Pizza Madness

You could already note it during Columbus Day. Chicago has a very rich Italian heritage. That is also visible in Chicago's most favorite food:

Chicago Style Pizza

There are actually tree styles of pizza that are considered typical for Chicago. Deep Dish, Stuffed, and Thin Crust. Of cause I had to try every one of them.

 

Stuffed

I tried my first pizza in Giordano´s a popular chain of restaurants specialized in Chicago pizza. During this experience I learned a couple of things. First, don´t consider pizza a fast food here. It took more than an hour to cook (it was 4pm and only moderately busy). They warned me though that the pizza itself takes 45min minimum). The reason lies in the thick layer of toppings. The whole pizza resembles rather a quiche stuffed with pizza ingredients. There is dough on the bottom, then 4-5 cm of toppings, then dough again (thus stuffed), then some more toppings. It is massive. I would rather call it a cake shaped lasagna. And that taught me another lesson, don't order one on your own. Most people only eat 3 pieces for dinner. I was really hungry and ate 6 which made me quite sick afterwards. I took the other “Half” of the pizza home which was my food for the next day!

 

Thin Crust

This kind of pizza is pretty much was most people regard as “pizza”. However, people from Chicago point out that “New York Pizza” has a soft flexible base. However, the bread of the Chicago thin crust is crunchy and solid. So you can hold a slice at the crust and it wont bend down. I can see their point but still wouldn´t consider that a very unique kind of pizza (but rather a sign of good quality).

 

Deep Dish

The deep dish pizza is the most popular of Chicago's pizzas. It is said that is was invented at the Pizzeria UNO in Chicago Downtown which is still the most popular destination to try it (you can still get it everywhere in town though). Some locals told me to go to the Pizzeria “DUE”. Same company, very creative name for their second branch. I still had to wait an hour though. At least you could order just 6 slices. I met some cool people at the restaurant bar (where would you sit when you eat in a restaurant on your own). I met a ~50 years old world traveler from the US who was very sad because none of his friends admired him for his travel experiences. His main drive was to see the world to become a more interesting person (mainly to girls but also his friends). He blamed the American indifference towards the other world but I would rather think that he had the wrong reasons to travel to begin with.

ANYWAYS, the deep dish pizza is pretty much a “stuffed” pizza (see above) but without the additional layer of dough (which you barely taste anyways). So it is something like a quiche – lasagna hybrid. Final conclusion, the best pizza remains that of my grandma, but since I am in Chicago I would go for “thin crust”.

 

Chicago Hot Dog

Hot dogs are all over the US but the Chicago hot dog is considered the perfect hot dog (by some). It is thought to rely on German and Polish heritage. It is always beef frankfurter (Kalb), poppy seed bun (Mohnbrötchen) and with mustard and pickles. Plus it is never ever allowed to put ketchup on it (considered an abomination). You find “proper” hot dog restaurants which is clearly focus a lot more on quality than the typical street vendors does.

 

 

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