Genuine Food & Travel Review

Historical Context

One might argue whether or not the deep dish pizza should be considered a “pizza” or is it closer to a casserole dish. However, the deep-dish pizza has been heavily associated with Chicago and its history dated back to 1940s. Some of the names that were associated with this invention were Sewell and Riccardo. They opened a pizzeria together in 1943. Chicago deep dish pizza can be categorized as “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”. Today this dish continues to be popular among the Chicago residents and those who visit Chicago.

Source: https://draperandkramer.com/news-and-insights/the-origin-of-the-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/ , https://www.thespruceeats.com/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza-2708753#:~:text=Chicago%2Dstyle%20pizza%20usually%20refers,the%20oil%20in%20the%20pan.

Value & Vibe

Value: I dont really have a proper benchmark in term of price with other “deep dish pizza” but lets say compare to the other artisan pizza that you may get, the deep dish pizza is a bit pricier. However, the deep dish pizza is quite heavy and filling so you most likely will feel full and stuffed after the meal. The Medium size (serves 3 with 2 slices each) will cost you $26.25USD for Cheese and $33.85USD for the “Lou”. So definitely not cheap comparing to a typical “pizza” but I would say not too expensive for a typical meal for three people.

Vibe: Friendly staff. Be warned that for a walk-in without reservation, you may encounter a wait. We went to the Michigan avenue location and walked in around 5:45pm on a Saturday. We had to wait around 45mins to an hour. In addition, after seated, we also had to wait another 30-40 mins for the pizza so definitely plan some time around it if you are hungry or ordered some appetizers as those come out quite quickly while you wait for the pizza. Overall the staff was super attentive especially given how busy the restaurant is. But do plan for some wait time or consider the locations that offer reservations.

Taste

We ordered a couple of appetizers and chose the “Lou” for the deep dish pizza.

For the appetizers, we ordered Caesar salad and calamari. I thought they were both great!. The Caesar salad was on the colder side but it tasted quite nice and fresh. The calamari itself was decent but nothing too special. However, I really quite like the calamari sauce. Compared to a typical marinara sauce that goes with Calamari, this sauce was quite different. It tasted like a combination of marinara and shrimp cocktail sauce with a bit more spiciness. I thought it was a great sauce and went really well with calamari.

Now moving on to the main dish that we have been waiting for which is the deep dish pizza. Here is the description of the “Lou” from the website – “Spinach mix, mushrooms and sliced roma tomatoes covered with blend of mozzarella, romano and cheddar cheese on garlic Buttercrust”.

I have a mixed feeling about this. The part that I really liked is the distinct freshness and acidity of the tomato that contrasted really well with the cheese, and the butter dough. I thought that this was quite nice. The buttercrust was also incredible, crispy but rich. The part that I am unsure about is that since it has sliced tomato, they did not add as much tomato sauce. In my opinion, it is missing a bit more of a tomato sauce that might be more associated with this type of pizza.

Overall, it was not what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised with the “Lou”. If you are looking for a less sauce-heavy but more freshness from tomato and other vegetables, the “Lou” could be a great option for you. I will need to come back to try another one next time to compare it with this one!

I dont think I can eat the deep dish pizza as an everyday meal due to its richness but it was definitely a great dish if you have it once in awhile when you are looking to treat yourself with a comfort food.

Score

Atmosphere: 8/10 (Prepared to wait for seating but the staff was super nice!)
Price: 6.5/10 (Decent price that will definitely get your family to be full but pricier than a typical pizza)
Taste: 7.5/10 (Tasted great but would love to try the other toppings they offer)

Scale:
Would not recommend: Below 2
Need some improvement: 3-5
Average: 5
Decent: 6
Great: 7
Excellent: 8
Outstanding 9+

Website: https://www.loumalnatis.com/about