Barely a week into Pizz’Amici ’s much-abuzzed opening on Grand Avenue last November, owner Cecily Federighi reluctantly joined OpenTable after wrangling hourslong waits on a handwritten list.

Wanting to maintain a neighborhoody spirit at this modern tavern-style pizzeria, Federighi decided to keep about 16 of the tiny restaurant’s 40 seats open to walk-ins. But getting a seat was still nearly impossible.

Approximately 10 months after , having long since given up on snagging a reservation, my husband and I begged off work just before 5 p.m. on a Wednesday to drive to West Town for Amici’s famous tavern-style pizza.

Manuel Martinez/WBEZ

On the way, we passed the stalwart, freshly redesigned Salerno’s Pizza , where the after-work crowd casually downed pitchers of Bud and cheesy, sausage-t

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