This regional nostalgia is now being exported across the United States at an unprecedented rate. In recent years, as the concept of the "tavern" has become a fixation for modern restaurateurs seeking to move away from minimalist, industrial aesthetics, the tavern-style pizza has followed suit. New York City has seen the arrival of Keepers; Fort Worth, Texas, now hosts One Trick Pony; and Tillie’s Tavern Pizza has established a foothold in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Even within Chicago, new venues like Zarella and Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian are doubling down on the style, reinforcing its status as the city’s true culinary signature.
For many Midwesterners living outside their home states, these openings are more than just new dining options; they are an opportunity to reclaim their heritage. The national obsession with deep-dish has long frustrated Chicagoans who feel their actual food culture has been overshadowed by a tourist-centric caricature. By bringing tavern-style to the coasts, these chefs are presenting a more authentic, lived-in version of Midwestern life.
However, as the style travels, it inevitably undergoes a process of evolution—what some chefs describe as a culinary "game of telephone." Mike Fadem, the owner of the acclaimed Brooklyn pizzeria Ops, recently sought to introduce a thin-crust option to his menu. Fadem, who hails from St. Louis, grew up with that city’s specific version of the tavern pie, which is famous for its unleavened, cracker-thin crust and the use of Provel—a processed, gooey blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone.
While Fadem maintains a deep affection for his hometown style, he acknowledges its polarizing nature, particularly regarding the cheese. He notes that the trajectory of tavern-style pizza is one of constant divergence. St. Louis style was originally a derivative of the thin-crust Chicago style, which itself was an American evolution of the original Neapolitan traditions brought over by immigrants. With each geographic jump, the recipe changed.
In developing a version for Ops, Fadem drew inspiration from multiple sources. One of his employees, a New Jersey native, advocated for the "bar pie" traditions of the Garden State, which share the thin-crust DNA of the Midwest but possess their own distinct character. Fadem also looked toward the legendary thin-crust institutions of Milwaukee, which he eventually determined produced some of the finest examples of the craft.
The result of this research is the "Tavernetta," a regionally agnostic pie that incorporates the sourdough and whole-grain expertise for which Ops is known. It aims for a level of extreme crispness that Fadem believes is particularly appealing to the New York palate. Rather than replacing the restaurant’s signature wood-fired, Neapolitan-esque pizzas, the Tavernetta has become a supplemental order; most groups now add one to their table as an appetizer or a side dish, further proving the style’s versatility.
