My husband and I have lamented over the lack of Chicago-style pizza places quite often, and some helpful but generally clueless soul always makes a recommendation of "the best pizza place" that ends up being a New York-style joint. We've tried to describe Chicago-style pizza to people who've never had it, but that usually ends up with people thinking it's some sort of double-dough thick crust pizza, made with two New York-style pizza crusts on top of each other. Not even close.
We have a lot of brick oven pizza, and even more New York uber thin crust pizza. It's not that I have anything against New York-style pizza, it's just not my preference. I don't like to fold my pizza like a taco and eat it, and nobody's going to change that. And the difference between New York-style pizza and Chicago-style pizza is not thin versus thick crust, or really even thin crust versus deep dish, which most of the people around here seem to think is the case. No. No no no.
I remember watching something on Food Network or Cooking Channel or maybe Travel Channel about how the water makes a difference in the flavor of New York pizza crust, and that's why each pizza joint has a slightly different flavor. Apparently New York pizza is all about the flavor of the crust, which makes sense when the pizza is pretty much just flatbread. This is also why the mistake is made when trying to compare New York and Chicago-style pizzas and the resulting misperception that the dough in a Chicago-style pizza is thicker because it's deep dish, and therefore the most important part of the pizza.
Chicago-style pizza is not about the crust.
Oh sure, the crust is distinctive because it kinda looks like a pie. And Chicago-style pizza is often referred to as "stuffed," but the reality is that if you can taste a top crust, it's not true Chicago-style pizza (and a lot of places don't actually use a second top crust either). And the crust can make a difference in the overall flavor of the pizza, but really, if the pizza is made right, you don't really taste the bottom crust.
Crust is a really funny word.
No, this pizza is all about the toppings - the sauce, the cheese, the spices, the meat - because it is almost entirely made of toppings. In my opinion, the crust on a Chicago-style pizza is the equivalent of the crust on any pie - something to hold in all the good stuff, and almost completely unnecessary, especially when there's all that good filling. Look at all that cheese! Look at all that sauce! Yummmm. I'm in heaven just looking at it. Maybe it's because I have Wisconsin roots, but there's something about how that inch of cheese is just stacked on itself that makes my mouth water. And the sauce - this is where I think Chicago-style pizza places differ. The sauce is about creating the right consistency and the right balance of seasonings to complement all that cheesey goodness.
Clearly this isn't a pizza that just any place can make - it's a special dough, cooked in a special pan, and nobody in Charlotte knows how to do it right - I don't think anyone even understands it, let alone attempts it. Charlotte has all sorts of amazing restaurants but not one Chicago-style pizza place to satisfy my craving, and that is definitely a drawback to Charlotte. On the other hand, it gives me something to look forward to when we head back to the Midwest for visits.
If someone wants to franchise a Giordano's down here, you'll make a fortune. And I'll love you forever.
Wow, I am obviously a shameful Illinois resident. I find Chicago-style pizza nasty. That New York style pizza you were just describing actually sounds better to me (though I admit I've never had it).
ReplyDeleteI blame the Iowa in you :)
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