with roots in sicily, the story of vito & nick’s pizzeria starts around 1923, first a tavern and then another from vito barraco before the addition of pizza when son nick joined the business after being discharged from the us air force.
starting as thick squares, but eventually developing the thin dough that typifies chicago’s signature “tavern style,” it is currently at 84th and pulaski that guests can experience what many consider to be one of chi-town’s best pies – a rumor undoubtedly benefited from guy fieri’s diners, drive-ins, & dives.
at this point a southsideinstitution, and still operating at limited capacity amidst covid-19, guests visiting vito & nick’s can expect brusque greetings and cash-only sales, nick barraco’s 1965 quote that "we will never deliver, if they want a truly great pizza, they will come in for it" still standing today.
known for using housemade italian sausage and giardiniera, the latter with italian beef something of a signature, it was instead from a middle-age waitress who smelled of cigarettes that an $18.25 “half sausage/half cheese” was served, a slightly charred edge and plenty of herbs enjoyable though the crust was neither as thin or crackling as that of pat’s on north lincoln.