Tucked into a residential neighborhood in an unassuming location, Burt’s Place in Morton Grove, Illinois, is legendary. Now-deceased former owner Burt Katz is responsible for the unique pizza and offbeat character of the pizza joint.

Katz founded Burt’s Place in 1989 with his wife, Sharon. Katz definitely brought his personality to his restaurant. It’s decorated with vintage radios and other cool nostalgic items. Katz said, “I’ve always been independent. I’m like a salmon — I swim upstream.”

That mindset is found in his distinctive pizza. Burt’s serves a Chicago-style deep dish with a moderate layer of cheese and a thick, airy crust with a crisp, deeply (almost burnt) caramelized edge. My friends and I joke these near-burnt ends would make a delicious appetizer. Katz handpicked and purchased the meats daily from area butchers. The product is an incomparable pizza, best described as a lighter version of traditional Chicago pan pies.

It all goes back to Katz, though. Every part of the pizza recipe derived from Katz testing many combinations of ingredients and methods. A bit eccentric, Katz never wrote down his recipes, keeping them in his head.

As the popularity of Burt’s Place grew, so did the stories. Katz became known for being a pizza perfectionist. Katz was lovingly called “the Pizza Police.” Katz required reservations and served the pizza promptly upon the customer’s arrival. The pizza was placed on a separate table, only to be served by a staffer.

Legends state he threw out cooked pizzas if they didn’t meet his expectations. Other stories tell of his annoyance at customers arriving late or without reservations, yet still serving all.

Despite the reputation, or maybe because of it, I often went to Burt’s Place. I talked to Katz a few times; and although he was as serious as reported, there were never any incidents. Each experience was pleasant.

Burt’s Place closed in 2015 after Burt became too sick to continue. Shortly after, Jerry Petrow and John Munao slid a note of their interest in buying Burt’s under the door. Burt’s reopened in late 2016 under the new ownership. With no written recipes, it took a while to get the menu just right, but eventually things came together before Katz passed away.

Yesterday I met some friends at Burt’s Place. We made reservations and pre-ordered our pizza just out of habit and tradition. The new owners made a few changes, but retained the charm of the original Burt’s. The star is still the unparalleled pizza. Once there we added the sampler appetizer of cheese curds, mozzarella sticks and portabellas. I also enjoyed a refreshing black cherry soda, made by Filbert’s, a local company dating back to 1926.

While it has a big reputation, Burt’s Place has remained a neighborhood gem. The pizza is fabulous, but there is also a great sense of comfort every time I eat there.

— John Wroblewski, online writer