Categories: Restaurants
Chicago-Style Pizza
Author: Jody Robbins
In Chicago, it's about the deep, deep dish pizza, sauce on top, but a new crop of pizza-teurs are blurring the lines when it comes to what dough will fly in the competitive Chicago pizza market. Here are some of the city's favorite deep dish spots, mixed in with the emerging thin crust scene. Yes, we take our pizzas that seriously.
There's nothing fancy going on at The Art of Pizza, but the classic Chicago deep dish pizza served here, either by the whole pie or the very affordable slice, has been ranked as one of the best more than once. A pizzeria of a totally different sort, Piece has introduce New Haven-style pizza to Chicago, and the house-made beers on tap here add to the already festival-like atmosphere here. The scene (Saturday night karaoke, anyone?) large, barn-roofed space is often packed, but the thin pizzas here are the real draw, and are offered in three varieties: red sauce, plain, and white.
A Chicago deep dish operation with lots of history (and momma still making the secret recipe dough balls in the basement daily), Pizano's Pizza & Pasta is a must-stop on any tour of Chicago-style pizza. It's about the pizza here, but the classic Chicago décor just adds to the experience. Turning to the earth-is-thin-and-flat crowd, D'Agostino's River West is an offshoot of its sister restaurant in Wrigleyville, and both locations offer a circular, thin crust pizza with a unique tomato sauce that's slightly sweet.
You can't talk about pizza in Chicago without paying heed to the ubiquitous Giordano's, and you can visit at any one of their more than 40 locations. At each one, you'll have a massive selection of toppings from which to choose, and you can go the thin crust route here, as well, and thick or thin, you can't go wrong either way. A pizzeria that has been slinging pies to Chicago residents since 1947, Home Run Inn is also well known to locals for the frozen pizzas. The pies here are of the thin crust variety, and come with a nice slathering of sauce.
Fitting neither the thin crust, nor the deep dish pizza categories, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. is like no other in that it serves "pizza pot pies," which is basically pizza in a bowl with alternating layers of the classic pizza ingredients and toppings. It's casual, but nearly always packed to the gills, so go early or expect to wait. One of the best thin-crust pizzas in the city is proffered at Pat's Pizza. While still very thin, the crust here is a little moister, and less like flatbread and a wild array of toppings finishes off the reasons you should visit here, or have it delivered.
aving one of the best for the last of our Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, we now bring it all back home to Pizzeria Due, the sister restaurant to Pizzeria Uno, where founder Ike Sewell introduced deep dish to the world in 1943. The 45-minute baking time for his pies put off some early customers, but others learned to sit and salivate while waiting their reward. Set adjacent to one of the city's busiest retail districts, the Magnificent Mile, the crowds here can be as extravagant as this gut-busting pizza that started it all in Chicago . But, trending quite a bit back into history, Pizza D.O.C. takes inspiration from Italy , the cradle of the pizza craft. Thin, crispy offerings are baked in a wood-burning oven and include the classic margherita pizza (mozzarella, basil, tomatoes) and the Quattro stagioni.
Check out places of interest near Chicago-Style Pizza:
Carlucci
1801 Butterfield Rd.,
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Carlucci is an authentic, Chicago-based Italian restaurant owned by brothers Joe and Charlie Carlucci. There are two Chicago locations: Downers Grove and Rosemont. Fresh, plentiful Italian cuisine, comfortable atmosphere, and gracious service remind one of an evening at home with family and friends.
Carlucci
6111 N. River Rd.,
Rosemont, IL 60018
Carlucci is an authentic, Chicago-based Italian restaurant owned by brothers Joe and Charlie Carlucci. There are two Chicago locations: Downers Grove and Rosemont. Fresh, plentiful Italian cuisine, comfortable atmosphere, and gracious service remind one of an evening at home with family and friends.
Chicago's Pizza and Pasta
3114 N. Lincoln,
Chicago , IL 60657
Chicago's Pizza and Pasta offers a wide array of pizza and pasta items for lunch, dinner and dessert.
Crust
2056-58 W. Division St.,
Chicago, IL 60622
Certified organic, the entire concept that is Crust boils down to super-fresh organic ingredients, whether on the flatbread-made pizzas or in the (literally) garden-fresh salads.
Gino's East
162 E Superior,
Chicago, IL 60611
This is the original location of Gino's East, the now-famous Chicago-style pizza restaurant chain.
Gino's East
2801 N. Lincoln Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60657
Gino's East
820 S. Milwaukee Ave,
Libertyville, IL 60048
Gino's East
633 N. Wells St.,
Chicago, IL 60610
Gino's East
1590 E.Main St.,
St. Charles, IL 60174
Gino's East
1321 W. Golf Rd.,
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Gino's East
9751 W. Higgins Road,
Rosemont, IL 60018
Gino's East
315 W. Front St.,
Wheaton, IL 60047
Gino's East
561 W. Main St.,
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Gino's East
1807 S. Washington St.,
Naperville, IL 60565
Gino's East
15840 S. Harlem Ave.,
Orland Park, IL 60462
Giordano's
310 W. Randolph St.,,
Chicago, IL 60606
Two brothers hailing from a town near Torino, Italy opened the first Giordano's outpost in 1974, and now the delicious stuffed pizza is available at over 35 locations in Illinois and Florida.
Pizano's Pizza and Pasta
864 N. State St,
Chicago, IL 60610
Pizano's is a relative newcomer to the Chicago pizza scene--they opened in 1991--the Malnati family has been involved with the pizza business since 1943.
Pizano's Pizza and Pasta
1808 N. Waukegan Rd.,
Glenview, IL 60025
The latest addition to the Pizano's family has opened up at this Glenview location.
Pizano's Pizza and Pasta
61 E. Madison St.,
Chicago, IL 60603
Thin, deep dish, or pastas are available at this classic Italian eatery.
Pizzeria Due
619 N. Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60611
This is the sister restaurant to Pizzeria Uno, whose founder Ike Sewell is credited as the inventor of deep-dish pizza. The substantial pizzas are loaded with over-the-top amounts of meats, veggies and cheese.
Pizzeria Uno
29 East Ohio,
Chicago, IL 60611
Pizzeria Uno's founder Ike Sewell is credited as the inventor of deep-dish pizza. Definately a must visit.
Pompei Pizza
2955 N. Sheffield Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60657
Pompeii Pizza offers a variety of pizzas, pastas, and desserts.
Shochu
3313 N. Clark St.,
Chicago, IL 60657
Named after the famed Japanese liquor, Shochu, this restaurant is trendy in nature with their Asian-inspired small plate recipes.
Pizano's Pizza and Pasta
864 N. State St,
Chicago, IL 60610
Pizano's is a relative newcomer to the Chicago pizza scene--they opened in 1991--the Malnati family has been involved with the pizza business since 1943.
Blue Chicago
736 N. Clark St,
Chicago, IL 60610
Sample the sounds of the sultry saxophone, the bold bass, the thundering trumpet and the daring drum beats at Blue Chicago, one of Chicago's best blues clubs. Open seven nights a week, Blue Chicago features some of the best names in blues and jazz.
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra
220 S. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60604
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is the heartbeat of Chicago. The CSO has numerous concerts and special events throughout the year. See the full list at their website. Tickets range from $10 to $200.
