They don’t call it “Uno” for nothing
My sister, Flava Flav, came from L.A. to visit me for the weekend. It being her first time in the Windy City, I felt it my sisterly duty to introduce her to some of Chicago’s signature fare. On the menu: deep dish pizza.
Now, introducing a unique regional dish or cuisine to an inexperienced diner is a fine art. You can’t talk up the food too much before they try it; the food should speak for itself. You also can’t make excuses for unique characteristics of the food or the establishment. Finally, and most importantly, you must take your subject to the eatery that produces the finest example of the dish. And for deep dish pizza, that’s Pizzeria Uno.
Empanada Boy and I first discovered the beauty of Pizzeria Uno (and neighboring Due) when my parents came to town. It’s not that we hadn’t heard of the place— this is arguably one of the most famous restaurants in Chicago, the site where deep dish pizza was invented back in 1943. We were just skeptical that such a tourist phenomenon could actually be good. EB had also tried the inferior pies at one of the Uno franchises in Madison and was disappointed.
We ordered a large spinach pizza and had to bide our time for an hour before a table opened up. We had to wait an extra half hour more once we sat down. I think they make the wait so long because they want you to order more appetizers and drinks, but if you know what’s good for you, you abstain. This is the cake of pizza, and once it comes, it will fill you up quickly.
The spinach pie was worth the wait. The dense, crunchy crust is so rich it tastes more like pastry than bread. In an order that goes against the common assembly of pizza, the crust is covered with the mozzarella and then topped with a layer of sweet, tangy basil tomato sauce with many of the skinned Roma tomatoes still partially intact. Next comes the spinach, which is generously sprinkled with a layer of Parmesan.
After a long day of touring the city and waiting for the pizza, the three of us managed to eat all but one piece. Then it was time to roll ourselves home for a nap. Eating deep dish pizza is not an everyday affair for me, but it is a special treat that reminds me what makes Chicago unique. I think Flava liked the pizza too, which was, in a way, a nod of approval for the city I now call home.
Pizzeria Uno
29 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60611
312.280.5120
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Empanada Boy said,
November 19, 2006 @ 8:17 pm
Those of you who have visited Pizzeria Uno anywhere but the original location in downtown Chicago and have been disappointed (you’re not alone) should note that it’s a drastically different product served at the chain’s flagship location. You shouldn’t be discouraged from trying it next time you’re in the Windy City, if you never have.
I never bothered going to Pizzeria Uno during any of my many, many visits to Chicago prior to living here (it’s a short skip-’n-a-jump from Madison where I grew up), or during my stint living in Chi-town during the summer of ’98 because I had tried franchise locations of Uno’s in both Madison and New York City when I lived there, and found the pizza truly disappointing– Pizza Hut-esque! As a result, I even rolled my eyes last fall when Mango Lassie suggested we take her parents to Uno’s to show them some good Chicago-style pizza pie, because I thought that Calo, Giordano’s, or Gino’s East would be more authentic and delicious. How wrong I was! The original Pizzeria Uno is the gold standard for Chicago-style and no one should confuse what you get at a Pizzeria Uno franchise for what you would get at the lil’ old brick building at the corner of E Ohio and Wabash.
Flava Flav said,
November 22, 2006 @ 12:38 am
My trip to Chicago would have been incomplete without a nice serving of deep dish pizza. I am not an expert on the cuisine, however I very much enjoyed the meal, and it was only improved by the delightful company of the Mango Lassie and Empanada Boy!
» Top Chef in Chi-town said,
March 23, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
[...] All it took was the first shot of the Chicago skyline and the season’s opening scene inside Pizzeria Uno to get him [...]