Chicago-Style Pizza?

My boyfriend is on the hunt for a real Chicago-style pizza. I did a little internet research (including a string on this site), and it looks like the only "authentic" places in town have closed. Does anyone know of a hidden gem that we should check out?

Has anyone tried Impellizzeris' Sicilian deep dish? Is it worth trying? There are vastly mixed reviews online - "good" pizza is definitely a subjective term!

Thanks in advance!
Jo

[Robin Garr]

Joni, sadly, Windy City Pizza in the South End closed years ago. It was real Chicago pie (both deep dish and reg'lah) made by a Chicago guy. I'm not sure there's anything else that authentic here. For a chain, Old Chicago out Westport Road is kind of fun, but I can't testify to the pizza ... my pizza heritage is through NYC to Italy, so the Chicago stuff is all "casserole" to me.

Oh, you might look at Loui Loui's in J'town. It's "Detroit style," which is sort of shallow-dish, but I actually like it.

I'm going to Champaign, Ill., this weekend to visit friends. Whenever I go I always bring back a few Papa Del's take & bake pizzas to stick in the freezer.

Has anyone tried Impellizzeris' Sicilian deep dish? Is it worth trying? There are vastly mixed reviews online - "good" pizza is definitely a subjective term!

It's a pretty good pie in its own right but certainly not in any respect a good Chicago style pizza. As Robin mentioned there really aren't any good places for Chicago style pizza in Louisville but I do agree with him that probably the Detroit style at Loui Loui is probably as close you're going to get. The pizza at Old Chicago has more crust and less fillings than Chicago style.

[Robin Garr]

Also, just to be a geek, I've got to say that Chicago deep-dish is much farther devolved from Sicily than NYC-style is evolved from Naples. Actually, now that I think about it, Loui Loui's is quite a bit like the kind of Sicilian pies served by Rizzo's on Steinway Ave. in Queens. Mmm, now I'm hungry.

Aside from my kitchen, the only thing even close that we've found here is at BJ's Brewpub in Oxmoor! Their pizzas have more crust than "true" Chicago pizzas, but they are (barely) acceptable, and are closer than any other we've been to. When we really need a fix - and I don't have time or inclination to cook - we go there.

Thanks so much for the responses! I'm now officially starving after seeing those pictures!

Andrew, is your home recipe a closely-guarded secret? If not, would you be willing to share?

I will definitely check out your suggestions. The hunt is on!

I don't think it strictly qualifies as Chicago style, but Richo's/New Albanian in New Albany has an excellent deep dish pizza.

Barring that, I've read Giordano's is planning to open a new restaurant in Cincinnati. I believe there's also one in Indianapolis.

Meh! Call me when Lou Malnati's opens a place here

Thanks so much for the responses! I'm now officially starving after seeing those pictures!

Andrew, is your home recipe a closely-guarded secret? If not, would you be willing to share?

I will definitely check out your suggestions. The hunt is on!

check your private messages . . .

I guess it doesn't fit the definition, but Rich O's refrigerator pizza might be worth a mention.

Had the BJ's pizza served to me cold at the table. When I voiced my complaint the manager said that the kitchen staff is supposed to know to put it through the conveyor belt oven two times. Not Chicago pizza. When I ordered a lunch pizza at Old Chicago the waitress said that it would take twelve minutes, would that be a problem? Yes, also not Chicago pizza. Queenie's was Chicago pizza, but they are closed. Loui Loui's is a deep dish with sauce on top, but not baked for forty minutes like a true Chicago pizza. So, to my knowledge, no Chicago pizza in Louisville, but I would love to be proved wrong.

but not baked for forty minutes like a true Chicago pizza.

Maybe that's the reason no one can find "real Chicago" pizza in Louisville. With all the other decent options, who wants to wait for nearly an hour for pizza. That timing might also add an enormous amount of labor to the final cost?

That timing might also add an enormous amount of labor to the final cost?

Probably not directly labor costs but table turnover is certainly going to be slower if the restaurant is crowded. Of course an upside might be that the longer people were sitting at the table before they get the food might lead to the higher alcohol sales.