The Jerk Store Called. They Want You to Order the Pizza.
Pizza Matta started as a pandemic experiment in Giant's ovens and became one of the best pizza spots in Chicago, with New York and tavern style both done right.
We love Chef's Special. So when chefs Jason Vincent and Josh Perlman announced they were opening a pizza joint next to their original restaurant Giant, the answer was yes before the sentence was finished.
Pizza Matta started as a COVID experiment — perfecting a New York style pie in Giant's ovens during a period when that kind of obsessive kitchen project was all anyone had time for. When the opportunity to open a proper spot came along, they took it. And somewhere along the way they made the very correct decision to add tavern style to the menu alongside the New York pies. Paper thin, super crispy, the kind of pizza you eat too much of before you realize what's happened. I prefer tavern over deep dish, I won't apologize for that, and I won't get into that particular Chicago argument here. What I will say is that having both options and not being disappointed by either is a genuinely rare thing.
The dough ferments for 48 hours, which gives it a chew and a depth of flavor that lands somewhere close to sourdough. Premium ingredients across the board. The mortadella is excellent. And for anyone who grew up watching Seinfeld, there is a pizza on the menu called the Jerk Store, which tells you that these are chefs with a sense of humor and the skills to back it up. Order it.
The wings and salads are worth your attention too. Don't skip them assuming pizza is the only point. It isn't.
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