What does the above image have to do with pizza? If you've ever been to the Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder, you probably read on the menu that the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred just across the street. There's nothing there to mark the incident, and a large residence for the elderly now occupies the site. But back to pizza. I'm not sure how to describe the pizza Chicago Pizza Oven Grinder serves. I could say that it's like a bread bowl filled to the brim with chunky tomato sauce and cheese, poured into a smooth, buttery crust, and that it doesn't resemble pizza at all, hence the 'pie' part. To ensure total carb overload, we always start with the Mediterranean bread, a thin flat bread topped with a generous amount of seasonings. They don't take reservations, and on the weekends the wait can be long, so try it on a weeknight, or as a late lunch.
For years, M. and I lived down the street from My Pie's Lincoln Park location (since closed, although there are two other locations), which serves a far less 'deep' deep dish pizza than Gino's East and the like. The crust is like a savory pastry, just thick enough to hold the generous layer of cheese and thickly diced tomatoes. (As an alternative, Pizano's offers a very similar style of deep dish.)
Whenever we get a craving for Italian style pizza, we hit up Spacca Napoli. I recently met a man from the Calabria region of Italy who was disappointed with Spacca Napoli's pizza; he found their appetizers very good, but the pizza was just not "quite there". Thankfully, I'm not from Calabria, so I don't know any better. I really like Spacca Napoli's bufalina pizza, made with buffalo cheese and just the right amount of tomato sauce and basil. My only complaint (and its a tiny one) is that I wish the crust were a touch less doughy and a touch more crispy.
I don't have the appetite to try every pizza place in the city (unlike these guys), so you tell me: what are your favorite pizza places?
Where to find them:
My Pie (take out) http://www.mypiepizza.com/
2010 N. Damen, Chicago
Chicago pizza and oven grinder http://www.chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/
2121 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Spacca Napoli http://www.spaccanapolipizzeria.com/
1769 W. Sunnyside, Chicago
