Aaron Landry

Chris & Rob’s "Sicilian" Pepperoni, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Chris & Rob’s is one of the weirder spots in my neighborhood. With bright red awnings and Vienna Beef sponsored signs everywhere on the outside, the inside contains a bright yellow bar with ketchup and mustard plastic bottles and the kitchen guarded off from your germs by large pieces of plexiglass. It’s feels like at any point some rowdy group of kids in little league uniforms could show up. Beyond there is two rooms for seating. The furthest is full of NASCAR framed photos, posters while the main room is covered in Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs memorabilia and posters. The Fridge and Walter Payton loom over tables and a signed Jim McMahon jersey is framed above another table.

I enjoyed reading framed Chicago Tribune showing a victory celebration hug that the Chicago Cubs were having. I thought, “wait, they’ve never won a World Series since like…” and I realized the subhead read “With 2 wins in 1 day, the Cubs sweep to their 1st division title since 1989.” Well, I guess if that’s what victory is to the Chicago Cubs, put it in a frame on the wall. My favorite was a photo of Mike Ditka angrily giving the middle finger. It’s signed by Mike Ditka.

I wondered where they came up with the CTA sign obviously taken at one point from a bus stop. A road sign directing traffic to Lake Shore Drive sits near a window. Even though Chicago isn’t that far away, it all feels a bit foreign here. And that’s a good thing.

So yeah, these guys like Chicago. Their large menu board behind the counter lists all sorts of greasy appetizers, hot dogs, sausage sandwiches and such but I’m here for the pizza. I’ve had their thin crust before and it’s what you’d expect from a midwestern thin crust so I decided to go for their Sicilian style pepperoni. (I’m surprised there is no Chicago-style deep dish on the menu.)

I did take-out and when opened up my pizza at home I was surprised that this wasn’t really a Sicilian style pizza at all, at least to my understanding. It looked like a thicker hand tossed pizza but cut party style in squares. Taking a corner slice first I noticed that the pepperoni was quite rich in flavor. Not like most pepperoni I’ve had and I’m not sure how I’d describe it. Perhaps, “really meaty”? The crust edges were a bit doughy and chewy and the cheese had a nice bite to it. Overall it is well put together, albeit a bit greasy. I thought it’d go really well with a Berghoff or maybe a Goose Island 312.

My service every time I’ve been by has been great too. Friendly people. Overall one of my favorite pizzas in my neighborhood. They serve a few bottled beers as well, but they don’t accept credit cards. They have a location in Fridley and a brand new one in Saint Paul that I haven’t visited yet. I’ll stop by those soon. Check these guys out.

Chris & Rob’s Chicago Taste Authority
3101 E 42nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-729-5507‎