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Roots Handmade Pizza brings Q-C-style pizza to Chicago
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Marv Wise chuckled at the reversal of roles, noting that for years Quad-Citians have clamored for Chicago-style pizza. Now, thanks to Wise and fellow Rock Island native Greg Mohr, Chicagoans will be in search of Quad-Cities-style pizza. "They are eating this stuff up," Wise, owner of Wise Guy's Pizza, said of Mohr's Roots Handmade Pizza, which opened Tuesday in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood (1924 Chicago Ave.), northwest of the Loop. Wise, who began his career with Harris Pizza, has been in Chicago with Roots' staffers for three weeks. He has an agreement with Mohr to supply the Wise Guy's Pizza recipe and spices for Roots. The goal is to perfect a style of pizza that has graced the Q-C landscape for 50 years. "Things are fantastic," Mohr said in a phone conversation from Chicago. "Home has finally reached Chicago in the world of pizza." Roots is the second Windy City business venture for Mohr, 33, who also owns Fifty/50, a sports bar with great food. Mohr's Fifty/50 chicken wings were chosen by the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, to be the official wing served at Wrigley Field. Taking the relationship a step further, the Ricketts have invested in Roots. "Curtis Granderson (of the New York Yankees) and Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints), also have invested with us," Mohr said. "Great guys. Just the best. The Ricketts have been wonderful to work with on so many fronts. To have them love Fifty/50's wings enough to put them in Wrigley and to be part of what we are doing at Roots means a great deal to us." Mohr, a business graduate of Illinois State University, chuckled and said "Finally!'' when asked about incorporating the Quad-Cities into a Chicago-based business. "If I can't have a Jim's Rib Haven franchise — and I would drink that sauce by the gallon — then Wise Guy's was next with pizza," Mohr said. "I have known Marv forever and understand his background. "When I thought the dream of bringing Quad-Cities-style pizza to Chicago was never going to happen, I found out a friend's fiance used to babysit Marv's daughter. That made me think the time was right to call Marv again and go after this." Mohr is using the same spices and products Wise uses to produces his Wise Guy's pizza. A Roots pizza will have the signature fennel-flaked sausage, malt-heavy dough and sweet, spicy tomato sauce. "The soft openings (of Roots) have been great," Wise said. "Greg said he has met people from Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, who live in the neighborhood and have been by several times. That says something, when Quad-Citians living here come to you." For Mohr, a 1996 Rock Island High School graduate, Roots is dream No. 2 in his career. "I wrote a paper in fourth grade noting I wanted to own a restaurant in Chicago and I wanted to wear a suit," he said. " My mom gave me the paper — framed — when we opened Fifty/50. Now we have Roots. Hopefully there will be Roots across the country." A sign Roots will be a success happened during a recent friends-and-family gathering at the restaurant. "A friend's wife had been a vegetarian for 12 years," Mohr said. "And she had our sausage pizza. It was so good, she stepped over that line. That's a good sign." Columnist John Marx can be reached at (309) 757-8388 or jmarx@qconline.com. 
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Today is Friday, May 24, the 144th day of 2013. There are 221 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A military escort will be at the square at 9 a.m. tomorrow forthe funeral of Lieut. Joseph Eaton. The county judge is absent in Chicago, which willaccount for his not being in the procession.
1888 -- 125 years ago: Rock Island's City Council last night appropriated $95,000 forexpenses for the 1888 and 1889 fiscal year.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Mrs. F.W. Reimers last night was re-elected president of the RockIsland Musical Club at a meeting in the New Harper Hotel.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Seven members of Boy Scout Troop 21 got their Eagle badges lastnight. They were Ralph Hurt, Robert Nelson, Howard Schersten, Cecil Nelson, RobertFryxell, Clarence Stone and Rollin Hurt.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Mayor Morris Muhleman has resorted to a form letter in an effort toanswer objections to the wheel tax increase. "It was my hope that I could, in some way,restore the faith of the citizens in our city. In order to do this I knew I must face the factthat I would become very unpopular."All they are trying to do is protect the citizensproperty and build their town.
1988 -- 25 years ago: RICCA, the Rock Island County Council on Addictions, inconjunction with the Quad City Downs, will hold its annual "Night at the Races" June 2.The benefit "Night at the Races" will raise funds locally to assist in maintaining the twohalfway houses, New Hope Lodge (for women) and Beacon House (for men).
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