So…on a business trip with one night in downtown Chicago, what does one do? Take on the town and it’s claim to pizza fame!

Do you love pizza? Is it just the utter simplicity of the perfect combination of fresh ingredients? Let’s dive deeper here (pun intended). In New Jersey and New York we think we have the best. Honestly, I’ve been to Italy and had absolutely amazing pizza in tiny stalls tucked into lively piazzas with unnamed house wines. But in Chicago, something different happened…

Some incredibly crafty pizza chefs invented what we’ve all come to know as the the deep-dish. There is debate around the origin…some say 1926 by Severio Rosati at Chicago Authentic Pizza…some say it was invented in 1943 by Ike Sewell at the original Pizza UNO, and others report it was Rudy Malnati, UNO’s original Pizza chef.

In any case, it’s a totally different take on the Jersey (ok, maybe New York) style. Sort of upside down, as the thick pan creates more of a pie. The pan must be oiled for easy removal of the finished product, and the cheese and toppings go under the sauce, lest they burn in the 40 minute baking process.
Ok, there’s the background, now onto the quest for the best!
After much asking around and online research I narrowed my choices to 3:

1. The original Pizza UNO on Ohio and Wabash. What a history here! This is the real deal…a warm, authentic ambiance, featuring a tin ceiling, checkerboard tiles and signage calling out Chicago landmarks. I was lucky enough to grab the last seat at the bar and quickly place my order for an individual 7” Numero UNO: Sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms, chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella, and romano.

Biding my wait time, I got a local draft beer and struck up a conversation with Joe, the 36-year UNO veteran, recently promoted from dishwasher to bartender! I don’t know for sure if that’s true, but he had me convinced. When the pie came out I couldn’t wait. Knowing I’d singe the roof of my mouth and ruin the whole night, I did my best to hold back. When I finally dug in it was pure delight.

A nice thick slice piled high with toppings and a tasty sauce. I will say I was a bit disappointed with the crust. It was a bit too flaky and overdone to my taste, but I ate the entire thing (hey, this was research after all). I also kind of missed a generous cheese layer holding it all together, and there were toppings left in the dish that required a fork. I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 to leave some room for the next…

2. Giordano’s on Rush Street. I was told this was the original. I love the signage on the outside, all lit up in neon glory. The interior, however, was huge and very modern, totally trendy with large rooms of tables upstairs and downstairs, and a separate bar area with enormous flat screen TVs.

Again, I lucked out and got a bar seat, and immediately ordered the famous stuffed individual deep-dish, limiting my toppings this time to my favorite onions and mushrooms. After the obligatory 40 minute wait and a glass of Chianti I was not disappointed.

The layers were piled high, with an extra layer of cheese and a slightly thicker crust covered with near-perfect sweet yet spicy sauce. A nice cheese pull between slices made this a real treat and a high recommendation. Let say 4.5 out of 5.

3. My final stop was Lou Malnati’s on North Wells Street. I was told by my hotel this was a local favorite, and I loved the warm, friendly vibe as soon as I walked in. Small and intimate, with a bar centrally located, pampering patrons with awesome attentive service.

Another lucky break to get a bar stool (though it was getting late at this point…after 9pm at least). I immediately ordered the ‘Lou’ – a deep dish with mushrooms and onions, featuring a layer of Roma tomatoes and three cheeses.

But the differentiator here is the signature garlic Buttercrust which put this over the top! Honestly, this was pizza heaven…the perfect, soft buttery crust, layers of cheese for the perfect ‘pull’ and sweet, perfectly cooked tomato slices on top of a sauce spiced with just the right blend of garlic, basil and onion. Here it is folks…my 5 out of 5!

So there you have it, my top three Chicago deep-dish delights ranked for you. It was a close one, and whichever you choose you won’t make a mistake. But there had to be a winner and Lou Malnati’s came out on top for me. Granted, fitting this all in one night (and managing to consume massive quantities of pizza) was quite the challenge, but hey, I’m a team player! Now go out and enjoy…mangia!

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