While many tourists think deep-dish pizza is Chicago's every day go-to, true Chicagoans know our actual pizza is the tavern-style, square-cut pie that allegedly originated at Vito and Nick's.
Well, that's the legend that gets told at least.
Vito and Nick's pizza has been a Chicago staple due to its very thin and crispy crust and now, the business is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this week!
It will truly be the celebration of the century said Rose George who is the owner of the chain as well as the daughter of Nick and the granddaughter of Vito, the men the pizza place was named after.
Vito originally opened the pizza restaurant in 1920 on Congress, the moved to 80th and Halsted, then moved to its current location, 84th Street and Pulaski Road in the Ashburn neighborhood, in 1965. The place has stood at that location for the last 55 years!
And yes, the legend is that the square cut tavern-style pizza was invented right there on the bartop. Geroge explained that the square cut originated as pizza on a bar where patrons could just grab a little piece with a napkin, no need for plates, and then her grandfather discovered the more pizza he left out, the more beer the customers would drink. Thus creating the perfect combination and business structure.
There is really only one beer that you should buy when visiting the famous pizza tavern and that would be Old Style. According to Geroge, Old Style has been their beer from the beginning and their restaurant buys the most barrels of the beverage in the entire city of Chicago.
To help celebrate the 100-year milestone, Vito and Nick's is hosting a party, but due to COVID-19 health restrictions, their guest list had to be cut down immensely. No problem, though, because Geroge is just so excited to celebrate the pizza chain that has surely changed her family's lives and the lives of all Chicagoans since it is considered the best thin crust in the city!