I don’t know if anyone is interested in finding The Perfect Pizza as I am. My darling wife is definitely a fan of a good pie, so we make a good match, but as far as trying places goes, so far I’m the most obsessive person I know. The following are my reviews of places I can remember going — and I welcome and encourage opinions, raves, disagreements, and so on.
I don’t want anyone to be kept in suspense, so I’ll start with the winner.
Art of Pizza - 3033 N. Ashland Ave
This is the best pizza in Chicago (and the surrounding northern suburbs) of the places I’ve tried so far, and it would take a lot to beat it. They have slices available all the time, and each of the three varieties they offer (thin, deep-dish/pan, stuffed) is best-of-breed for Chicago. New York pizza purists may not think that the thin is as good because they will not be pleased by anything that doesn’t have that New York patina on it, but whaddatheyknow? The stuffed is where it’s really at for me. The sauce is just the right level of spicy, the cheese is tasty, and the crust is buttery without being greasy. No one we’ve taken here has been underwhelmed.
The wife and I used to go there all the time when we lived closer, and we have always been treated very well when we go, even though we’re strangers again. I think a lot of people miss this place because it’s small and has very little seating. They are, however, in the process of expanding. For what it’s worth, the Chicago Tribune rated this place highest in a survey a few years ago. As far as I can tell, they actually got it right.
Read on for O So Many More.
I went to see the venomerable (sorry) new Samuel L Jackson movie with a big group of friends. This was preceded by Snakes On A Cake and other goodies at Casa de Strangeboy. My better half was smart enough to skip the movie-watching part of the afternoon in favor of exercising her creativity at home (very smart, that one). Although I wouldn’t call it “good”, the movie was fun to watch with the group, hooting and hollering at all the right times, making fun of the really horrible stuff in it (some intentional, probably a great deal unintentional).
I don’t read a lot of movie reviews, especially for movies I am sure I’m going to watch, to keep my expectations non-existent. But when I do read reviews, I read the AV Club, whose reviews seem to most closely match mine. I just took a look at their review of the movie, which is pretty accurate. I also decided to follow the “Discuss” link at the bottom to see if anyone had anything to say. Lo and behold, they did.
The discussion, as of now, is pretty short, about 10 comments or so. But one of them is from the reviewer, responding to the first few people who accuse him of missing the point, being elitist and whatnot. His response, which I think is good reading, illustrates why I like the AV Club so much. Not only did he take the time to respond, but he was respectful of his readers, and also a bit funny.
I saw Roy Haynes play for the second time tonight at the Jazz Showcase. He was magnificent as ever, playing with that dancing, bouncing feel he brings every time he walks in a room, let alone getting on stage and playing drums. He’s an inspiring presence. Everyone always talks about how young he seems (if you don’t believe me, do a web search for news articles on him), and as tiring as it is to be the millionth person to say it, it’s absolutely true. And he always looks sharp, is a hell of a dresser. Everyone always says that, too.
The last time I saw him play was at the Kuumba Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA. We had been in the Bay Area for maybe a week or two, and we drove the hour and a half from SF to Santa Cruz to check out the show. That night was a life-changing experience for me, and I don’t say that lightly. Roy was playing with Danilo Pérez and John Patitucci, and he just lit the place up. His command of the drums and the people in the room was awe-inspiring. I got the chance to talk with him a little bit afterwards, and he was very gracious and nice. I shook his hand, and drove home feeling this weird, charged feeling, like I had electricity running through me. It was strange, but that’s what Roy Haynes is like, a lightning bolt that plays great drums.
He appears not to have lost a thing in the past six years. He really puts everything he has into performing and making the show a joy for everyone. Tonight I asked him to sign a CD cover for me, which (as you can see) he did, although I didn’t look as cool as the guy before me, who had half a dozen he wanted Roy to sign. I mentioned something about how I have a bunch of his records, but that I’ve downloaded them (therefore, no covers to sign). “Oh, so you cheated,” he said with a grin. I said that no, I bought them, just bought them online and downloaded them. He doesn’t have a website, probably doesn’t give a damn about computers, so I don’t know if he believed me or got what I meant. I’d hate to think that he thought for a second that I’d steal his music, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t lose any sleep over it even if he didn’t believe me.
In any case, his music is available online, and you should buy some. It’s not as electric as seeing him live, but the record Out of the Afternoon that he signed for me is mighty fine, as are pretty much any of his albums.
Roy Haynes @ eMusic
Roy Haynes @ iTunes