Our 2026 Chicago Pizza Madness Tournament, sponsored by Chicago Brick Oven, started with 128 pizza places in our “Mom & Pops” bracket. The one to come out on top was Bartolini’s of Midlothian!

A day after winning our month-long tournament, owner Chris Bartolini joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast to talk about what being a part of the tournament was like, talking and reconnecting with other competing pizza owners, the support from longtime customers and the community, his wife’s efforts running their social media, and much more.

And thank you to Chris for bringing some of their award-winning pizza and meatballs for us to try at WGN Radio!

If you haven’t yet, go visit Chris and his team at 3844 West 147th Street, Midlothian, IL. You can learn more about them at Bartolinis.com. They also ship nationwide and to Canada on GOLDBELLY! (Chris has tattoo to show his appreciation). Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see all the work they put in to promote their matchups in this year’s tournament too!

For more on Chicago Pizza Madness and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.