This style of cut is known as “tavern-style” or “party cut.”Īs you can imagine, opinions on who makes the best thin crust pizza in Chicago differ. Most Chicago pizzerias also cut their thin-crust pizzas into rough squares rather than wedges. Unlike New York Style pizza, Chicago-style thin crust pizza has a crust that is firm and slightly crunchy. In addition to thick pies, thin crust pizza is also popular in Chicago. Both pizzerias still offer fantastic stuffed pizzas today! Nancy’s and Giordano’s both based their stuffed pizzas on family recipes for celebratory Easter pies originally made back in Italy. Giordano’s founders credit their mom for their version. Nancy credits her husband, Rocco Palese, with the new creation. Stuffed pizzas first made their appearance in Chicago in the 1970s at Nancy’s Pizzeria and Giordano’s. Stuffed pizzas are usually thicker than deep-dish because they are “stuffed” with more ingredients, including extra layers of cheese, and topped with their extra layer of dough. A Chicago stuffed pizza is like deep dish but has an additional layer of dough on the top of the pie, in effect giving the pizza two layers of crust: one on the bottom and one on the top. The city is also known for stuffed pizza. However, it is by no means the only style that is original to Chicago. Ask local residents and most will say it’s the best pizza in Chicago, IL, and many equate it to Chicago style pizza. Other Types of Chicago-Style PizzasĬhicagoans are passionate about their deep dish pizzas. If it’s too thin, it won’t hold the ingredients, but if it’s too thick, it will not cook properly.Ĭhicago deep-dish pizza is also assembled in an upside-down fashion: a thick layer of cheese on the bottom, then meat and vegetables piled on top of the cheese, and finally everything is covered with fresh tomato sauce on the top.ĭeep-dish pizzas are assembled this way because these hefty pies require longer baking times than flat, thin pizzas, and as the mozzarella cheese on the bottom melts, it acts as another barrier that prevents the sweet tomato sauce from leaking through to the crust and making a soggy mess. The pizza must have a thick crust-but within limits. Crisp crust is a must! A hint of buttery flavor is just a fortunate byproduct. This flaky crust is better at keeping the fresh tomato sauce from soaking through during baking.
The butter also creates a pie-like crust. Unlike New York crusts, which use olive oil or just plain water, Chicago crusts need butter.īuttery crust has a stronger structure that gives the dough the strength to line the sides of deep-dish pizza pans without giving way. The dough is worked with at room temperature and pressed into the bottom of the pan and up onto the sides of the pan.īecause the deep dish pies hold so much more pizza sauce than New York-style pizza, their crust is key. Semolina is usually mixed in with the flour for the dough to provide it with a distinctive yellowish hue. The deep pan is coated with oil to prevent sticking. You may be asking yourself “What is Chicago deep-dish pizza, anyway?” Knowing this is, of course, mandatory to play the time-honored Chicago pizza vs New York pizza game.Īs the name suggests, Chicago deep-dish pizza is thick like a pie, and it is quite different from the traditional New York thin-crust pizzas, which are, however, also sometimes called pies.Ĭhicago deep-dish pizzas are typically cooked in an iron skillet or in a round steel pan. And if you want to know where to find the best Chicago deep-dish pizza, read on! What Is Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza? While the question of who thought up pan pizza first may never be settled, it is absolutely without question that deep-dish pizza is among the most popular foods in Chicago. Other sources claim that Rudy Malnati, the head chef at Pizzeria Uno, developed deep dish. Some sources claim that Ike Sewell, owner of Pizzeria Uno, first invented deep-dish pizza. And the question of who invented Chicago’s iconic deep-dish style pizza is still open to debate. The classic Chicago-style pizza is deep-dish pizza, sometimes called deep-pan pizza or Chicago deep dish. The first pizza joints in Chicago opened in the early 1920s, and the first Chicago-style pizzas were served in the 1940s. There’s lots of debate over which is better, New York or Chicago pizza, but there is no question that pizza arrived later in Chicago. Lombardi’s in Manhattan, New York, which was first licensed to operate in 1905. According to, the first American documented pizzeria was G. Pizza first came to the United States in the early 20th century. Although the Windy City is one of the most famous locations for pizza in the United States, it wasn’t always so.