalizing than fantastic … is fantastic-undiscovered.
