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Originally Posted by C.
This is really just a ploy to gain info on Chicago pizzerias for when I visit this spring, but it would be fun to see what else is out there.
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Chicago is famous for deep dish/stuffed, but there's also tavern style (thin cracker crust, cut in small squares). Deep dish is easy to get downtown, but the best tavern style usually requires a trip to the city's outer neighborhoods so it's understandable why tourists don't get it much. Regardless of style, it seems a lot of Chicagoans enjoy pizza that is well-done, with lots of chewy scorched mozzarella.
Pequods is a great place for deep dish, they have a unique caramelized crust with sauce on the spicier side, and the Lincoln Park location isn't too hard to reach for visitors. They're also famous for long waits, so keep that in mind. Apart from that, I genuinely like Lou Malnati's even though it's a chain. There are several locations around downtown.
If you want to try tavern style without schlepping out to the far reaches of Mayfair or Ashburn, and you're staying near downtown, then delivery is your best option. Pats Pizza in South Loop and Petes Pizza in Bridgeport both offer delivery of tavern-style pizza to downtown. They're pretty much delivery-only places, so you can't really dine there. Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport also offers this style of pizza, but it's more of an homage to tavern style than the real deal. They lean heavily into the well-done aspect.
My personal favorite is neither deep dish nor tavern style, but bakery style... it is similar to Sicilian pizza or what New Yorkers call "grandma style pizza". D'Amatos on Grand is close to downtown and serves this style, but since it's a small bakery you must eat it on the street, or they have sidewalk tables in summertime. A D'Amatos slice fresh out the oven with some cold iced tea and a cannoli to finish is an experience that can't be beat.
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