Take a trip deep into Chicago

Adopted by the American palate after an initial introduction to the states by Italian immigrants, pizza is now attributed to specific cities in the U.S. by a defining trait — crust. Deep-dish pizza, a circular, pan-cooked, thick-crust pie, originated in Chicago, the Windy City. The dish started as a quick, filling meal for workers during World War II and soon became a staple in the pizza pie realm.

1. UNO Pizzeria & Grill
29 East Ohio
(312) 321-1665
unos.com

UNO Pizzeria & Grill claims to have invented the first-ever deep-dish pizza more than seven decades ago. The eatery’s most popular menu item, the Numero Uno, combines freshly made dough, house-made vine-ripened tomato sauce, sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella and Romano cheeses for the perfect slice.

Photo courtesy UNO Pizzeria & Grill

2. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
1120 N. State St.
(312) 725-7777
loumalnatis.com

For nearly 50 years, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria has been whipping up handmade pizza from scratch. With dough crafted daily in-house, each pizza is flaky, buttery, and prepped to the highest standard. The Lou Deep Dish is a compilation of spinach, mushrooms, sliced Roma tomato and three cheeses.

Photo courtesy of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

3. Gino’s East
521 South Dearborn
(312) 939-1818
ginoseast.com

Since opening its doors in 1966, Gino’s East has been serving its signature golden crust Chicago-style pizza. The Ratatouille Pizza is a delectable vegetarian option; deep-dish crust is layered with spiced eggplant, zucchini slices, tomato slices, and seasoned with garlic, basil, lemon and toasted panko.

Photo courtesy of Gino’s East

4. Connie’s Pizza
2373 S. Archer Ave.
(312) CONNIES (266-6437)
conniespizza.com

An icon of Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, Connie’s Pizza is dedicated to traditional Italian flavor. While Connie’s serves a variety of Chicago-style pizza, the Sausage & Onion is a customer favorite — an assembly of special-blend Italian sausage, sweet onion and mozzarella.

Photo courtesy of Connie’s Pizza