Chicago Part 2 of 8 - my reason for the trip....

...Yup, the pizza!

Pizzaria Due - Chicago Deepdish Supreme

I've been wanting to try real Chicago deepdish pizza.  Before we left home, friends had recommended Gino's East Pizzeria as a family-friendly Chicago pizza place.  Our first night we walked over at 5:00 pm and there must have been 50 people waiting outside the door, in a hale storm.  With a few kids in tow, it didn't seem like a good choice.  So we quick walked back towards our hotel, hoping to find some other pizza place, or anything at that point that didn't have a line out the door.

Chili's.  Not a pizza place but it does have it's perks!

The second night we were in town, we passed Pizzeria Due (pronounced "do-ay") coming back from the Museum of Science and Industry.  After spending all afternoon learning stuff, we were exhausted and agreed that 4:00 central time was a good time for dinner.  No line, which is a good thing. 

Pizzeria Due

Though owned by Pizzeria Uno (established 1943), Pizzeria Due was established in 1955 and operates in the chain's most charismatic location in what used to be a River North mansion.  Both locations are just a few blocks apart, near the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave).

Waiting for our appetizer at a cosy little table - where will we put 2 pizzas?

Our server reminded us that each pizza is handcrafted and takes 40 minutes.  So we ordered garlic cheese bread and a veggie tray.

Veggie tray.  Personally, I think they could have done a nicer job with presentation.  But it hit the spot 

Generic industrial Italian bread with some melted cheese

To keep the peace and ensure some left-overs, we ordered a pepperoni and supreme.

The server wasn't kidding - 40 minutes.  Good thing we arrived at 4:00!



Server cutting the Supreme



I asked the server if corn-mceal was used in the crust, something I had been reading about.  She said she couldn't give away the secret recipe but no, no corn meal, just a standard dough recipe.  She did pass along that they used both veggie and olive oil in the pan to make the crust nice and crispy.

Now between you and me..the crust was a bit bland.  It could be that my taste buds have matured and that I prefer my own cooking (I am old and cranky afterall).  In honor of this trip, I tried my hand at Chicago style deepdish pizza, even thought I'd not had an authentic one before.  http://carfreeinannarbor.blogspot.com/2010/12/chicago-style-pizza.html.

Here's a shot of my Chicago deep dish pepperoni pizza.

My half-wheat seasoned crust, homestyle Chicago deepdish pepperoni pizza

I will add a bit more oil to the pan next time I make a Chicago pizza and a bit more tomato sauce on top.

This is how 2 large pizzas fit on a little table - stacked!

Cheesy!

A good time was had by all and the pizza was good - mission accomplished.

Here's Part 3 of our adventure.

Astrid