Piper's Alley Memories, Meatball Pizza, Chicago Style

Old Town Gate

My first trip to the big city of Chicago sans parental units occurred when I was 15 (I lived in the burbs about 45 minutes outside of the city).  My slightly older beau (with a car and license) took me to a favorite haunt of the counter culture in the 60’s and 70’s—Old Town.  Old Town was Chicago’s answer to NYC’s Greenwich Village.

The original Old Town was completely destroyed by the Chicago Fire in 1871 (you know, the Mrs. O'Leary's cow fire).  Old Town was quickly rebuilt by its industrious, mostly German-immigrant occupants who had originally settled there in the 1840’s (after white settlers nabbed it from the Indians in the 1830’s).  It continued to quietly hum along even after having artists take up residence in the 1930’s.  All that changed in the 1960’s when it experienced a cultural transformation and a rush of long-haired youth who came to live and visit and play.

Second City

It was the home of great music venues (The Old Town School of Folk Music), quirky shops and of course, the famous Second City theater that was based at Piper’s Alley.

Old postcard with the famous giant lamp

Piper’s Alley was quite a place back then (I haven’t been back in a zillion years so have no idea what it looks like now–– so it is stuck in the amber of my memory as it was when I was a kid).  In 1967 the Chicago Tribune wrote of it saying, “Visitors enter under a gigantic lamp suspended over the sidewalk, walk east along a brick alley lined with carriage lamps …”

Piper’s Alley, 1960’s postcard 

A March 2, 1971 edition Trib said:

“Piper’s Alley was opened in Nov. 1965 by Rudolph Schwartz and Jack Solomon, owners of the five buildings that once made up Piper’s Bakery and stables. The 15 shops in the development include men’s and women’s apparel specialty stores, candy, candle, book, trinket, record, glass and wig shops, the Second City theater, Aardvark Cinematique, and an art gallery.”

1971 Fire in Piper’s Alley

With that giant lantern and the carriage lights, it had a magical Diagon Alley kind of atmosphere when I went there long ago.  Patchouli wafted around the cobbled street (as a personal statement and in incense form in the shops) but was a sensory distraction from the insanely delicious smell of pizza that issued from a place at the end of the alley –– a place that served the best pizza I had ever had.  I still remember it as one of the best.

It was called La Piazza Pizza from what I was able to dig up (the name had drained out of my brain years ago, to be honest, I’m not sure I ever knew it as anything other than the ‘pizza place in Piper’s Alley’ … even though everything about the pizza itself was lovingly locked in the old memory box). 

The space was funky.  A lot of brick, cheap faux-Tiffany lights and not very clean as I recall.  The pizzas that arrived in pitch black, heavily crusted pans were thick and doughy but with a great depth of flavor in the crust, quite a departure from the cotton-wool bland crusts I was used to.  This crust was strong and positively bathed in olive oil –– that’s what made it so damn good –– that and the rich sauce and thick, browned molten cheese.  It was a grand, heroic pizza.

I found a thread on a website that had many old fans sharing great memories of that pizza so I was not alone in my love of the place –– sadly no pictures of the premises could be found to share with you.  I know there are many who praise Pizza Uno or Due or Lou Malnati's, but for me, the best Chicago pizza will always live in that alley.

The crust recipe is one I’ve been making since college and is simple as could be.  The only change I’ve made is resting it overnight because I think it helps the flavor.

I give you a regular size and a mini meatball version as my homage to my favorite pizza. You can make my favorite meatballs or use your own favorite recipe. Also, I like whole wheat in my crust and think it adds character. I doubled down on flavor by using Red Fyfe wheat which is amazing stuff (I got the wheat from Sarah  of All Our Fingers in the Pie).  If you don't like whole wheat, just use white bread flour.

FYI –– traditionally, Chicago pizza is constructed a little differently than most.  The mozzarella cheese gets laid down first, then the ingredients, then the sauce is added with Parmesan sprinkled on top and sometimes a drizzling of olive oil. When making the individual pizzas you have to do the mozzarella the old fashioned way, it tops the little pizzas.

The extra olive oil is really a triumphant addition if I may say–– related to the Italian fashion of offering herbed olive oil with bread but much better for being baked into the crust.  You will fall in love with the technique.

One more note, these reheat beautifully and the olive oil keeps them very moist.  I also found it was a great idea to dunk them in left-over tomato sauce!!

Individual Meatball Pizzas Makes 8-9

1 recipe dough
1 recipe meatballs
1 recipe sauce
1 recipe herb/garlic oil
8-9 slices mozzarella
3 T parmesan cheese
3 T olive oil

Take the dough out of the fridge and make into rounds,  lay in the cupcake molds oiled with the 3 T olive oil –– about a teaspoon per mold.  Press the dough to the sides so they are hollowed out. Spread some of the oil over the top of the dough.  Let sit for 1 hour. I put oiled 1/2 egg shells in the centers to hold the shape.

Preheat oven to 425º  for 1/2 an hour with pizza tiles or stones.  Bake dough for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and take out the egg shell if you used it, if you didn't pull out enough dough for the meatball to have a seat in the dough.  Spoon a bit of herb oil and place a sprinkling of parmesan  on the dough.  Place a meatball on top with a spoon of tomato sauce (don't use too much sauce, it will sog out the dough) and cover with mozzarella cheese.  Ladle a spoon of herb/garlic oil over the top and bake until golden, about 10 -15 minutes more.

Chicago Pizza Crust (makes 9 individual pizzas)

1 3/4 c flour (plus a little extra for working the dough into the molds)
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 t yeast
1 c water
2 T olive oil plus more to oil the bowl

Combine all the ingredients and knead in a standing mixer or by hand for for 8 minutes.
Put in an oiled bowl and cover.  Let rise till  double in size.  Put in the fridge overnight.

Take the dough out of the fridge and put in the cupcake molds, oiled with 1 t olive oil. Spread some of the oil over the top of the dough.  Let sit for 1 hour. I put 1/2 egg shells in the centers to hold the shape.

Preheat oven to 425º  for 1/2 an hour with pizza tiles or stones.  Bake dough for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place a sprinkling of parmesan  on the dough.  Place a meatball on top with a spoon of tomato sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese.  Ladle a spoon of herb/garlic oil over the top and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Sicilian Meatballs based on Comforting Foods recipe  enough for 20 meatballs)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 


1 finely minced onion 


1/2 cup dry white wine 


¼ c sweet Marsala wine 


1 small bay leaf 


1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 


1 teaspoon salt 


1 ½ pound ground beef (I use Grazin Angus Acres grass fed and delicious!) 


4 pieces of smoky bacon chopped

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten 


1 cup bread crumbs,

¼ pound grated Romano cheese 


1 c  chopped fresh parsley 


½ c chopped fresh basil 

1 T oil

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add onions and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine, Marsala, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat to a boil, then simmer until most of liquid evaporates, 9 to 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until cold. Gently but thoroughly combine ground beef, chilled onion mixture, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and chopped basil.  Form into meatballs.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to several hours.  Sauté chopped bacon until fat is rendered and bacon crisp and remove. Saute meatballs in the bacon fat and oil until cooked through and remove.

Tomato Sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

pinch of salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T onion

1 t olive oil

1/2 t oregano

1 T marsala wine

Saute the garlic, onion in the oil. Add the tomatoes and oregano and marsala wine and reduce till thick.

You can use left-over sauce to dunk the meatball pizzas –– a very tasty treat.

Herb Oil

1/4 c olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

pinch salt and pepper

1/2 t oregano

1 T fresh basil, minced

1/4 t pepper flakes

Combine all.

Deep Dish Pizza

1 Recipe dough

2 T olive oil

6 slices mozzarella

1/2 c tomato sauce

8 slices pepperoni or hard sausage

1/4 c parmesan

herb oil

Put tiles or stones in the oven and preheat 1/2 an hour to 425º.  Swirl olive oil in 9" cake pan.  Place the dough inside, working it up the sides. If the dough has been refrigerated, let it warm up in the pan, covered for 1/2 an hour.  Bake for 15 minutes and remove.  Lay the mozzarella on the pie.  Lay on the sausage and then the tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Drizzle the herb oil over the top of the pie and brush on the crust.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until bubbly.