Pizza in Chicago

Heading to Chicago  for a conference. Wife is coming with. We'd like to avoid the touristy Uno and Due for something a little more quiet and not so busy. What say the hive? 

I live in the Chicago ‘burbs.  My wife and I can’t even on agree on pizza.  

Get ready for 100 opinions.  

Order delivery from Brooklyn

Where are you staying in the city? 

Do you want deep dish or thin crust?

Deep dish: Pequods in... Lincoln Park? It’s on Clybourne. Right by the goose island taproom. Their original location is in the suburb of Morton Grove, which may be easier if you’re staying near O’Hare. Best deep dish bar none. 

For chains, I prefer Lou’s, but a bunch of good options.

Thin crust, there are a ton of good options. Near Ohare, go to romanos in Rosemont on Higgins. Let me know if you go there, I’ll meet you and buy your pizza. South side, Nick and Vito’s. Otherwise it’s neighborhood dependent—get on yelp. I’ve got a good one in Bucktown if you’re near there.

Chain, go for Aurelio’s. 

When are you here?

South side near Chinatown 

Connie’s deep dish

Datsun310Guy said:

South side near Chinatown 

Connie’s deep dish

I think you’re the first person I’ve ever met who goes to Connie’s. Everyone else I know eats it because it’s at the stadiums/arenas/etc

Datsun310Guy said:

I live in the Chicago ‘burbs.  My wife and I can’t even on agree on pizza.  

Get ready for 100 opinions.  

You're  welcome!

All I can say is Lou's > Giordano's, for deep dish. That's the only comparison I've had. 

In reply to mtn :

Sadly there’s no Monical’s restaurants near the city, or that would have been my recommendation for thin crust. 

In reply to mtn :

I grew up near the one they had in Westmont.   We went a lot   

Once I was smelt fishing on a cold April evening and bought one off the truck and it was good.   Maybe it’s nostalgia- the McCormick place Connie’s is awful.  

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to mtn :

Thankfully there’s no Monical’s restaurants near the city, or that would have been my greatly misinformed recommendation for thin crust. 

FTFY

Also, when in Chicago don't waste your time or stomach capacity on pizza. Enjoy all of the steak that the cattle of the upper Midwest gave their lives for you to enjoy. 

Lous is good!

Aurelio's is the best 

captdownshift said:

Also, when in Chicago don't waste your time or stomach capacity on pizza. Enjoy all of the steak that the cattle of the upper Midwest gave their lives for you to enjoy. 

This man is wrong. If you’re gonna do beef, do Italian Beef. 

This is slightly out of date, but everything in it is spot on:

https://go-go-go.org/2013/02/04/how-to-visit-chicago-like-a-chicagoan/

The relevant part: 

OK, I am properly humbled. Now, WHERE DO I EAT CHICAGO HAS GREAT FOOD RIGHT GREAT FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD STUFF FOOD IN MY MOUTH I NEED TO BE A FAT PIGGIE.

OK, now here’s where we get serious.

Eating like a Chicagoan means understanding you can get good to great food anywhere. Yeah, I’m sure Rick Bayless has had his proverbial knob gobbled by every Food Network person you watch, but it turns out if you don’t go to some rib joint that’s open until 1 a.m. you may as well be a plantation owner. So here are some quintessential Chicago dining experiences.

Chicago-Style Pizza

Yeah I know you went to Gino’s East or Giordano’s or whatever. You did it wrong. First off, you ate at the restaurant. Second, you were probably mostly sober. In no way is that how you approach eating a Chicago-style pizza.

1) Go out to a dive bar on the north side (anything west of Southport and north of Belmont will count, I feel; YMMV) and begin drinking. If they have PBR you should have at least two. Same with Schlitz. If you want to do the beer snob thing, you’re welcome to it. Same with scotch. No wine. Vodka is OK.
2) Keep drinking.
3) Begin talking to locals. They will be the interesting people around you.
4) Become best friends with locals. It should be about 10:30 by now.
5) Keep drinking. Decide if you are going to try to sleep with any of these people.
6) At 12:30, begin talking about how you’re hungry. This will be true as you have not eaten.
7) Convince your new friends to take you to their apartment. It will look like this most likely:

Hello, I am a two-flat.

8) Order a deep dish from Chicago’s Pizza.

9) Fifty minutes later, make a major ordeal about how you are going to pay this delivery guy.
10) Eat a slice of the pizza that you have somehow paid for.
11) Fall asleep on couch, not having sex with locals.
12) Wake up four hours later. At this point the pizza should be sitting on the coffee table across from you. The cheese has congealed and the sauce gone cold. Think to yourself “There is a block of cheese inside of me. It has to get out…right?” Ponder your life failures as you sneak out of this person’s apartment and try to find a cab/el stop.

This is a picture of failure.

Chicago Meat

Oh you want to go to a steakhouse? Ohhhhhhh hmmmmmm yeah no. Half the places out there are chains, and you aren’t mafia enough to pull off being in the ones that aren’t. Chicago meat to you can be summed up as HogDogGyroItalianBeefSausageBurger. Also ribs.

The shortcut to all your Chicago meat needs is Portillo’s. I know what you’re thinking: did this guy who can’t stop being a prick to me just tell me to go to a chain? First off, it’s no chain you ever heard of so put your dick away. Second, go ask around about Portillo’s and see what kind of reaction you get. Portillo’s is like the only popular thing Chicagoans like that’s not named Derrick Rose.

But, if you want to live it real, avoid Portillo’s and find your own hole in the wall. To do this, first you look for a sign.

Despite never being there, I know this is a reputable establishment.

Your keys to spotting this place are:

1) Vienna Beef logo on their hanging sign
2) Their name includes one or more of the following
a. Chicago
b. Windy City
c. Beef
d. Dog
e. Gyros
f. The name of the street you’re on
g. The name of a street you’re not on
h. Any ethnic sounding name followed by an “ ‘s ”
3) Their staff appears to all be related or from the same ethnicity
4) They have any of the following
a. Signed pictures of the old mayor
b. Railroad paraphernalia
c. A picture of a giant hotdog, possibly floating in Lake Michigan
d. A menu hanging above the counter that appears to have ~50 items
e. An elderly lady working the cash register

You should expect to eat here a few times. You will want to try a hot dog (plain), another hot dog (everything), Italian beef (hot peppers), Italian sausage (peppers), gyros (everything, pronounce it “euros” or someone will slap you in a just world).

Chicago Ethnic Food

Chicago is good at ethnicities and racism. It’s a good mix, as it means you end up with very particular neighborhoods and streets (ghettos?) to experience unique foods. Here in Texas, I’m not sure if most people can tell the difference between an African American and a Latino, but in Chicago my old barber (Uncle Joe!) once gave me a lecture on exactly when the neighborhood went to hell: when the Irish moved in.

So while in Chicago, you should at least try to get someplace weird. While I think Andersonville and Rogers Park are two great places to do it, I’m going to send you to Uptown. Uptown works for three reasons. First, it’s accessible, right off the Red Line. Second, it has an energetic corner at Lawrence and Broadway. Third, the Green Mill is there. And fourth, there’s a rad Ethiopian place called Demera. If you’ve never had Ethiopian food before, I expect you to go. Do not google anything. Do not be a coward. Do what they do and stop crying. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to see a guy perform guitar there and drink some honey wine. Once you’re done, go across the street to the Green Mill. Pay the cover. Listen to whatever weird experimental Swedish jazz band has flown in to play there and just there. Shut your gaping mouth and just try to appreciate what is happening. Please. Try.

THAT’S A LOT TO DIGEST, LOL.

I get it. A pun.

OK, so this should get you through your weekend in Chicago such that I will give a crap about what you did there. Other things to consider may be:

• getting into a fight with a homeless man at an el stop
• having a terrible opinion about sports and sharing it with everyone
• being involved in a gun crime
• eating a plate of fries at Clarke’s and wondering how unsanitary the kitchen is
• going to a Polish buffet on the far northwest side and getting threatened by a three-hundred-pound man in sweatpants
• freezing your berkeleying balls off
• becoming a fan of Rod Blagojevich
• bitching about Oprah
• growing a moustache

Also, we do need you to answer thin crust or deep dish

mtn said:

 

 

Hello, I am a two-flat.

 

That my friend is a three flat.  The bottom is the "garden" apartment and the two floors above are two more "flats".  The owner of the building would live in the top and rent the other two out to pay their mortgage.  

Crazy Bohemians or Slovaks. 

Chicago Pizza is bar cut thin crust. 

Palermo's is some of the best. 

Sorry for the delay in responding. Here. Now. Crowne Plaza-O'Hare in Rosemont. 

Already had a Chicago dog. 

Sunday night is wife's relatives at the Little Beet Table then drinks at the Hancock Building. 

Oh yeah,  running a 10k at 6:30 in the morning. Then the Art Institute to see the Seurat among other pieces. 

Monday or Tuesday night for pizza. I'm a NYer by birth so thin crust is common to me and have never had Chicago deep dish. I love me some Sicilian thick crust (Brooklyn, FTMFW!) I have had Buddy's in Detroit. Make it at home too. 

We were hoping to just walk around downtown Chicago and stumble into a local place.

mtn I appreciate  the offer but no need to pay. Forgot about Yelp.  Good call. 

Thanks all. 

In reply to vwcorvette :

Good luck, they can’t agree on what a pizza looks like let alone where to find one :).

vwcorvette said:

Sorry for the delay in responding. Here. Now. Crowne Plaza-O'Hare in Rosemont. 

Already had a Chicago dog. 

Sunday night is wife's relatives at the Little Beet Table then drinks at the Hancock Building. 

Oh yeah,  running a 10k at 6:30 in the morning. Then the Art Institute to see the Seurat among other pieces. 

Monday or Tuesday night for pizza. I'm a NYer by birth so thin crust is common to me and have never had Chicago deep dish. I love me some Sicilian thick crust (Brooklyn, FTMFW!) I have had Buddy's in Detroit. Make it at home too. 

We were hoping to just walk around downtown Chicago and stumble into a local place.

mtn I appreciate  the offer but no need to pay. Forgot about Yelp.  Good call. 

 

Thanks all. 

We're also in Chicago this weekend, staying at the James.  We're going to the cubs game tomorrow afternoon and then probably hanging out in wrigleyville after.  Did the architecture boat tour today, which was great.  We had pizza at Giordano's - pretty good but its the only one i've had so far. 

Scrolling down rapidly partially confirms my fear this thread would end in a patio. 

Maybe I can help that along by saying New York style pizza is superior. For building boxes to put Chicago deep dish in.