Deep Dish

[BCfanatic2020]

I am setting up a vacation trip location specifically so I drive through New Haven so I spend the night there to eat pizza both ways. Can’t wait to try this regional pizza.

I am not a huge fan of the thicker Chicago deep dish (like Giordano’s or Uno’s). Its good but the crust tastes too much like cornmeal to me. I like this regional pizza but I recommend that you try Burt’s Place in Morton Grove (near Chicago). OUTSTANDING deep dish.

It’s not outstanding .. it’s a overly doughy Detroit imitation for people who get wowed by burnt cheese on the back of their crust. The owner was a great guy but that sauce is not an Italian sauce and therefore the ratios are way off.

in Chicago THIS is the source of terrible pizza opinion.

north siders/suburbanites: “anyone see any Italians? Nope .. none live up here. But we are rich, so everything we have must be better than everywhere else. Pequod and Burt’s are the best.”

I don’t care how many birthday parties people from those areas have/had at Pequod, Barnaby’s or Burt’s. It’s all average at best. It’s the equivalent of me studying Mexican food, making tacos, finding some rich friends and being like “best ever!”

it’s even more delusional than people who grew up on Marie’s pizza and liquors and think that that’s the best. And Marie’s blows Burt’s out of the water.

For those who think I’m being harsh and end up there one day with a friend or cousin.. before the pizza gets there, think Pizza Hut pan. The cross section of the pizza looks like banana bread it’s so doughy.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

By the way @SDBoiler1 thats what makes cities like New York, Philly and new haven.. ideas like Burt’s are rejected out of hand. You’re not just gonna come out with a list of new haven pizza, leave pepes and Sally’s off the list and put Tucker’s fake Detroit number one. You’ll get a repeat of deblasio fork gate

 

[mk_peters]

It’s not outstanding .. it’s a overly doughy Detroit imitation for people who get wowed by burnt cheese on the back of their crust. The owner was a great guy but that sauce is not an Italian sauce and therefore the ratios are way off.

in Chicago THIS is the source of terrible pizza opinion.

north siders/suburbanites: “anyone see any Italians? Nope .. none live up here. But we are rich, so everything we have must be better than everywhere else. Pequod and Burt’s are the best.”

I don’t care how many birthday parties people from those areas have/had at Pequod, Barnaby’s or Burt’s. It’s all average at best. It’s the equivalent of me studying Mexican food, making tacos, finding some rich friends and being like “best ever!”

it’s even more delusional than people who grew up on Marie’s pizza and liquors and think that that’s the best. And Marie’s blows Burt’s out of the water.

For those who think I’m being harsh and end up there one day with a friend or cousin.. before the pizza gets there, think Pizza Hut pan. The cross section of the pizza looks like banana bread it’s so doughy.

There are plenty of Italians ... on the south side. But you’re correct about the north side, lousy food options. It gets to the point where you convince yourself that below average is delicious because you have no other choice.

 

[SDBoiler1]

but in all seriousness, to anyone who think I’m a Chicago snob, I agree with @SDBoiler1 that pizza on the east coast just has to be better. Also, I find Chicago pizza opinion to be absolutely terrible.

Freddy’s pizza was one of four places on the pizza show on the Chicago episode, and you won’t even find it on a top FIFTY list in Chicago. Bartolini’s got best spaghetti and meatballs in America .. their owners are making the sauce and dough from scratch every day.. same, never got top 50.

what will get top 25? Any pizza place opened up by a chef named Carl or Cecily in a gentrified neighborhood in Chicago. I went to a supposedly top 10 place in the city and it was absolutely awful, bob’s in Pilsen. And people on the internet were like “yeah forget about the sauce, there’s beer in the dough!”

Chicago can’t complain to New York or new haven for two reasons

1) there is no lineage to Italy. Italians came here, but pizza didn’t really take off in Chicago until post world war 2 when vets came back from Europe .. where as in New York, Italians came here and began doing what they were doing in Italy modifying only for availability of ingredients.

2) the pizzas in Chicago in the 1940s and beyond were crafted with externalities in mind.. like keeping drunks drinking at bars .. it wasn’t pizza for the sake of pizza, it was “let’s change it to make it more like peanuts.”

so I don’t want anyone thinking that despite my sheer hatred for pizza king .. I think Chicago is like the Mecca of pizza. It’s not

The Italians around New Haven largely came from Napoli and brought recipes with them. To me, the key is the sauce. All of the good pizza around here is just slightly sweet (but not sugary). Places like Frank Pepe’s, Originally Sally’s, and Modern all swear the water here is what makes their crusts the way they are - excellent.

Nearly every small town in New Haven County has local pizza shops with Italian roots. Zuppardi’s in East Haven, Vespucci’s and Rossini’s in Cheshire for Napoletana-style), Anthony’s for original Sicilian-style deep dish, Pizzeria Napoletana and Anna’s in Prospect, Paradise Pizza in Wallingford, etc.

Seriously, this is some of the best pizza in the world. Of course I’m biased.

 

[SDBoiler1]

but in all seriousness, to anyone who think I’m a Chicago snob, I agree with @SDBoiler1 that pizza on the east coast just has to be better. Also, I find Chicago pizza opinion to be absolutely terrible.

Freddy’s pizza was one of four places on the pizza show on the Chicago episode, and you won’t even find it on a top FIFTY list in Chicago. Bartolini’s got best spaghetti and meatballs in America .. their owners are making the sauce and dough from scratch every day.. same, never got top 50.

what will get top 25? Any pizza place opened up by a chef named Carl or Cecily in a gentrified neighborhood in Chicago. I went to a supposedly top 10 place in the city and it was absolutely awful, bob’s in Pilsen. And people on the internet were like “yeah forget about the sauce, there’s beer in the dough!”

Chicago can’t complain to New York or new haven for two reasons

1) there is no lineage to Italy. Italians came here, but pizza didn’t really take off in Chicago until post world war 2 when vets came back from Europe .. where as in New York, Italians came here and began doing what they were doing in Italy modifying only for availability of ingredients.

2) the pizzas in Chicago in the 1940s and beyond were crafted with externalities in mind.. like keeping drunks drinking at bars .. it wasn’t pizza for the sake of pizza, it was “let’s change it to make it more like peanuts.”

so I don’t want anyone thinking that despite my sheer hatred for pizza king .. I think Chicago is like the Mecca of pizza. It’s not

I’ve had the Chicago and Indiana pizza. IMHO, the pizza here blows it all away. Don’t get wrong, I really Bruno Itin, Jr. (great guy), and Bruno’s pizza is decent for IN, but the pizza in Indy and Lafayette areas doesn’t hold a candle to what we have in CT and NY.
When I think of Detroit-style pizza I think of Domino’s and Little Caesars. 🙀😁

 

[BCfanatic2020]

There are plenty of Italians ... on the south side. But you’re correct about the north side, lousy food options. It gets to the point where you convince yourself that below average is delicious because you have no other choice.

Actually not true.. just mostly not Italian food..

I have some recommendations for you that are significantly north of downtown ... in no order

Sarki’s cafe (Evanston) - the bacon Loretta is the best breakfast sandwich that ever has been or ever will be.. look it up, you’ll drool.

edzo’s burgers (Evanston) - think Wendy’s If it was made with premium ingredients.. my boys always loved it.

paradise pup (des plaines) - their burger with the merkt’s spread is absolutely outstanding .. the feel of the place is very nostalgic also.

johnnie’s beef (elm wood park) - best beef in Chicago .. to be fair, elm wood park is more in that nw almost west suburbs, and that area did have a lot of your upper class Italians 80 years ago, but johnnie’s is absolutely outstanding. Significantly better than all beefs except mr beef and Tony’s

gene n judes (river grove) - the place to get a depression dog

superdawg (Devon and navel also wheeling) - considered the best Chicago dog and also the best burger I’ve Ever had at a dog place

wildberry (Libertyville and Schaumburg) - best waffles and pancakes in the Chicago area, their downtown location had 4 hour weekend waits pre covid

monti’s Philly steaks (north side) - best Philly I’ve had in chicago

So I’m not on my this anti north side kick, it’s just that not EVERYTHING up there is the best ever like the think. The Italian food has no residual culture north of elm wood park.

and actually, of my top 6, only one of them is south side south suburbs for pizza .. FOUR are actually north of downtown .. just not the places those people think. AND I think Vito and nicks on the south side is very overrated and average at best. I also agree with almost everything Portnoy said about my childhood favorite Aurelio’s in homewood.. I’d still go high 7s, but his assessment was very fair.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

The Italians around New Haven largely came from Napoli and brought recipes with them. To me, the key is the sauce. All of the good pizza around here is just slightly sweet (but not sugary). Places like Frank Pepe’s, Originally Sally’s, and Modern all swear the water here is what makes their crusts the way they are - excellent.

Nearly every small town in New Haven County has local pizza shops with Italian roots. Zuppardi’s in East Haven, Vespucci’s and Rossini’s in Cheshire for Napoletana-style), Anthony’s for original Sicilian-style deep dish, Pizzeria Napoletana and Anna’s in Prospect, Paradise Pizza in Wallingford, etc.

Seriously, this is some of the best pizza in the world. Of course I’m biased.

Exactly.. in Chicago you have competing realities..

On the one hand, it is the big American city where you will find the highest quality of all ethnic foods. Mexican food is better than New York etc because it’s in the middle of the Country.

on the other hand, that breeds this “oh give them a chance” mentality where the people here somehow think that the best.. Italian food.. doesn’t.. need to be made by.. Italians at all? And if you try to explain to them that “actually no, you can’t do better than frank pepe’s because you went to le cordon bleu tucker” you become the worst meanie in the history of pizza thought lol.

where as, in new haven, much like Mexican food in California.. you’d be dismissed out of hand if you were like “hey my name is Richard, I’m here to make better pizza than Sally’s.. just graduated from the culinary institute, .. I mean, we had like a whole week where we learned about Italian sauce.” Lol

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I’ve had the Chicago and Indiana pizza. IMHO, the pizza here blows it all away. Don’t get wrong, I really Bruno Itin, Jr. (great guy), and Bruno’s pizza is decent for IN, but the pizza in Indy and Lafayette areas doesn’t hold a candle to what we have in CT and NY.
When I think of Detroit-style pizza I think of Domino’s and Little Caesars. 🙀😁

The pizza in Indy and west lafayette doesn’t hold a candle to bad Milwaukee pizza lol

 

[bonefish1]

Thin NY style pizza is for sissies because they can’t handle deep dish pan from Gino’s East.

 

[mk_peters]

Actually not true.. just mostly not Italian food..

I have some recommendations for you that are significantly north of downtown ... in no order

Sarki’s cafe (Evanston) - the bacon Loretta is the best breakfast sandwich that ever has been or ever will be.. look it up, you’ll drool.

edzo’s burgers (Evanston) - think Wendy’s If it was made with premium ingredients.. my boys always loved it.

paradise pup (des plaines) - their burger with the merkt’s spread is absolutely outstanding .. the feel of the place is very nostalgic also.

johnnie’s beef (elm wood park) - best beef in Chicago .. to be fair, elm wood park is more in that nw almost west suburbs, and that area did have a lot of your upper class Italians 80 years ago, but johnnie’s is absolutely outstanding. Significantly better than all beefs except mr beef and Tony’s

gene n judes (river grove) - the place to get a depression dog

superdawg (Devon and navel also wheeling) - considered the best Chicago dog and also the best burger I’ve Ever had at a dog place

wildberry (Libertyville and Schaumburg) - best waffles and pancakes in the Chicago area, their downtown location had 4 hour weekend waits pre covid

monti’s Philly steaks (north side) - best Philly I’ve had in chicago

So I’m not on my this anti north side kick, it’s just that not EVERYTHING up there is the best ever like the think. The Italian food has no residual culture north of elm wood park.

and actually, of my top 6, only one of them is south side south suburbs for pizza .. FOUR are actually north of downtown .. just not the places those people think. AND I think Vito and nicks on the south side is very overrated and average at best. I also agree with almost everything Portnoy said about my childhood favorite Aurelio’s in homewood.. I’d still go high 7s, but his assessment was very fair.

Been to Sarki’s a million times. Edzo’s is dog food, literally.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Been to Sarki’s a million times. Edzo’s is dog food, literally.

I like it but I always get the premium meat .. I just like that style of burger ... in the area gretel, the stopalong and fatso’s blow edzo’s out of the water

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Thin NY style pizza is for sissies because they can’t handle deep dish pan from Gino’s East.

Doesn’t that shit have yellow crust? Yellow crust doesn’t belong on a pizza ...

New York pizza is the best. Go try Gigio’s in uptown.. their shit smokes gino’s east

 

[BNIBoiler]

Bird's Lounge in East Chicago - Best Pizza in Da Region and anywhere else for that matter!

I can’t believe you mentioned Bird’s Lounge. EC is my home town. The Harbor all the way. I don’t know if you are old enough to remember Little John’s, the bar on Columbus Drive across from the A&P grocery store. That pizza was something else. There was something to be said about pizzas made in the back of bars.

Anyhow, as far as pizzas in “Da Region” my favorites are Aurelio’s, Gelsosomos, and Arrenellos in Highland. I like the sweet sauce at Arrenelos and they make a good stuffed pizza. I can’t believe there are those that don’t like the stuffed pizzas. I guess it’s a Chicago/NW Indiana thing.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Birds lounge permanently closed according to the internet by the way

 

[BNIBoiler]

Birds lounge permanently closed according to the internet by the way

Yep, it is. Just talked to a friend about it.

 

[Flot]

It’s not outstanding .. it’s a overly doughy Detroit imitation for people who get wowed by burnt cheese on the back of their crust. The owner was a great guy but that sauce is not an Italian sauce and therefore the ratios are way off.

in Chicago THIS is the source of terrible pizza opinion.

north siders/suburbanites: “anyone see any Italians? Nope .. none live up here. But we are rich, so everything we have must be better than everywhere else. Pequod and Burt’s are the best.”

I don’t care how many birthday parties people from those areas have/had at Pequod, Barnaby’s or Burt’s. It’s all average at best. It’s the equivalent of me studying Mexican food, making tacos, finding some rich friends and being like “best ever!”

it’s even more delusional than people who grew up on Marie’s pizza and liquors and think that that’s the best. And Marie’s blows Burt’s out of the water.

For those who think I’m being harsh and end up there one day with a friend or cousin.. before the pizza gets there, think Pizza Hut pan. The cross section of the pizza looks like banana bread it’s so doughy.

I don’t think you are being harsh, just being a dic$. Your opinion. You belly is doughy. And you blow.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I don’t think you are being harsh, just being a dic$. Your opinion. You belly is doughy. And you blow.

That pizza is below average ... if you want to see dick you should come by and see how we talk about places like this at family get togethers lol.

do this.. find someone who actually grew up learning Italian food from a lineage.. a familial passage .. and feed them that shit. See what they say. I’m sorry Chicago pizza coverage is so bad and you got sucked into thinking glorified Pizza Hut pan pizza with caramelized cheese (really? Who gives a F) is gods gift. If we were in New York everyone would talk about that place like I do and you wouldn’t think I was a dick

 

[wakeman2626]

Damn now Jets is catchin strays too?

 

[Flot]

That pizza is below average ... if you want to see dick you should come by and see how we talk about places like this at family get togethers lol.

do this.. find someone who actually grew up learning Italian food from a lineage.. a familial passage .. and feed them that shit. See what they say. I’m sorry Chicago pizza coverage is so bad and you got sucked into thinking glorified Pizza Hut pan pizza with caramelized cheese (really? Who gives a F) is gods gift. If we were in New York everyone would talk about that place like I do and you wouldn’t think I was a dick

Your IQ is below average. And your self-awareness is lacking. And you don’t understand that fu$’n “Avia Maria” doesn’t have to be sung by a 9 year old boy in the balcony as “mamma” stirs the sauce as she makes your pizza. “Oh what a good boy my little “BC” is!!!! Loving food is a personal thing, and your opinion as “gospel” doesn’t mean crap. And don’t lump all of us into you BS “you don’t live here in Chicago” throw-away responses. I have bulls$it-crazy Chicago lineage.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Your IQ is below average. And your self-awareness is lacking. And you don’t understand that fu$’n “Avia Maria” doesn’t have to be sung by a 9 year old boy in the balcony as “mamma” stirs the sauce as she makes your pizza. “Oh what a good boy my little “BC” is!!!! Loving food is a personal thing, and your opinion as “gospel” doesn’t mean crap. And don’t lump all of us into you BS “you don’t live here in Chicago” throw-away responses. I have bulls$it-crazy Chicago lineage.

Italian lineage.. your mother f-ing problem is that when you and I have an opinion about Italian food.. you think they are equal .. they aren’t. It’s not italian food that’s also your food if you feel like it. It’s our food. If your name is Todd and you learned from someone who passed it the F down through a family line.. I’d be willing to listen, but the tie would still go to the runner .. Did you work at John’s of bleecker for 9 years? Ok.. If that was the case you’d be on to something.

If you didn’t learn the food, I really don’t give a flying f what you think. The same way I don’t expect Mexicans in pilsen to give two shits what I think about Mexican food. I don’t walk into garafuna flava or jibaritos y mas and think that I have some sort of influence on whether or not their food is objectively good.

if you told me “hey my grandma is from turkey.. she’s gonna make baklava later and talk about how she makes it” I’d show up and listen and maybe ask questions .. I’d keep my opinions to myself.

if I said the same thing to you, you’d tell grandma that you knew the real baklava and to get out of your way.

that’s the difference between you and I. And what’s even more remarkable is.. not only do you think this makes you something other than an ass hole.. you actually think it makes you a great guy.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

By the way, I don’t even like Burt’s style .. but you want two places that are absolutely doing their style way better than them? Labriola/LaBarra and milly’s pizza in the pan. Burt’s isn’t as good as you think just cause you live there or hang out with people who do

 

[JohnHoosierr]

Damn now Jets is catchin strays too?

I love jets. Even portnoy gave it over a 7 which is a pretty damn good score.

 

[4IUSox2]

Not a big Pan Pizza guy either. Try Calo on Clark in Andersonville’s thin crust (couple miles north of wrigley). Won’t be disappointed.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I love jets. Even portnoy gave it over a 7 which is a pretty damn good score.

I misspoke .. it’s not the pizza that’s so bad but so good.

it’s more like “it is a chain so it’s not gonna win awards for best pizza, but it’s still so good.”

im a jets fiend. I can’t ever get enough.. i don’t even know why. It hits the spot beyond anything you’re expecting

 

[wakeman2626]

I love jets. Even portnoy gave it over a 7 which is a pretty damn good score.

I love Jets too lol but I’m not going to try to convince anyone that or Pizza King is good pizza. But they’re both primo drunchies.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I love Jets too lol but I’m not going to try to convince anyone that or Pizza King is good pizza. But they’re both primo drunchies.

why do people in Indy try to pimp pizza king and arni’s when they have this

 

[BSpecial]

Now how could I have possibly forgotten this. Mmmmmmm . . . chewy crust.

 

[IUhaterade]

why do people in Indy try to pimp pizza king and arni’s when they have this

View embedded media

I don’t care for Arni’s. Pizza King is just something I crave sometimes- kinda nostalgic. My faves nearby are Pasquale’s, So Italian (Brownsburg), Ordinary Pizza (Wannamaker), and Greeks.

For delivery chains my favorite has always been Donato’s

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I don’t care for Arni’s. Pizza King is just something I crave sometimes- kinda nostalgic. My faves nearby are Pasquale’s, So Italian (Brownsburg), Ordinary Pizza (Wannamaker), and Greeks.

For delivery chains my favorite has always been Donato’s

Oh yeah nothing wrong with nostalgia.. I get nostalgic about little caesars sometimes lol

 

[PaBoiler78]

Oh yeah nothing wrong with nostalgia.. I get nostalgic about little caesars sometimes lol

back in the late 70's when I was out at Purdue, I liked Veno's and I think it was called Pizza Keg.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

back in the late 70's when I was out at Purdue, I liked Veno's and I think it was called Pizza Keg.

Sounds like the bomb. I had an argument with my dad once that papa John’s and mad mushroom were fine at Purdue cause what the hell else was there.

 

[GaffneyBoiler]

back in the late 70's when I was out at Purdue, I liked Veno's and I think it was called Pizza Keg.

I tried a piece of Veno's pizza one time. It had barbecue sauce on it. That ruined it for me.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

why do people in Indy try to pimp pizza king and arni’s when they have this

View embedded media

I like Goodfellas. And Napolese.

 

[IUhaterade]

I like Goodfellas. And Napolese.

Portnoy gave Napolese a very low score- said the cheese was bad

 

[bananabucket]

I like Goodfellas. And Napolese.

Goodfellas is great. As long as you get light sauce.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I like Goodfellas. And Napolese.

Never tried napolese but it’s on my list now

when I get close to Indy all I want is that tenderloin with onion rings and a root beer

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Goodfellas is great. As long as you get light sauce.

It looks awesome and I think Portnoy only gave one Chicago place a higher score than 8.1.. giordanos which is an 8.4 to him

 

[BSIT]

Sorry, I’ve never seen a golden god go anywhere near New Haven, and New York is where dreams go to die so:

Chicago style > Detroit style > New York style > New Haven style

hope pizza - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[DG Boiler]

Little Caesar's all the way biootches!

DH1 was the best.

Which used to be Detroit style.

 

[Purdue85]

I don’t care for Arni’s. Pizza King is just something I crave sometimes- kinda nostalgic. My faves nearby are Pasquale’s, So Italian (Brownsburg), Ordinary Pizza (Wannamaker), and Greeks.

For delivery chains my favorite has always been Donato’s

Interesting anecdotal story... Orthopedic surgeons at Methodist (North Indy) absolutely crave So Italian out of Brownsburg.