Zaza’s Pizzeria serves New York-style slices in Chicago

Stroll as much as Zaza’s Pizzeria in East Lakeview, and there, in neon, glares a warning to all Chicago pizza partisans: “New York Type.” Whereas confrontational to some, this additionally shortly clues one into what to anticipate, specifically a really skinny crust reduce into slices which can be simple to fold.

However whereas Zaza’s does serve New York-style pizza, it seems to be virtually nothing like the usual Manhattan pizza joint that dishes out floppy outsized slices. “I created a no-flop information for all of our staff to guarantee that it doesn’t occur,” co-owner and chef Brett Nemec stated. “We’re all the time cautious of something that’s floppy.”

As a substitute, Zaza’s has rather more in frequent with New York slice retailers which have opened prior to now 10 years, like Scarr’s Pizza and Nook Slice, which take inspiration from the traditional New York slice joint but in addition characteristic long-fermented dough recipes and inventive topping decisions.

Every pizza at Zaza’s can also be merely beautiful, with a tall, dark-brown crust that glistens within the gentle because of a brush of herb-infused olive oil. The underside of the crust sports activities a speckled black sample from the excessive warmth of the oven. Toppings are positioned exactly in order that they subtly taste the slice with out inflicting structural collapse.

That is the work of brothers Brett and Chadd Nemec. Whereas Chadd largely takes care of the enterprise facet of the operation, Brett focuses on the meals, one thing he’s had a number of expertise doing.

“All I’ve had is restaurant jobs,” Brett Nemec stated. “I began as a dishwasher after I was 15.” Finally, he was promoted to line prepare dinner, which impressed him to get a culinary diploma from the Faculty of DuPage. For years, he labored with the Bien Trucha Group, first at Quiubo after which Santo Cielo, the place he was promoted to move chef.

It was on the latter place he started tinkering with pizza, although it shortly began to devour even his free time.

“I began making dough at dwelling and obsessing over pizza,” Nemec stated. “I’d watch ‘The Pizza Present’ on YouTube. Then I began studying the ‘Pizza Bible’ and ‘The Pleasure of Pizza.’” After exhibiting off his outcomes to his brother, they began speaking about opening their very own pizza spot collectively.

“I wished to get out of the fine-dining house,” Brett Nemec stated. “It’s superb and funky, however it’s intense and you must take care of the brigade system. I wished to do one thing extra informal and make meals that I actually get pleasure from.”

Whereas watching movies was nice at first, the brothers realized in addition they wanted to go to New York to pattern the pizza in particular person, in order that they booked a visit and visited as many locations as they presumably might. “The burrata pizza at L’industrie Pizzeria is my favourite pizza I’ve ever had,” Nemec stated of the Brooklyn spot, although he was additionally impressed with Scarr’s Pizza and Joe’s Pizza.

To higher perceive the on a regular basis problems with operating a pizzeria, Brett left Santo Cielo to work for a few months at Coalfire, the acclaimed West City pizzeria. “I simply tried to be taught as a lot as I might,” Nemec stated. “What’s the circulate of operations? How do you place out tons of of pizzas day by day?” In the meantime, Chadd was scouting places and negotiating with landlords.

The house they settled on in East Lakeview is petite, with room for just a few tables. It’s largely a to-go operation, which was by design. “I didn’t need an enormous pizzeria, only a small store like they’d have in New York,” Nemec stated. (In case you do need to keep, Zaza’s is BYOB, and there’s a Binny’s Beverage Depot throughout the road.)

When it opened in December 2021, the response from the neighborhood was swift. “We have been busy to very busy most nights,” Nemec stated. Then in August, enterprise went stratospheric. That’s when Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports activities dropped by for considered one of his “One Chunk” video pizza reviews. “Dave got here in, and gross sales tripled in a single day,” Nemec stated. “We all of the sudden needed to rent extra employees. It’s insane that we did this in lower than a 12 months.”

Drop by for dinner on a Friday, and also you may need to attend 45 to 60 minutes in your order due to the crowds. Thankfully, the employees is tremendous pleasant and trustworthy about wait instances. (The restaurant affords a touch-screen ordering system, although somebody will fortunately take your order if you happen to ask.)

Solely entire pizzas can be found for dinner. Whilst you can pick the precise toppings you’d like, Zaza’s affords 11 topping mixtures of its personal. The Gold Medal pie is a superb place to start out, that includes recent mozzarella, shaved Parmesan, recent basil and a drizzle of peppery olive oil.

No matter what you choose, it’s exhausting to not fixate on the exceptional crust. “We care quite a bit about growing old our dough,” Nemec stated. Every batch of dough is bulk fermented in a single day, earlier than being portioned out and chilly fermented. “It’s all the time fermented for no less than 24 hours, and more often than not it’s 48 hours,” Nemec stated.

Zaza’s dough additionally has a excessive hydration of 69% (or 69 grams of water for each 100 grams of flour), which explains the extremely ethereal and crackly crusts across the edges (or cornicione, for the man pizza geeks on the market). As talked about above, the crusts are additionally brushed with olive oil infused with rosemary and garlic, and sprinkled with sea salt. “That turned our signature factor,” Nemec stated.

However my favourite time to go to Zaza’s is at lunch, when it affords particular person slices, permitting you to attempt a variety of the store’s creatively topped choices in a single go. Undoubtedly attempt the bacon jam slice, which options the smoky and meaty discount paired with spicy Calabrian chiles, creamy mozzarella, salty cotija cheese and sharp sliced scallions. Additionally attempt the truffle mushroom pizza, the place plump cremini mushrooms arrive with a garlic cream sauce, tart goat cheese and funky truffle oil.

Lunch can also be the one time you’ll be able to rating a slice of Grandma pizza, a largely unsung New York-style that’s uncommon in Chicago. (Professor Pizza is among the few locations you will discover it.) Baked in a sheet pan after which reduce into rectangular slices, the crust is thicker than the usual slices, however solely barely. These slices characteristic a bright-red and fresh-tasting tomato sauce, together with gooey gobs of recent mozzarella.

However I’ve a tough time passing up the flawlessly executed NY traditional cheese slice. Although it would look simple, every one sports activities a remarkably skinny crust, salty cheese and tangy sauce, together with a crunchy crust flecked with salt. It’s gorgeous in its simplicity, but these taste mixtures won’t ever get outdated.

Since enterprise has been so robust, it’s no shock the Nemec brothers are contemplating opening one other location. “We’re beginning the dialog about what’s subsequent,” Brett Nemec stated. “However we’re not in an enormous rush. We need to ensure to take our time.”

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

3037 N. Clark St.

773-661-6389

zazas-pizzeria.com

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Tribune score: Excellent, 2 stars

Open: Wednesday-Saturday, midday to 10 p.m.; Sunday, midday to 9 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Costs: Starters, $7; pizzas, $23 to $30

Noise: Dialog pleasant

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, with rest room on first ground

Rankings key: 4 stars, excellent; three stars, glorious; two stars, excellent; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.

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