Chicago Based Pizza Chain Familiarly (2024)

FAQs

What pizza chain is from Chicago? ›

Considered the oldest family name in Chicago pizza, Lou Malnati's is as rich in history as its pizza is in flavor.

Deep dish, the classic Chicago pizza, is a relatively recent invention. Italian immigrants who moved to the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s prepared pizza in the traditional, thin-crust manner.

The most unique and recognizable element of Chicago pizza, deep-dish crust is at least an inch deep, allowing room for extra sauce and toppings. With its even higher crust, stuffed pizza resembles a pot pie or casserole dish more than a New York-style thin-crust pie!

Deep-dish. Chicago-style deep-dish pizza was invented at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago, founded by Ike Sewell and Richard Riccardo in 1943. Riccardo's original recipe for a pizza cooked in a pie pan or cake tin was published in 1945 and included a dough made with scalded milk, butter, and sugar.

Domino's. Since 1960, Domino's has grown to become one of the most recognized and leading pizza franchise brands in the world.

Giordano's is an American pizzeria chain that specializes in Chicago-style stuffed pizza. Brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio founded Giordano's in 1974 in Chicago, Illinois. The pizzeria has since expanded to over 65 locations in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

But true Chicagoans know that the city and its suburbs are actually home to three iconic styles of pizza: deep-dish, stuffed and Chicago thin – AKA: "tavern style".

Chicago deep dish is remarkably distinct from pizza as it's known elsewhere. Baked in a tall, circular pan, it features a thick crust filled with cheese on the bottom, toppings (optional) in the middle, and sauce ladled on top. But here's the tricky thing: Not all thick-crusted pizza in Chicago is deep dish.

Early Italian families served pizza on Taylor Street and the Near South Side. Chicago-style pizza first appeared in fall 1943 with the opening of Pizzeria Uno. Many GIs had been introduced to pizza as they moved up the coast of Italy, and several Chicagoans anticipated that they would want more when they returned home.

Some of the many things Chicago is famous for are: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, jazz music, and 1920s gangsters, for example Al Capone. Chicago is also known for architecture, for example the Sears Tower and museums. It is also known for its loyal sports fans.

What is Chicago pizza sometimes called? ›

Chicago-style pizza usually refers to deep-dish pizza, which is a thick pizza baked in a pan and layered with cheese, fillings like meat and vegetables, and sauce–in that order. The crust is usually two to three inches tall and gets slightly fried due to the oil in the pan.

Good news: you can thank Chicago for the brownie. Bertha Palmer, wife of millionaire hotelier Potter Palmer, cooked up the fudgy squares for the first time at Chicago's Palmer House, just in time for their debut at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. And this is only one of Chicago's famous foods.

Outside of Chicago, the answer to what the true Chicago-style pizza is, is deep-dish pizza: that thick, hearty, cheese-and-tomato pie overloaded with toppings to delicious excess.

One of the hallmarks of the Chicago deep dish pizza is that it has the cheese directly on top of the crust. The cheese's placement helps to create a moisture barrier between the crust and the sauce, keeping the crust crispy, golden-brown, and delicious.

Famous Chicago style pizza is known for being a deep dish. What is deep dish pizza? It's pizza that is baked in a deep, cake-like pan after it's been coated with oil. Cheese is added after the dough is spread out, and the sauce is placed on the top.

You might be wondering, why is Chicago attached to the deep-dish pizza title? That's because it was invented here and loved by so many. Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo invented Chicago deep-dish pizza. These two used their love for business and Italian cuisine and opened Pizzeria Uno in Chicago in 1943.

The deep-dish crust in Chicago pizza is a buttery fortress of indulgence. Made with a combination of flour, cornmeal, and butter, it's a sturdy foundation for the pizza's towering toppings. Some might even argue that the crust is a separate dish on its own – a buttery canvas for culinary artistry.

Lou Malnati's has opened restaurants in three other states: Arizona (7), Indiana (5), and Wisconsin (5).