We at Chicagoist are suspending our policy of trying not to add more momentum to Rachael Ray's unstoppable takeover of the United States. (About the only thing that would kill it at this point would be a leaked Internet video involving sheep, salad tongs and some damn good reasons for that insidious grin.) Ms. Ray is hooking up with Delta Airlines in order to promote seven new daily flights between Midway Airport and LaGuardia, raising the total amount of Chicago-New York flights to 12.
What's the tie-in, you ask? Why, none other than a pizza contest. Representatives from the Windy City and the Big Apple will square off on an episode of "The Rachael Ray Show," set to air in early April. The finalists have already been decided; now the votes need to be cast to determine who will compete. Among the chosen are Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, Connie's Pizza, Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder, Gino's East, Vito & Nick's, Pat's Pizzeria & Ristorante, Home Run Inn, Pete's Pizza and Pizzeria Uno. A respectable big-name smattering, we suppose. We're a bit disappointed that our own personal favorite, Pizano's, wasn't on the list, but luckily there's a write-in option. Voting is open until Friday at www.rachaelrayshow.com.
Here's the thing that puts the heavy in our sigh: You just can't compare Chicago and New York-style pizzas. They're too different to pit one against another, and everyone has their own die-hard opinion. Wars have been started over less. We've had New Yorkers poo-poo our gobs of cheese, square slices and hidden toppings. Likewise, we've criticized NY's lack of cheese, general flatness and even the style of eating (that's not a Fruit Roll-up there, bub). To each his own, and never the twain shall meet. It's just another apples and oranges stunt cooked up by bored network executives that has no mooring in reality.
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I'm a loyal Chicagoan, and I do love Chicago style pizza, but the sheer weight and size of a Chicago style pizza makes it a treat that I can only handle about once a month.
However, I was once a New Yorker, and I could eat New York style pizza by the slice everyday until the end of time. I love it that much.
Sorry, chicago.
This only means more cheap flights from Chicago to New York.
Thanks Delta and Rachel!
I love my city, deeply. I can't stand Chicago-style pizza.
Blasphemers! Chicago Style Pizza is awesome.
The problem comes along when you realize that maybe "pizza" (in the true Italian sense) doesn't really describe it, more like "heavy duty casserole". And that beats out "soggy cracker with some marinara sauce" anyday.
I could get into this whole guilt trip about how you can't be a Chicagoan without loving a huge ass slice of cheesy goodness from any of those fine establishments around town, but then I'd be a hypocrite. I hate Chicago Style Hot Dogs. There I said it. I'm sorry.
In this contest everyone is a winner.
Personally i would vote for wrapping a new york floppy slice over a deep-dish slice and eating it burrito style.
don't be. those things are f'n disgusting.
I love Chicago style deep dish, but like a lot of people have said, you can't have it that often. I usually just have it when I have out of town guests who want to try it. That being said, I haven't had NY style pizza. I am totally open to try it whenever I get to NYC. I think I prefer thin crust in general anyways.
@CC1st:
You don't have to wait to get to NY (sort of...) Santullo's in Wicker Park has some good New York style pizza in Chicago. But I guess the thing New Yorkers go apesh*t about is how New York City tap water (which is rumored to have some natural effervescent properties... or whatever) is what makes the crust so special there as opposed to every other city. There is an actual pizzeria in LA that flies in New York tap water for this explicit reason.
So water for the dough (and Santullo's HORRIBLE customer service... another New York simulation, I suppose) aside it could be a good comparison point to Chicago pizza.
Also, they should throw other American city's pizzas in the mix here. Boston is known for wood fire pizzas, St. Louis uses Provel cheese instead of Mozzarella, LA puts all sorts of crazy crap on theirs (Roast duck? Bean Sprouts?), New Mexico uses Chorizo and Green Chilies, while New Haven uses clams and no tomato sauce (see local restaurant Piece for a good example of that).
Also, Hawaiian Style (Ham and Pineapple) isn't even popular in Hawai'i. They prefer green pepper and olives. Scotland invented the Hawaiian Pizza.
They need to have Aurelio's added to that mix if they were to truly compete on the thin crust aspect.
Speaking of which, all I hear about is great deep dish in Chicagoland. While I love it, I also love a good pie in general.
What is everyone's favorite thin-crust pizza joints?
I need some south-burb adventures!
disclaimer: i love the deep dish. having said that, so far Piece has the best thin crust i've tasted in chicago.
seconded on piece. it's absolutely delectable.
I've lived here my entire life and I'm still perplexed by the Chicago style pizza. "Chicago style", such as when applied to the hot dog, would imply that in the majority of pizzerias citywide you can get the decadent deep dish cheese glop, when in reality, you can't (even several on the list you provided don't have it -- Pat's, for example, is known for its superb thin crust). In contrast, in NYC you can get a New York style slice on every corner.
I think our pizza has an identity crisis.
prescott - not true. sure you can get nyc style on every corner in new york but like 80 percent of it is positively unedible. You can get hotdogs anywhere in chicago too, it doesn't make them good.
also deep dish takes a lot more money, care and cooking to perfect which is why most don't do it.
And you have to remember why the pizzas are the way they are.
New York Pizzas are designed for easy to eat, one-handed street food for the "fast paced" New Yorker. It's cheap, fast, easy to replicate, and there's not much a difference between the top 5% and the bottom 5%.
Chicago Pizzas (admittedly created by a New Yorker at Pizzeria Uno) are meant to be a sit down, take your time meal that keeps you full for a while. And it's really easy to screw up. (See Gino's East crust)
And my theory is, most people don't like Chicago Style Pizza because they've either A) had their taste buds dulled by decades of Domino's crap or B) they're godless communists that hate puppies, children, and love.
"prescott - not true. sure you can get nyc style on every corner in new york but like 80 percent of it is positively unedible. You can get hotdogs anywhere in chicago too, it doesn't make them good."
I wasn't talking about quality. I agree with you that a lot of places serve "sketchy-ass" hot dogs, but the right addition of condiments still technically qualifies them as "Chicago style". Because of the label, the perception by a lot of tourists is that deep dish is indicative of what most Chicagoans eat when they order pizza, when in fact, that's not true. To me, it seems like a misnomer. I'm just making an incredibly nit-picky observation, not trying to start any sort of debate.
For the record, nmpkm, I do like "Chicago style" on occasion, even though I am godless and have a more than moderate disdain for children.
I have to add Pequod's as one of the better deep dish joints. And I agree that Chicago Pizza rightfully deserves a place for one of the better thin crust joints...
And as far as Pizano's goes, aren't they a spinoff of either Pizzeria Uno or Lou Malnati's? Same family line, or something like that...
I like just about anything that qualifies as pizza but have to say I love my town but prefer New York style. As for best pizza in the world pizza in Napoli owns them both. Luckily you can get an authentic version at Spaccanapoli.
It is nothing short of a travesty that Pequod's was left out. . .hands down best Chicago pizza.
Look, look, look... New York, Chicago, Napoli, whatever.
We can all agree that Rachel Ray is a plague on our nation and needs to die.
For Chicago style thin crust, Pete's Pizza on Western is the best, hands down.
All those other joints are just pretenders. Pete's is the Champ!
I agree that NY and Chicago style pizzas are too different to really compare.
I also think that this is probably going to be a losing battle for Chicago b/c whether NYC deserves it or not, New York rarely loses strictly because it seems that everybody know things about New York much more than other places, including Chicago. Just based on sheer exposure through media, movies, tv, etc., New York usually comes out on top.
Having said that, for me personally, it's really tough to decide which one I prefer. My favorite Chicago pizza is Giordano's stuffed pizza. (I think Gino's East, Lou Malnati's, Pizzaria Uno, and Connie's are overrated, and I've yet to try the others.) That plus the best New York pizza I've ever had (somewhere in Queens) and Imo's St. Louis style pizza (which people either love or hate with very little in-between) are my three favorites, and I really can't say I like one over the other. It all depends on what I want at the exact moment. I guess, if I had to choose right now, it would be a NY-style pizza because it really is good, and I've yet to have a decent one in Chicago.
PS - I completely agree with Piece - it's not "Chicago-style" but I love it.
Barry's Spot has to be up there. Especially on half-price Mondays.
NYC pizza sucks. Rachel Ray sucks. Next person who uses the abbreviation "EVOO" in front of me gets genital-punched.
I wouldn't go so far as saying Rachael Ray sucks, but she is certainly no Giada...
I'm a native Chicagoan, and I can't stand deep dish. I honestly believe it's made just for the tourists to eat.
I'm at least pleased to see Vito and Nick's on the short list for thin crust. That place is amazing, but just remember to close your eyes while picking up your order.
I'm a native Chicagoan who lived in New York for a long time. I love Chicago deep dish and Chicago thin crust. I also love New York style. I guess I just like pizza. Totally agree that they really can't be compared anyway.
It is a shame that Pequod's was not included. Gulliver's is my other favorite for deep dish. And Marie's (which I see you reviewed today), La Villa and Father and Son have good thin crust.
To the last person -- you may not like deep dish, but as someone who grew up here too, I can tell you that a lot of Chicago-bred people do like it. What a smarmy and presumptous little comment about creating it for tourists!
I agree with the prevailing opinion that Chicago style stuffed pizza has it's place as a delicious and substantial treat once every month or two while thin crust pizza can be eaten regularly (health be damned...). For the most part, thin crust is just a more universal pleasure. Talking with friends who aren't originally from the area and visiting family has proven to me that stuffed is too heavy for many people to enjoy more than once in a blue moon. In fact, many have told me that their first experience with it would be their last.
When my wife and I do get that itch for stuffed, we usually go with Chicago's Pizza. Occasionally they undercook the crust, but otherwise it's a great pie. The cheese is salty, the sauce is flavorful and slightly spicy, the dough flaky when cooked properly.
For thin, we go with CW Napkin, Pie Hole and Art of Pizza. We're always looking for someplace new, but most of the best places in the city don't deliver near us. A couple weeks ago, we ordered D'Agostino's at work. I was shocked at how good it was, considering the Addison location has only been decent when we've ordered.
My biggest peeve is a joint being unwilling or unable to pie cut my pizza. I've had two places REFUSE to pie cut. Squares are crap and should be outlawed. Can't we get Joe "Frivolous Legislation" Moore on this?
Rachel Ray sucks? Not in my bedroom.
@pete: that's strange. with such a huge mouth, you'd think she'd be really good at it..
Well, at least Johan agreed with me, except for the squares part.
I didn't presume deep dish was created for tourists, but I get weary of seeing deep dish being associated with Chicago when all the locals eat thin crust on a regular basis and save the cake for a rare treat.
So who's eating the deep dish, then?
Okay, I love pizza and grew up in Chicago, but I only eat that deep dish stuff about once a year. I'm a thin-crust person all the way. Aurelios's in Homewood remains my favorite pie of all time. In New York, I like Lombardi's (admittedly touristy) and Grimaldi's. Pizano's here in Chicago is pretty good too. That being said, I've had horrific pizza in both Chicago and New York and great pizza in both Chicago and New York, but for sheer all out awfulness, that goes to this pizza joint in New Hampshire by my uncles place, the stuff that place serves is an abomination to the concept of pizza.
Glad to see someone else agree w/ me on Aurelio's. I do have to say, make the trip to the Homewood location, where it all began. It is heads above all of its franchises.
Piece rocks for thin crust, but their New Haven (clam) is but a shallow imitation of the real thing. There is nothing in this world as good as a clam and garlic pizza from Frank Pepe in New haven.