Yes, you read the title right: I travelled all the way to Chicago just to spend a few hours in the city sampling pizza. And I loved every second.
What is Chicago-Style Pizza?
First off, let’s talk about the reason why I flew all the way from Wales to Chicago: the pizza. And namely, the little curiosities that make up a Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
To begin with, there’s the crust: thick, sturdy, and ready to carry the weight of all your pizza dreams. It’s like someone decided pizza needed more carbohydrates – because, you know, pizza is clearly lacking in the carb department.
Now, onto the cheese. Imagine a cheese blanket so thick and gooey that you’ll wonder if you accidentally ordered a fondue pot with a side of dough. Mozzarella, the superhero of cheeses, takes centre stage, resulting in me pre-gaming with a handful of lactase tablets.
But we’re not done yet, oh no. The pièce de résistance is the tomato sauce, but this isn’t your ordinary marinara. It’s chunky, hearty, and bursting with flavour. It’s not just a topping; it’s art.
And toppings? Oh, honey, load ’em up! This pizza can handle it all. It’s like a pizza canvas, and you’re the artist, free to create your masterpiece. Pepperoni, sausage, veggies – it can handle everything. But personally, a handful of basil leaves is all it takes to transcend this marvellous work of art.
When this bad boy comes out of the oven, golden and bubbling, you’ll know you’re in for a treat. Chicago-style deep dish is the pizza for when you want to feast like a king and nap like you just conquered a food mountain. So, if you want your pizza to be an event, not just a meal, Chicago-style deep dish is waiting for you with open arms and a cholesterol warning.
Worth travelling all the way to Chicago? I certainly think so.
The Best Way to Experience Deep Dish Pizza
Now, we all know me and my love for food tours – and what better way to experience the best pizza in the city than with a wonderful Chicago Pizza Tour?
The owner of the company, Jon, took me and a small group of other pizza enthusiasts around the city to sample the very best that Chicago had to offer. And boy, did Chicago have some gems.
I was able to meet Robert of Robert’s Pizza, who told us all about his 25-year-old dough starter, the fermentation journey of said dough, and about the importance of sourcing good cheese. I learnt about American tomatoes (apparently very different to Italian tomatoes), the Great Fire of Chicago, and the significance of using gas-fired brick ovens to create the perfect base.
And then finally, I was blessed enough to try my first ever Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
The cheese was light and melty, the tomato was chunky and sweet, and the base was thick enough to contain all of these flavours. Quite frankly, all of my deep dish dreams had finally come true.
Jon continued to fill us in on everything pizza-related, but I was too lost in elation to write more notes about the experience. Frankly, I’m not even sure I was present at the end: a part of me ascended to a pizza-fuelled utopia.
After breaking bread four times with strangers and consuming some of the best pizzas that the world has to offer, I decided that Chicago has to be the best place on earth. And without a pizza tour, I would have missed it all.
And so, with this post sounding suspiciously like a pizza love letter, I’m signing off.
A massive thank you to Jon and the team at Chicago Pizza Tours for showing me the wonders of the city – I will forever reminisce on the joys of the deep dish.
