Deep dish pizza at Pizano's, one stop on the Chicago Pizza Tour. (Courtesy Chicago Pizza Tour)
CHICAGO — “Who had breakfast this morning?” asked guide Greg Farrand.
No one in our group of 20 raised their hand.
I guess we all got the memo. When you go on a pizza tour of Chicago, it’s best to start with an empty stomach.
“We’re going to have a lot to eat today,” Farrand said. “I’m not going to tell you how much. Calories don’t count when you’re on vacation.”
Four hours and six pieces of pizza later, I sure hope he was right.
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Pepperoni and ricotta pizza at Coalfire in Chicago. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
Every time I travel to Chicago with my husband, he insists on deep-dish pizza — even though, as we discovered on this tour, deep-dish pizza is not the most popular pie in town.
It was invented here, which is why many tourists are justifiably confused.
Chicago Pizza Tours founder Jonathan Porter said he started his company in part to clear up those misconceptions.
“I thought that Chicago Pizza is such a thing, that there could be a great way to showcase what it is and get past the stereotype that it is only deep dish here,” said Porter, a Chicago native who launched the company in 2010. “I have a huge appreciation for pizza. It has always been a huge part of my life and I associate many family memories and celebrations with pizza being the backdrop.”
We hit four restaurants, tried four very different styles of pies, visited four distinct neighborhoods, all while learning a bit about the city’s history. If you can think of a better way to spend four hours in Chicago, let me know.
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Pizano's, on Madison Street in Chicago's Loop. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
We started our tour at Pizaono's Pizza and Pasta on Madison Street in the Loop, owned by Rudy Malnati Jr. Chicago pizza nerds will recognize his name — he's the half-brother of Lou Malnati, founder of a popular chain of pizza restaurants in the city.
Their father, the late Rudy Malnati Sr., is one of the godfathers of Chicago deep dish, a longtime chef at Pizzeria Uno, where deep-dish pizza was born in the early 1940s.
Ike Sewell, the owner of that first Pizzeria Uno, was a Texan who subscribed to the motto “everything’s bigger in Texas,” according to Farrand. So Sewell supersized his pizza, which up until then had been considered more of a snack than a meal.
Prepared in a round, cake-like pan, deep-dish pizza has a crust that’s as high as 2 inches, with cheese and sauce and extra toppings piled in the center.
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Serving seconds at Pizano's, a stop on the Chicago Pizza Tour. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
The deep-dish pizza we sampled at Pizano’s was the simplest of versions, with a thick layer of cheese, topped with a basil garlic tomato sauce.
“I don’t want to play spoiler but it’s the best cheese we’re going to have today,” said Farrand, describing the whole-milk mozzarella that’s shipped in weekly from Wisconsin.
As for the crust, Farrand said only three people know Pizano’s recipe: Rudy Malnati Jr.; his mom, Donna Marie; and Cesar, who does the ordering for the restaurant. As with most deep-dish crusts, the round pan is coated with oil, which makes the dough crispy when cooked, like a cracker.
We also sampled the restaurant’s signature thin-crust pizza, cooked in butter and offering a richer, more delicate flavor.
Full after our first stop, I made room for more.
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Flo's Polish Pizza at Flo & Santos in Chicago. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
Our second stop, Flo & Santos, featured a couple of unconventional choices: Flo's Polish , topped with kielbasa and sauerkraut; and Marco's Italian Beef, with shaved beef, giardiniera and hot peppers.
Flo & Santos, in the South Loop neighborhood, serves tavern-style pizza, which is what many purists would argue is the most authentic Chicago pizza. With a thin crust and cut into squares, this pizza was traditionally served on napkins, as a snack. Bars gave it away to keep people drinking, Farrand said.
Capitalizing on their Polish and Italian roots, the owners devised a menu emphasizing pizza and pierogi, which most Clevelanders would probably agree is a can’t-miss combination.
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A winning combination at Flo & Santos in Chicago. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
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Pequod's pan pizza, loaded with sausage, was the favorite on our tour. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
Our third stop was our group's collective favorite: Pequod's Pizza, in the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood, north of downtown. (Named after the whaling ship in Moby Dick, Pequod's was clearly founded by a most literary restaurateur; his other eateries were Gulliver's and the Inferno.)
The pies here are pan pizza, not quite deep dish but definitely not thin crust. The thick crust here is coated with cheese, which creates a caramelized exterior (some might call it burned). The stuff of dreams.
We had large chunks of sausage on our pizza here, the topping of choice for most Chicagoans, according to Farrand, which makes Chicago one of a handful of cities where pepperoni is not king.
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Chicagoans wait in the rain for Pequod's Pizza on a recent Saturday. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
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Pizzas at Coalfire spend 2 minutes in the oven. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
We ended our tour with another less-conventional choice: Coalfire, a few blocks from Wrigley Field, serving thin-crust pies straight from an 800-degree oven.
A coal oven can get hotter than wood fire, Farrand said, and without any unwanted moisture. Pizzas here take 10 minutes from order to table, spending just two minutes in the oven. The result: a light, slightly charred crust that’s crispy and chewy at the same time, with the freshest toppings, including ricotta cheese and black garlic.
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Thin-crust Coalfire pies, ready for eating. (Courtesy Chicago Pizza Tours)
Farrand told our group that Coalfire was named Chicago's best pizza by Chicago magazine in 2015.
“We’re having the best on this tour, I promise you,” Farrand said, as we made our way back to our downtown starting point.
He pointed out that Chicago has more than 2,200 pizzerias (!), which Chicago Pizza Tours has narrowed down to a couple dozen partner restaurants, four of which are featured on every tour.
And while I might quibble with Chicago magazine’s ranking — I liked Pequod’s better — I was in no position to debate. I was way too full to argue.
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Guide Greg Farrand welcomes tourgoers to their last stop on the Chicago Pizza Tour. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
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The Black & White pizza at Coalfire. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
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Tourgoers gather at Macello, one of numerous Chicago pizzerias included on the Chicago Pizza Tour. (Courtesy Chicago Pizza Tours)
If you go: Chicago Pizza Tours
The Original Chicago Pizza Tour is offered most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 11 a.m., with additional dates available during the holidays. Price is $60, $36 for ages 6 to 12. Additional tours, including a Pizza and Cocktails Tour, are available.
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Read more about Chicago
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Andy Warhol images illuminate the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, part of Art on theMART. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)
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