Deep Six the Pizza!

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After a dozen trips to Chicago, I must admit I am not a deep-dish pizza fan. I love a thin crust pizza, like Serious Pie in Seattle.

Serious Eats describes the differences:


Chicago deep dish is remarkably distinct from pizza as it’s known elsewhere. Baked in a tall, circular pan, it features a thick crust filled with cheese on the bottom, toppings (optional) in the middle, and sauce ladled on top. But here’s the tricky thing: Not all thick-crusted pizza in Chicago is deep dish. In fact, deep dish is just one of at least three different kinds of thick-crusted pizza you'll find in the Windy City, which is to say nothing of the numerous styles of thin-crust pizza. Though real differences exist, there’s confusion because these styles look so similar. Each is thick and features a generous pool of sauce on top of the cheese. Here's a quick and dirty guide:
Deep Dish: The original. It features a moderately thick and crumbly crust, which is topped with loads of mozzarella, toppings, and a layer of tomato sauce that is usually on the chunkier side. This is the style you'll find at most of the big-name Chicago chains, including Lou Malnati's, Uno's, Pizano's, and Gino's East.Stuffed Pizza: The first thing you'll notice here is that the ends are actually even taller than deep dish. Instead of crumbly, the crust is flaky, and it's often possible to see distinct laminated layers of dough. But what truly sets stuffed pizza apart is an additional layer of dough above the cheese and below the sauce. Most people don't even know it's there because it's so thin and is the same color as the cheese. Giordano's is the most famous practitioner of this style, though there are a surprising number of places serving stuffed pizza.<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color:񑘕 display: table; direction: ltr; line-height: 26px; margin: 0.25rem 0px;">Pan Pizza: The distinguishing feature here is a ring of caramelized parmesan cheese, which crisps up in the pizza pan. The crust is also breadier and more in line with pan pizzas you'd find elsewhere in the country.



Here are a few that people, other than me, like: Pretty much synonymous with Chicago, Lou Malnati’s is renowned as one of the best places to get proper deep dish pizza. Having started from scratch back in 1971, it’s now a full on local chain – and yet still family-owned and widely lauded. Folks love the flaky butter crust (a closely guarded recipe, naturally), signature cheese pulls, and exclusive sausage seasoning. In the ever-raging ‘best deep dish pizza’ wars, Lou Malnati’s has the majority in its corner.


Giordano's specialty is the Chicago Classic Deep Dish: a vertical, architectural marvel of stuffed crust pizza. It’s photogenic in a defiant way—right when you pull a slice out of the pan, you can practically measure the cheese pull in yards, not inches. It’s a visual show-stopper with a crust that's crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside; it reminds me of pressed and layered white bread, but somehow it remains appealingly fluffy while being dense enough to hold up to what’s sandwiched inside. The sauce is on the puréed end of the spectrum, and just sweet enough to counterbalance all that cheese.


The original Gino's East was opened in 1966 by two taxi drivers, Sam Levine and Fred Bartoli, along with a friend, George Loverde. Driving up and down the Magnificent Mile, Levine and Bartoli knew a hit pizza spot right off of this busy stretch of road would be a sound investment. From this decision, Gino’s East was born! Our flagship is located at 162 E Superior St. – just steps away from the famed Magnificent Mile where the original Gino’s idea was born.


If you want to get your hands on the finest deep-dish pizza, any Chicagoan worth their salt will send you straight to Pequod's. This local institution has been crafting sensational pies since 1970 and is famous for its fluffy, airy, pan-style pizzas with a caramelized cheese crust (achieved by coating the edge of the pan with mozzarella before cooking). Topping options are kept simple, and Pequod's recommends diners add no more than five for the best end result.


Of the three more famous deep dish purveyors, I would give Geno's the nod. Maybe Kenbob and Nelly will suggest having pizza while we are here in the Windy City. Maybe I will become a vegetarian for one night?

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