


Many of the places in our guide deliver, but we believe that Chicago-style pizza is best enjoyed in-house.

Allow a couple hours for this meal, as a typical pie takes about 40 minutes to bake. No matter your pick, make sure you go hungry and hydrated to prepare for all the salty, melted (oh-so-yummy) cheese you’ll take in. Much like Chicago’s political history, the Chicago deep dish pizza scene has been dominated by a group of connected families. It features a super thick crust and a massive amount of tomato sauce, cheese and your desired toppings. Chicago-style pizza is completely different from the style invented in Naples. Italian immigrants brought pizza to the east coast of the United States but eventually it migrated inland where it started to evolve. There is some disagreement about where deep dish pizza originated. Comedians like Jon Stewart and chefs like Anthony Bourdain alike mock what they view as an abomination to a universally beloved dish. It’s a melting pot brimming with celebrity chefs, but when it comes to Chicago deep dish pizza many just don’t get it. Chicago has long been a destination for foodies. Acid and sweetness are key: the sauce needs both in order to cut through all that cheese, meat, and vegetables to achieve balance in every bite.If you’re planning a trip to Chicago, you likely already have one meal planned – Chicago deep dish pizza, a Windy City institution. You’ll see lots of varieties of sauce in deep-dish pizzas, running the gamut from tomato purée to sauce with massive chunks of the fruit to a combination of both. The Sauce: Sauce is the rug that ties the room together.The Fillings: Is the pizza gloriously decadent, or does it feel like it’s lacking something? Are the ratios of sauce to cheese and cheese to crust lopsided, or are they consistent throughout? Most importantly: is there enough cheese, and does it pull away with satisfying yardage of gooey strands?.The outer texture of the crust should be crisp, especially on the bottom, and the line where the dough meets the cheese should be baked through without being doughy or gummy, which is a serious issue for all too many deep-dish pies. Instead, I’m looking for utility, something that can stand up to all that cheese without becoming a soggy mess. The Crust: I’m not looking for my crust to mimic artisan-quality bread.The crust is also breadier and more in line with pan pizzas you'd find elsewhere in the country. Pan Pizza: The distinguishing feature here is a ring of caramelized parmesan cheese, which crisps up in the pizza pan.Giordano's is the most famous practitioner of this style, though there are a surprising number of places serving stuffed pizza. Most people don't even know it's there because it's so thin and is the same color as the cheese. But what truly sets stuffed pizza apart is an additional layer of dough above the cheese and below the sauce. Instead of crumbly, the crust is flaky, and it's often possible to see distinct laminated layers of dough. Stuffed Pizza: The first thing you'll notice here is that the ends are actually even taller than deep dish.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. 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.
