REALLY GREAT PIZZA
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Spacca Napoli - My personal favorite Neapolitan spot in the country -- about as Italian as the pizza gets over here. I don't think anybody cares about pizza more than owner Jonathan Goldsmith and I know that nobody has a better story about how they got into the business.
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George's Deep Dish - The newest on this list and the new king of thick. A sourdough amalgamation of the best of the different Chicago Deep Dish styles in one delightful package.
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Lou Malnati - Oh look, another guy not from Chicago saying you gotta try Lou's. How revolutionary. I don't care, go pay your respects and order the butter crust. Also, feel free to take one home on the plane, deep dish is harder to kill than a werewolf.
Labriola Cafe - I think It's got a thinner, bread-ier crust than other places while still maintaining all the other qualities you want from Chicago gut bombs.
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​Pat’s - This isn't everyone's favorite thin-crust Chicago bar pie, but it's mine. Don't get mad at me but I always describe it as the very, very best possible version of a frozen Tombstone pizza cut into squares.
Vito & Nick’s - This is the Chicago thin-crust that is publicly acceptable to love. And that's fine because it's great, the dive bar atmosphere is perfect, and it's semi-on-the-way to the airport.
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Milly's Pizza in the Pan - This is probably the most experimental deep dish has ever gotten.
Pizza Friendly Pizza - I think Chef Noah Sandoval (from Michelin darling Oriole) is the only fine dining person who came to pizza late and was able to compete. Light Sicilian squares with great toppings and combinations, and I hear they are doing thin crust now, too.​
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Pizano's - I get this for the plane if I don't get Lou's. I'm always surprised how different it tastes even though it looks roughly the same and is from the same lineage. I think the tangy cheese stands out in a good way.
Piece - It's the best New Haven style pizza I've ever had...in Chicago. I think of it more as a beer hall but if I lived here it would be in heavy rotation.
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Paulie Gee's Wicker Park/Logan Square - Wicker Park is a great slice shop that has my favorite NY-style in the city. Logan Square has good wood-fired pies, but the real star could be the Detroit Style squares owner Derrick Tung cooks up.
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Uncle Jerry's Pizza Company - This mom and pop Lou-esque deep dish pie is probably best pizza possible if you live an hour outside the city in Cary, IL. It's definitely good, but I don't think it's worth the drive like others do.
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Bungalow by Middle Brow - Just your requisite hipster sourdough Neo-Neapolitan pizza that is definitely good, but not as good as it should be given the amount of care they put into it. Supposedly the tavern style pies they do on Tuesdays are best in class, I'll definitely revisit for those.
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Roots - Are you a completist like me? Do you need to check Quad Cities Pizza off your list? Are you looking for a place with a dense, sweet crust that doesn't taste like any other pizza? Here you go.
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Art of Pizza - It's been years since I had it but it was the best stuffed crust I've tasted. Supposedly they've gone down hill, but if you're clamoring to be comatose, this might still be your best option.
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Pequod's - Pequod's finally started to make a strong name for itself in the last decade, but it has weirdly fallen off in recent visits. I'm still not ready to move it down though. It's a semi-thick pan pizza with spare toppings (for deep dish) and a glorious ring of charred cheese that will own you.
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Kim's Uncle, Professor Pizza, New Burt's, Robert's, Bartoli's, Connie's, Forno Rosso, Home Run Inn, Louisa's (this one hurts), Naudi Signature Pizza, and countless others. For this we can all blame Daniel Zemans, who chooses every one of my meals when I enter the city.
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NOT FOR ME
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Bonci is life-changing in Rome but not in Chicago. Gino's East is no longer viable option. People love Coalfire Pizza, I do not. Never got the feels from Nella. I didn't like Giordano's when I had the taste buds of a teenager. And I wouldn't do Pizzeria Uno, although I heard it was on an upswing.
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