Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau started working at Ian’s Pizza in Madison in 2004 when he was an underclassman at the University of Wisconsin. After working there for about 4.5 years–1.5 as manager–Dimitri opened Ian’s Wrigley in 2008 at the age of 23, bringing with him the unique brand of specialty pizzas like Mac and Cheese and BBQ Steak and French Fries that made the restaurant a late night staple in the Madison community.
Dimitri never seems to have a bad day; his personality is infectious as he enthusiastically greets you and takes your order and flashes a toothy grin. Only “Hot” Doug Sohn matches Dimitri’s consistent ebullience–he’s been serving me pizza for seven years and I’ve never seen him miss a beat.
After almost four years of cultivating the Ian’s brand in Wrigleyville, Dimitri rebranded the store as Dimo’s Pizza in late February. “I wanted to effect positive change locally in Chicago and I didn’t feel that signing up for a franchise where rules are dictated from somewhere else was going to be the best way to make that happen,” he says.
The staff, and perhaps most importantly the pizza, remain unchanged. While you can order conventional pizza slices like cheese or pepperoni at Dimo’s, this lacks creativity. “Normal” slices at Dimo’s include mac and cheese, BBQ steak and fries, chicken penne alfredo, and spinach feta with chopped tomatoes.
Philly Cheesesteak, BBQ Steak and Fries, Finger Lickin’ Chicken
Fingers, BBQ Chicken Cheddar Bacon and Ranch, Spinach feta and chopped tomatoes.
Weekly specials venture even further from the norm–our personal favorite is fried chicken and waffles, which has a subtle syrup infusion that gives the slice a hint of sweetness without dominating the flavor. Due to popular demand, it recently became a featured regular slice.
Other recurring specials include two slices inspired by Chicago-born professional wrestler CM Punk–The vegan Anaconda Vice and GTS pizzas. The Anaconda Vice pizza is topped with slow-cooked black beans, Upton’s chorizo seitan, vegan bacon bits, dairy-free cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and parsley while the GTS slices–named after Punk’s Go To Sleep finishing move–feature smoked turkey leg, sliced potatoes, swiss cheese and french fried onions on a creme fraiche base.
In the next few years, Dimitri hopes to open a couple more Dimo’s Pizza locations–perhaps in Wicker Park and the Loop–while eventually expanding into other varieties of dining and drinks.