ADVERTISEMENT

Chicago Pizza / Food?

RONole

RONole

Veteran Seminole Insider
Apr 3, 2002
6,305
3,688
853
I'm excited for the coming Notre Dame trip and as part of the experience I am wanting some iconic and awesome Chicago deep dish pizza. I also would love to hit a couple of other great restaurants while I'm there. Im not interested so much in "fine dining" options but, just roll up your sleeves and enjoy some knock your socks off food. I have pulled up some places that have been featured with Food Network and googled for some ideas but, nothing beats first hand recommendations so, whatcha got??
 
Portillo's is a must; there are several around town.

I don't know where you're staying, but Jake Melnick's just off the Magnificent Mile is really good. Casual sports bar type, good BBQ and really good cornbread (it's been a couple years and I still think about the cornbread). Good taps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmm5157
We were in Chicago a couple months ago and had Lou Malnati's. Good stuff. As someone said, it does take some time. Good thing is when you arrive, you can go ahead and order your pizza while you wait for a table. That way you do not wait as long for your food once seated.
 
Lou Malnati's and Portillos are Chicago institutions. You can complete the tourist rounds by going to Billy Goat Tavern, Al's Beef and Gino's if you're still in the mood for pizza. If you're with a group and want to get out of the cold for a while, check out Revival Food Hall - lots of good choices.
 
Lou Malnati's with the butter crust. I love that place!!! I've always wanted to eat at Hot Dougs, a hotdog place with exotic meat hotdogs (elk, buffalo, gator, ect.). They are only open for lunch and I never had the opportunity to make it happen.
 
ncnole1975 said:
There are two camps in Chicago- Malnati’s or Giordanos. I prefer Giordano’s personally but whatever you do DO NOT got to Pizzeria Uno or Due. Both are absolutely awful.

Gino’s East is also really good.
Click to expand...
I've been to Gino's East and agree that it was good also. I don't think I've ever been to Giordano's.

I think deep dish is like cheesesteaks - everyone's going to have an opinion, and they're all convinced it's the only right one.
 
NDallasRuss said:
I've been to Gino's East and agree that it was good also. I don't think I've ever been to Giordano's.

I think deep dish is like cheesesteaks - everyone's going to have an opinion, and they're all convinced it's the only right one.
Click to expand...

Tony Luke’s wiz wit
 
Bsims01 said:
Lou Malnati's with the butter crust. I love that place!!! I've always wanted to eat at Hot Dougs, a hotdog place with exotic meat hotdogs (elk, buffalo, gator, ect.). They are only open for lunch and I never had the opportunity to make it happen.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure Hot Doug's closed. He still serves stuff at Wrigley, but he closed down.
Op, Lou's is good and so is Gino's East. Some other great stuff is Purple Pig, long wait but awesome tapas style food. Go to the top of the Hancock and have a drink at signature lounge. Great view. Also, the Trump Terrace on 16, sick view of the river out to the Lake. Also, if you have a couple hours, do the architecture tour. SO worth it.
 
NDallasRuss said:
I can only do cheese wiz every once in a while, for the novelty.Most of the time I get it with provolone.

I met up with the long-lost Rhurner at Jim's Steaks in Philly years ago. Theirs was pretty good too.
Click to expand...
The legendary Rhurner. Dang, blast from the past. Hope all is good with that cat.
Portillo’s is pretty good stuff. Not fine dining, but bang for the buck.
 
I grew up on the Chicago streets and know a lot of really incredible places but I'm not going to tell you what they are because if a tourist walked in to one of them they would stand out like a sore thumb, get a bunch of funny looks, and wouldn't have a very good time feeling awkward and all.

So yeah, stick to Lou Malnati's or Geno's East.
 
At least once a year I still order Malnatis and Portillos through Goldbelly and have it overnighted
 
southgateNOLE said:
Gonna hit up Purple Pig, Gibsons and some deep dish or Pequods while we are there. Should be awesome.
Click to expand...

Going to Gibsons's Thursday night. I've been there a few times, always good. I've never tried the Pequods, but someone else suggested it as well. I've always been a Lou Malnati's guy.
 
I'm not a huge fan of pizza casserole (deep dish), but if your looking for really good non deep-dish Italian food, go to La Scarola.
 
I don't dislike deep dish pizza but I've had regular crust pizzas that were better. Pequod's is good but you have to make reservations and even then you still have to wait at least 30 minutes once you arrive. When I was in Chicago this past August I stayed at the Drake and I went to Pizano's on State Street. I got the Pat Brickhouse pizza which comes with mushrooms and sausage.

The best pizza I ever had in the Chicago area was a New York style that I got in the suburb of Countryside. I got a sausage pie from a place called Ledo's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Imtotallynottribe
skramer100 said:
Pretty sure Hot Doug's closed. He still serves stuff at Wrigley, but he closed down.
Op, Lou's is good and so is Gino's East. Some other great stuff is Purple Pig, long wait but awesome tapas style food. Go to the top of the Hancock and have a drink at signature lounge. Great view. Also, the Trump Terrace on 16, sick view of the river out to the Lake. Also, if you have a couple hours, do the architecture tour. SO worth it.
Click to expand...

well crap! I guess I will never get to taste a rattlesnake hotdog!!! I seriously wanted to eat there though. I hate that it's no longer an option.
 
Bsims01 said:
well crap! I guess I will never get to taste a rattlesnake hotdog!!! I seriously wanted to eat there though. I hate that it's no longer an option.
Click to expand...

You’re not missing much regarding rattlesnake. Every snake I’ve had (diamondback rattler, python and some Asian black snake of some sort) is very bland, think pork chop minus any porcine flavor. There were only two dishes I really liked, the Everglades pizza with python, alligator and frog legs at the now unfortunately closed Evans Neighborhood pizza in Ft Myers and the fried rattlesnake cakes at Cafe Diablo in Torrey, Utah (one of the best restaurants in the country on par with the best in NYC, Chicago, San Fran etc but in the middle of absolutely nowhere in between National Parks). And the reason I liked those was because the snake was just a delivery method for the spices and other things. I have had snake sausage several times (at a festival in St Leo Florida, in nowheresville Colorado near the Collegiate peaks, in Phoenix, in Jacksonville at the restaurant in the water with a ton of taxidermy and probably somewhere else I’m forgetting) and it was never that interesting.
 
mwfudge said:
I don't dislike deep dish pizza but I've had regular crust pizzas that were better. Pequod's is good but you have to make reservations and even then you still have to wait at least 30 minutes once you arrive. When I was in Chicago this past August I stayed at the Drake and I went to Pizano's on State Street. I got the Pat Brickhouse pizza which comes with mushrooms and sausage.

The best pizza I ever had in the Chicago area was a New York style that I got in the suburb of Countryside. I got a sausage pie from a place called Ledo's.
Click to expand...

This list of the best 38 pizzas in Chicago has a lot of “Chicago Thin”, neopolitan style and even NYC style pizzas on it.

https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2015/Best-Pizza/

I will say that the best deep dish pizza I’ve had did not come from Chicago. Detroit deepdish style pizza beats the pants off Chicago deep dish style (the main difference being Detroit style is typically rectangular and thick but the dough is light and airy with lots of air bubbles that crisp up the dough even on the inside while Chicago Style tends to be heavier and dense). But the best deep dish I had in Chicago was at Louisa’s Pizza and Pasta mainly because it was closer to Detroit style than traditional Chicago Deep Dish (it’s round, but has a light and airy crust rather than dense).

https://m.facebook.com/Louisas-Pizza-and-Pasta-336578334403/

Btw, I’m not a deep dish hater. I even get it at Uno’s In Orlando about once or twice a year as it’s convenient to Universal and a good change from the regular styles of pizza I get. So I’m not getting the hate for the original UNOs. I like it about on par with most of the other listed places and of course it’s pretty historic.
 
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Noles6684, noleone99 and Imtotallynottribe
Wendy79 said:
Portillo's is a must; there are several around town.

I don't know where you're staying, but Jake Melnick's just off the Magnificent Mile is really good. Casual sports bar type, good BBQ and really good cornbread (it's been a couple years and I still think about the cornbread). Good taps.
Click to expand...


This. Portillo’s is my favorite (hot peppers and dipped). I’m actually having it shipped to me this weekend in atlanta.

Begyle has some great beers. Really enjoyed rhe brewery.
 
Bsims01 said:
well crap! I guess I will never get to taste a rattlesnake hotdog!!! I seriously wanted to eat there though. I hate that it's no longer an option.
Click to expand...
I went there about 7 years ago. Was awesome. Went on a Friday so I could get the fries done in duck fat. So good. Buddy I used to work with got the Hot Dougs tattoo on his leg for free sausage whenever he went. Doug closed a year later.
If you are in Chicago go to a Cubs game. They have a rotating menu of 3 sausages everyday out in the centerfield bleachers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bsims01
PortaJohn said:
This. Portillo’s is my favorite (hot peppers and dipped). I’m actually having it shipped to me this weekend in atlanta.

Begyle has some great beers. Really enjoyed rhe brewery.
Click to expand...


If you are ever in Tampa they have 2 Portillio's and a Giordanos Orlando also has a few Giordanos.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bobbyfanz
skramer100 said:
I went there about 7 years ago. Was awesome. Went on a Friday so I could get the fries done in duck fat. So good. Buddy I used to work with got the Hot Dougs tattoo on his leg for free sausage whenever he went. Doug closed a year later.
If you are in Chicago go to a Cubs game. They have a rotating menu of 3 sausages everyday out in the centerfield bleachers.
Click to expand...
Ouch
 
  • Like
Reactions: Imtotallynottribe
skramer100 said:
I went there about 7 years ago. Was awesome. Went on a Friday so I could get the fries done in duck fat. So good. Buddy I used to work with got the Hot Dougs tattoo on his leg for free sausage whenever he went. Doug closed a year later.
If you are in Chicago go to a Cubs game. They have a rotating menu of 3 sausages everyday out in the centerfield bleachers.
Click to expand...

KitingHigh said:
Ouch
Click to expand...

Yeah, it must really suck to have the wiener cut off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KitingHigh and Imtotallynottribe
Of the "big 3" for pizza I prefer Gino's East. We will be there Friday nigh, I think the Loop Location.
Eataly is fun to walk through and snack.
Purple Pig is solid.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

torbee

Post a culinary specialty from your city or region . . .

Replies
119
Views
3K
Everything But Sports
DFSNOLE
DFSNOLE
FSU91

College football season is here (I'm a little early this year as I'm having surgery tomorrow) ...

Replies
57
Views
2K
Osceola Village
gauguin
G
Austin R. Cox

Full Video/PC transcript of ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips at ACC Kickoff

Replies
17
Views
2K
Osceola Village
GATOR-HATOR
GATOR-HATOR
iraschoffel

ACC Kickoff updates from Charlotte (12:55 p.m.)

Replies
43
Views
7K
Osceola Village
VANole81
VANole81
mNoles5

FSU and the SEC (what really went down)

Replies
41
Views
4K
Osceola Village
1980Seminole
1980Seminole
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back