Former Chicago Pizza Critic Will Put His Money Where His Mouth Is In The Richmond

In the Inner Richmond, the husband and wife team of Joe Irick and Amanda Petrowski are set to open Grinders Pizzeria, a neighborhood spot for Chicago-style deep dish, California-style thin crust pies and homey comfort foods and takeout-friendly items. Irick used to contribute to the Chicago Tribune's By The Slice pizza column before he decided to get into the pie-slinging business himself.

As for what patrons can expect from Grinders, according to their site their signature move is "carmelized-cheese crust that heightens the flavor profile and crispness of the crust." It also sounds like a Pizza Hut promotional item. Not that we're complaining.

The pizza pedigree might have originated in Chicago, but the Grinders name actually comes from their thin crust pies that are "deconstructed sandwiches" and the couple says—nay—exclaims that they'd like to "change the way you think about pizza in SF!" Sure enough, their menu boasts some interesting topping combinations ranging from standbys like buffalo chicken to standouts like a reuben pizza. When you've got grinders on a pizza, you can have grinders anytime.

RichmondSF reports there's still some brown paper in the windows of the space at 448 Balboa Ave (at 6th Ave) and the restaurant is going through the last round of inspections, but should be open in the next few weeks. Eyes on their website for more details.