I tried Chicago's famous deep dish pizza for the first time and was not impressed
- As born and bred New Yorker, I tried Chicago's deep dish pizza for the first time.
- I went to the famous Lou Malnati's in Chicago and was surprised to find it was a chain restaurant.
- The crust of the deep dish pizza was tasty, but the sauce and cheese left a lot to be desired.
When I traveled to Chicago for the first time a few weeks ago, I knew I had to try the city's famous deep dish pizza.
As a New Yorker, I grew up eating countless cheese slices, Sicilian slices, and margarita pies at pizzerias all over the city and Long Island.
However, nowhere in New York could I get a proper deep dish pizza, so on a recent trip to Chicago, I decided to get my hands on the famous Midwestern pizza.
While exploring Chicago, locals told me I had to visit several deep dish restaurants in the city.
Everyone I spoke to had a different opinion. Some said I had to try Lou Malnati's, while others said UNO had the best deep dish. The city also has Gino's East and Giordano's, which both are supposed to make great pizza as well.
After doing some research, I decided to try Lou Malnati's deep dish because it had several locations throughout the city.
I arrived at the Lou Malnati's near the Magnificent Mile and was surprised to find it located in an elaborate building.
Some of the best pizzas in New York are located in small, hole-in-the-wall shops, so I was surprised to see Lou Malnati's located in such a beautiful location.
When I entered the establishment, I was again surprised to find a restaurant and not a quaint pizzeria like I'm used to in New York.
I was expecting Lou Malnati's to be a small pizzeria, but it actually is a sit-down restaurant. In fact, it felt more like a chain restaurant. When I sat at my table, it felt like I was at an Applebee's or Friday's.
Lou Malnati's even had a gift shop.
If so many locals didn't recommend Lou Malnati's to me, I would have thought I made a mistake and ended up in a tourist trap.
When I sat down at my table, I first ordered the garlic bread, which was delicious.
The garlic bread had the right amount of tangy flavor and moist goodness, while the sauce was perfectly seasoned and delicious.
This appetizer got me excited for the deep dish pizza.
I ordered the personal-size deep dish pizza and thought it was perfect for just one person.
The deep dish cheese pizza came in four sizes, but I chose the personal, which cost $10.
When I took my first bite of the pizza, I loved the crunchiness of the crust, but something was lacking.
The crust was buttery, crispy, and flavorful, but the tastiness of the pizza stopped there.
The crust certainly was deep but the sauce and cheese fell flat.
The sauce had large chunks of tomatoes, which I hate, and it wasn't as flavorful as the dipping sauce that was paired with the garlic bread. Natalie Levy, the pubic relations manager at Lou Malnati's, told me the restaurant's sauce is sweeter than most and that they do offer a chunk-less sauce option.
As for the cheese, it tasted like packaged string cheese to me and left a lot to be desired. But Levy said the cheese is a special blend of mozzarella and Wisconsin that "millions of people love it every year."
"We take a lot of pride in our ingredients, and the quality is important to us," Levy said. "That's one of our most important values."
Overall, my first experience with Chicago's deep dish pizza did not live up to the hype.
Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza had a great crust, but the sauce and cheese made this pizza a miss for me.
But, my hopes aren't dashed. Next time I'm in Chicago, I'll try a deep dish pizza from another restaurant.
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