Chicago Pizza

As a Midwesterner, when I think of pizza I immediately think of Chicago and my favourite pizza place Gino’s. Whether it’s thick crust, thin crust or my favourite deep-dish, Chicagoans are very touchy about their pizza…and they have every right to be. I mean come on, deep dish pizza on a cold Illinois winter night? Sold.

The story of traditional Chicago pizza goes far back. While every Chicago native knows that Geno’s is the best pizza in the world, we’re going to focus our attention today on a chain of Chicago-based eateries that are popping up all over the country. Uno’s Pizza. .

Right down the street from Medinah Temple in downtown Chicago (home of the Shriner’s group) you’ll find the original Uno’s that started it all. Pizzeria Uno. It doesn’t look like much on the outside, actually the building is a once converted duplex, but the wait in line at Pizzeria Uno is typically about 30-40 minutes. Even in the worst of Chicago weather. Another great little shop is Pizzeria Due. It sites about a block away. Pizzeria Due’s owners saw what Uno’s was doing and decided to give them a run for their money. If you’re taking a cab to Uno’s or Due’s you can bet that your cab driver will be very opinionated as to which is best.

The reason why Uno’s pizza has been successful even in a very competitive pizza town like Chicago is the quality of their food. Their pizza is simply excellent. Aside from Gino’s (You’ll never convert me!), Uno’s is the best pizza in the city. Their deep dish, served in a four-sided pan rather than a classic flat pizza, has Chicago’s freshest ingredients. One of their biggest claims to fame is their cheese. It is simply a better quality cheese than what most pizza places use. Instead of processed cheese from a bag, their mozzarella is made fresh, in-house.

There are several other great Chicago pizzerias that are worth checking out. Lou Malnati’s, Giordanos Pizza and of course Geno’s are also extremely good places to get a classic Chicago deep dish pie. Although the rivalry of easy coast and west coast pizza has been debated for decades, for my money, Chicago beats them both hands down.