Some of perhaps the greatest inventions of food have come from mixing two unlikely yet surprisingly complementary ingredients. What is arguably best about these creations is the consumer doesn’t have to decide which food they want more.
Downtown business owners Bryan Williams, of the Brass Eye, 205 N. Second St. and Sarah Brittin, of Pizza Transit, 215 E. Main St. have come together to offer the invention of the Chicago Dog Pizza. The pizza can be ordered at either business location when the Cubs or Indians play and can be complemented with an ice cold Old Style beer.
The triple threat was inspired by the Chicago Cubs playoffs and has become a collaboration of two downtown businesses wanting to bring customers a unique food and drink combo while they enjoy watching baseball.
“We are not a sports bar, but I have been a Cubs fan all my life,” Williams said. “I thought I had to do something to support them. I knew everybody else would be doing hot dogs.”
So what does a Chicago Dog Pizza look like?
“The pizza is topped with everything you would expect on the classic Chicago dog,” Brittin said in an email. “Yellow mustard, all beef hot dogs, celery salt, diced onions, sliced tomatoes, green relish, all held together with mozzarella and cheddar, and finished with a poppy seed crust and sport peppers and a dill pickle on the side.”
Combined with a cold Old Style beer, the pizza has been popular among customers who come to watch the game at the Brass Eye.
“There’s been some people who are like ‘hot dog pizza? That doesn’t sound too good,’ but when they try it they are like ‘wow, that is good,’” Williams said. “I have not had anybody that did not like it yet. It is delicious.”
The pizzas cost between $13.40 to $18.15, depending on the size. Williams said he sold out during the second night of the games.
Subsequently, Brittin said that just about every time an employee brings a pizza down to the Brass Eye they come back with orders for more.
“Because when you see or smell this pizza, you have to have one,” Brittin said.
In honor of the game, Williams is offering customers Old Style beer, a rather unprecedented option among his usual menu of microbrews.
“People were so excited to have the Old Style on tap and watch the Cubs,” Williams said.
Just like merging two great foods together, Williams’ and Brittin’s businesses have come together to create something unique. Rather than viewing one another as competition, Brittin said downtown businesses often work together and frequently form partnerships.
“It’s always great when us downtown businesses work together on a project,” Brittin said. “And I think the community enjoys it too. We have done promotions with The Brass Eye in the past and other downtown businesses, and I think it’s really great that we all support each other rather than view each other as competition. It makes for a great sense of community and that’s one of my favorite things about downtown Niles.”