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[Mahoney]

I do love NY pizza because I grew up around it, but I want to get a pie of Chicago's best.  Any suggestions?

[gottabedapan]

If I can only make it to one place when I'm in Chicago, it's Giordano's; if I can make it to a second, it's Gino's East; third stop is either Home Run Inn or Malnati's. (BTW, wherever you eat, make sure you leave room in your luggage allowance for a couple of take-n-bake pies. )

[Pete-zza]

Bob,

Does this mean you are going off of your low-glycemic diet? As best I can tell, the Chicago deep-dish pies don't ordinarily use stone ground whole wheat crusts . Whatever you do, I hope you will report back to us on what you liked or didn't like.

Peter

[Mahoney]

My new philosophy - low glycemic is for bores    Bring on the refined stuff.

[buzz]

Giordano's, definitely.

[foodblogger]

I would try 3 places in no particular order:

1)  Uno's in downtown Chicago.  Eat there and then eat at one of the Uno's Chicago Grille.  Notice the difference.  It is hard to argue against trying the original deep dish pizza place.
2)  Giordano's in downtown Chicago.  Its on the north side of the water tower, real easy to find.  Get a stuffed spinach and cheese.
3)  Gino's East in downtown Chicago.  Again, as much as the quality has changed since changing locations, it is hard to argue that you shouldn't at least try a legendary pizza.

If I could only eat at one of those places I would probably go with Gino's, simply because it was my favorite when I lived there.

[djryan1194]

I'm a Malnati's fan through and through.  I agree with others that Gino's East quality has declined over the years.  If you go to Gino's, you do have to eat at the one downtown.  If you choose Malnati's, the pizza is pretty much the same at the downtown location as it is in the suburbs.

[lilbuddypizza]

Where will you be situated? North, south, west?
I can give you suggestions based on that.

[peckman]

I think you have to go to Giordano's.  The reason being is that you can sample versions of 2 of the 3 major pizza styles of Chicago, that being stuffed and thin crust.  The stuffed is pretty much the standard bearer and the thin is pretty good. 

The pizza served at Uno/Due and Gino's are what I call tourist pizza.    Their style is considered "Chicago style" but it is not the kind of pizza you would get in 98% of the pizza places in Chicagoland.   Don't get me wrong, it is good, just not what most people eat.

[Perk]

On the travel channel, the VP sales of Gino's East Debbie Frank says that they worked out a deal with  Hotels in Chicago Area that a traveler can get a priority seating pass.  This will help the person who is in Chicago for a day move in front of the line and skip the long wait.

So if your staying at a hotel ask if they offer a Gino's East Priority Seating Pass

[lilbuddypizza]

Palermo's on West 63rd Street(sweet sauce)
Vito and Nick's on South Pulaski (paper thin)
Giordano's for stuffed only
Father and Son on North Milwaukee (thin)
Home Run Inn on West 31st Street

Maybe some North siders can help out.

[foodblogger]

I have to defend Uno's and Gino's a bit here.  They aren't now what they used to be, but they are very important historically to Chicago Deep Dish pizza.  Deep dish was invented at UNO's for Pete's sake.  You simply cannot talk about Chicago style deep dish without mentioning Uno's and Gino's.  And there is absolutely NO WAY that you can simply dismiss them as 'tourist pizza'.  I say this as someone who was born in Chicago.  I know how everyone who lives in the burbs loves to tell everyone they meet that they live in Chicago, but rest assured, it says CHICAGO on my birth certificate. 

I agree that Giordano's has probably the best stuffed that I have had in Chicago, but come on.  Lou Malnati's?  Its suburb pizza.  Its for people who live in the burbs and don't want to go to the trouble to drive in to Uno's.   
At least Gino's is its own deep dish.  Granted all they really did was take Uno's dough and add yellow food coloring to it, but hey, at least they did something different.

Leaving Uno's out of a pizza trip to Chicago is like leaving Lombardi's out of a pizza trip to New York.  Say what you want about decline in quality etc. but the historical importance alone is enough to check it out.

[chiguy]

 Hi Mahoney,
 Here is a link to a post i gave a few months back on downtown deep dish locations.
 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1905.msg.16882.html#msg16882

 I also would like any travelers coming through Midway Airport to know that there is a brand new GIORDANOS on 63rd & Cicero 4 blocks south of the terminal. If you have a few hours it will take 10 minutes to shoot over there. I believe they opened this location after they closed the original on 63rd and Kedzie.          Chiguy

[djryan1194]

My birth certificate reads "Chicago" as well.  Not Schaumburg, Naperville, or Palatine.  Lou's makes a great pizza.  So does Uno's and Gino's.  I was born at Wesley Memorial Hospital (now Northwestern University Hosp) and my Dad got Gino's to go right next door on Superior while my mother was in labor.  So I am well versed on the history just as you.  Lou's is delicious and anything but a "suburb" pizza.

[foodblogger]

I was born at Wesley Memorial Hospital (now Northwestern University Hosp) and my Dad got Gino's to go right next door on Superior while my mother was in labor.

I was born in the exact same building!  I was delivered by an OB GYN and later rotated on his service when I was in medical school there.  I was amazed because he actually remembered my mother, but he said that me being on his service made him feel old.  Ha!  Shortly after I was born they built the Prentice Women's hospital, which is now closed.  I haven't been there in a while but I heard they tore down Wesley to build the new women's hospital.  I think Northwestern is also responsible for tearing down the original Gino's building to build an office building but I could again be wrong.

Lou's is delicious and anything but a "suburb" pizza.

That was supposed to be tongue in cheek, certainly not meant to offend.  I only ate Lou's once when I took a trip to Naperville to play golf.  It was a very good pie, and from my memory was very similar to Uno's, only a little better.  Still, you just can't throw Uno's out the window.  Deep Dish originated at Uno's.

[bearfootie]

I recently moved from the Chicago area to the Montana area( far west side of MT) after 30 years there, and have been eating pizza at least twice a week at the well known establishments. 1st on my list is Lous, Uno's used to be tied, but the last 4 times I went to the city (last year) the recipe for the crust is definitely different. Seems like they adopted their satellite stores' recipe. Then Ginos next, (downtown is best.) Giordanos and Edwardos remind me of each other, but not a heavy enough crust for me. But definitely a fine pie. Just lighter. I'm a purist and don't eat my pizza with any other ingredients so I can really taste the crust, cheese and sauce/tomatoes. Thanks to DKM I have made a Lou like pizza that is really, really, close. I suppose, in a pinch, I could order "Lou To Go" but with the pay cut taken moving here there isn't to much frivolity allowed! Finding this site is truly fantastic!

[djryan1194]

foodblogger:

Naaa, I wasn't upset either... Chicagoans are definetly passionate about their pizza!!   That's what's so cool about it!  I think its all a win win no matter where you go.  How weird that you were born in the same hospital!!  I was so sad when Gino's moved from that location.  It was always an old family story/tradition for me.  I've been stuck here in Ohio for the past 8 years, horribly separated from the best pizza on the planet... 

[djryan1194]

That was supposed to be tongue in cheek, certainly not meant to offend.  I only ate Lou's once when I took a trip to Naperville to play golf.  It was a very good pie, and from my memory was very similar to Uno's, only a little better.  Still, you just can't throw Uno's out the window.  Deep Dish originated at Uno's.

Actually, I wouldn't throw Uno's, or Gino's or any of them out the window.  Heck, being here in Ohio, if someone threw one out onto the street, I'd probably pick it up and eat it!!!   

[bearfootie]

djryan:

I'd be right there with ya scrapin' the pizza off the sidewalk! Might be a little obsessive about this pizza thing, ya think?

[Navin Johnson]

When I lived in Chicago (only one year while in grad school at Northwestern) my favorites were Leona's for thin crust and Giordano's for Chicago style.  In the past I've also enjoyed pizza from Exchequer Pub (more down by shopping area by/on Michigan).