Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
When Nancy talked me into moving to the “resort” community of Sun City (or as I called it, “the home”) several years ago, we missed some of the restaurants you normally find closer to the city.
While driving around investigating the nearby towns, lo and behold, we were surprised to find a Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Lakewood, cleverly disguised as a rustic barn. What amazed us was that it was located in a residential area next to a golf course. Its location validates the saying “if you build it, they will come.”
It’s a perfect “slice” of Americana, complete with a tractor outside and a grain silo which houses a round table for larger parties. The décor inside consists of rural antiques, and a giant Lou Malnati tomato can over the video-game room. Imagine if the “Sopranos” met “Green Acres” but without Arnold (the pig), he’s in the sausage on the pizza!
Three generations of the Eggers “family” were on hand tonight to sample Lou’s menu. We started off with two orders of cheddar cubes ($5.45) breaded and deep fried with marinara sauce. Try them with the creamy garlic lemon dressing per Nancy’s recommendation, it’s awesome.
Our son, Michael, and daughter-in-law, Emily, ordered a small sausage deep dish pizza ($12.65). Our grandson, Henrik, had a small thin crust cheese pizza ($6.75). You have to excuse him, he’s only two years old and doesn’t know any better. Ordering a thin crust pizza here is like putting ketchup on a Chicago hot dog; it’s just wrong!
Jim and I decided there is more to Lou Malnati’s than pizza. Jim ordered the beef sandwich with sweet peppers and mozzarella ($8.25). I ordered the meatball sandwich, which had three meat balls with mozzarella and marinara sauce ($7.95). All sandwiches are served with choice of fries, fresh fruit, or cottage cheese; we opted for the healthy choice: fries!
The Eggers clan was in a feeding frenzy with everyone tasting everything. Our own little Italian buffet. With its crispy, buttery crust, cheese galore, and a top layer of sausage, the deep dish pizza was the hands-down winner. In second place were the huge sandwiches, and the beef was the tastier of the two. In last place was our poor little grandson’s thin crust cheese pizza. It may be tasty, but it’s still wrong on so many levels!
FYI: Lou Malnati’s is handicap-accessible and there is a second floor area for parties.
We didn’t spend a lot of “dough” for this family gathering. Our bill was $68.79. We all had soft drinks with dinner.
He said/she said:
Jim’s take: I feel Lou’s pizza is the best deep dish in the Chicago area. I was surprised how big and tasty the sandwiches were. I’m working on Henrik, trying to elevate his palate to my level (aerosol cheese, tater tots, and corn dogs). He’s a work in progress!
Nancy’s take: This is the best deep dish pizza ever! I love the cheddar cheese cubes with the garlic lemon dressing; I could eat them for my dinner. I actually liked little Henrik’s thin crust cheese pizza, sorry … Henrik’s palate is actually better than Jim’s. Aerosol cheese? Seriously?
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Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
8515 Redtail Drive
Lakewood 60014
(815)477-8100
www.loumalnatis.com/lakewood
Directions:
47 North to Algonquin, East to Lakewood, North to Ackman East
Estimated travel time: 19-1/2 minutes
