LEFTY’S CHICAGO PIZZERIA

4030 Goldfinch Street

(619) 299-4030

www.leftyspizza.com

Hours:

Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Mondays.

By David Nelson

Some of San Diego’s many former Chicagoans display such affectionate homesickness for the City of the Big Shoulders that you wonder how they ever managed to rip themselves away from it and move west.

This would seem to be the case at the new Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria in Mission Hills, the second outlet of a small but very successful eatery that opened some years ago on 30th Street in North Park. Subtitled as serving “Authentic Windy City Flavor,” the Lefty’s on Goldfinch Street near University pays so much homage to the Cubs and the Bears that it would not be surprising to learn that Chicago’s leading manufacturer of sports memorabilia was able to retire early and in style – to Palm Desert, most likely. Nobody retires to Joliet.

If you’re from Chicago, a visit to Lefty’s should satisfy multiple nostalgic cravings, including those for foods identified with the big town on Lake Michigan. If you’re not from there, the very same edibles should prove tempting, because what’s not to like about Chicago-style hot dogs, Polish sausages, Italian beef sandwiches and pizzas? Lefty’s sometimes seems to outplay the Cubbies, in the sense of covering all the bases with pizzas, which it serves in thin, deep dish and stuffed versions. All three are popular in Chicago, and in bar conversations probably can be the subject of partisanship every bit as heated as that bestowed upon the Blackhawks and White Sox. (It’s known that President Obama is a Sox guy, but what kind of Chi pie does he favor?)

Lefty’s does a hefty carryout business, and the front room is dominated by a counter at which patrons place orders. Servers convey food to the table for those who choose to eat on the premises (in a series of cozy rooms furnished in heavy wood). Otherwise, guests are on their own, and items like silverware (it’s plastic) and beverages are self-service. The kitchen faces the counter, and a glass case displays various vast pizza wheels, helpful both to those who want to order just a slice or two, and to those pondering the “thin, deep or stuffed” quandary for the first time.

There are appetizers, and if you’re at Lefty’s on a Sunday to watch a game and drink beer, a plate of the cheesy garlic bread ($3.75, and there’s nothing low-cal about cuisine a la Lefty’s), fried mozzarella “styx” with the good-enough house marinara sauce ($6.50) or a basket of “loaded” fries buried beneath blue cheese, bacon, sour cream and chopped scallions probably fits the bill just right. Otherwise, an appetizer before a Chicago-style hot dog ($4.25) seems kind of weird, if not quite like wearing a Cubs jersey to a Sox game. Lefty’s is all about dogs, steamed (and steaming hot) and served on a tender, tasty poppy-seed bun with a tradition-sanctified list of condiments that runs from mustard and onions to a pickle spear, tart relish, “sport” peppers (they’re pickled, tiny and hot), celery salt and tomato. You can ask for any of these to be held, and frankly, tomato on a dog never seems very appealing, although they like it in Chi. And please, if you plan to splash ketchup on one of these proud pups, order it to go and perform this act in the privacy of your own home.

A dog needs a companion, which at Lefty’s should be a bag of the freshly cut and perfectly delicious french fries ($2). The restaurant advises against carrying these out, since they need to be hot and fresh to be so thoroughly enjoyable. A bag shares well, by the way, and nicely complements a Maxwell Street Polish sausage with mustard, grilled onions and sport peppers ($5.50). The house burgers are served with fries and a choice of grilled or raw onion as well as other condiments (it’s wise to be picky with what you allow on your personal burger), and range in price from $5.75 for a substantial Char-Burger to $8 for a Double Char-Cheddar Burger that should keep almost anyone full for the remainder of the day.

Amidst all this solid fare, there are salads, like a chopped veggie salad with an impressive lineup of ingredients ($6.50), and a Caesar accented with pungent sun-dried tomatoes ($6.25, or $7.75 if topped with a grilled chicken breast). Simple pastas include Lefty’s carbonara ($8.25), or linguine tossed with eggs, bacon, cream and Parmesan, and penne or linguine in marinara sauce with meatballs ($8.75). This is solid fare, just like the Italian beef sandwiches ($7 to $7.75), genuine Chicago favorites built of slow-roasted beef that is sliced thin, piled in a length of bread and served with dipping juices and a garnish of sweet peppers or the spicy pickled vegetable salad called giardiniera. The giardiniera is definitely the way to go with one of these succulent subs. Lefty’s also serves a list of familiar subs stuffed with meatballs ($7.50), Italian sausage with peppers and onions ($6), cold cuts ($7) and even grilled vegetables ($6.50).

In truth, Lefty’s serves quite a lengthy menu for a relatively small and cozy establishment. The pizzas are the stars of the show, and they’re available with 27 potential toppings, including grilled zucchini and elephant garlic if you’re not so fond of sausage, salami, pepperoni, ham, meatballs and other pizza naturals. Thin and crispy pies, cut into small squares just like in Chicago, cost $15 for the 16-inch cheese version, and $20 for a specialty pizza of the same size. The specialties are virtually “themed” pizzas, like the self-explanatory Farmer’s Market, Meaty and Veggie pies, and like the South Sider, whose topping includes Italian beef, green peppers, onions and spicy giardiniera. Deep-dish pizzas, made with a chunky tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella, take 35 minutes to bake and cost $19 for a plain cheese pie (garnish it as much as you like for $1.50 per topping) and $24 for a specialty. It’s best to call ahead for the stuffed pizza, which the menu calls “The Mother of all Pizzas,” since it takes a full hour to bake. These enormous pies cost $23 and $27, and are either appealing or over-the-top. It all depends upon your point of view – which will be Chicago-style if you sharpened it from atop the Hancock Building.

David Nelson has written about dining in San Diego since 1980 for a comprehensive list of Southern California publications.