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I have no problem saying it …
“I’m not a fan of deep dish pizza … never was … never will be”.
It’s not that people don’t like it … there are wars between New Yorkers and Chi-Towners about the pizza in their town and which is the best. I’m lactose intolerant-“ish” … hence I will never get the stuffed crust goodness with extra fat on top of 6000 calories that a slice of deep dish heaven purports to be. That being said, once you’re in Chicago, you have to get a slice at Gino’s, Uno’s, Grimaldi’s or some other “Deep Dish” provocateur.
On this installment of the ongoing “Chicago Deep Dish Adventure”, we decided to slum it down and head over to “The Art of Pizza“.
The dining area is reminiscent of a High School cafeteria. This is definitely not your high end pizzeria like Uno’s – in fact I would say that the décor is sketchy .. like tacky painted murals of an Italian city along with tables and chairs and bare walls. If you opt to dine in, be prepared for a bare bones dining experience.
But like I always say, It’s all about the food … the pizzas here have earned press coverage, Zagat plaques, and a place on numerous best of Chicago pizza lists. They also have salads, sandwiches, pasta, BBQ ribs and daily specials.
You can order whole pies or slices. They have many varieties of pizza to choose a slice from, including thin crust, pan pizza and their famous stuffed crust. The dining room is large, with TVs and shakers filled with parmesan, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Go for the Art’s meaty delight…utterly decadent. And, stick to what they specialize in…the “stuffed” pizza, as they called their deep dish. Appetizers are meh, but they can be when the pie is this good. As you can tell by my pizza .. . it was basically a collection of random meats on a thick huge crust.
Who couldn’t love all that meaty goodness without the extra calories of the cheese .. granted it took me more than a day to eat all the pizza. In fact they were awesome when it came to my ordering cheeseless pizza. It’s really good, not dry like most other establishments, and saves me from a lactose overload.
If you’re looking for the “Art special” slice … here you go – Pan and stuffed pizza by the slice is pretty rare in this town, so Art of Pizza is a gem for just that reason–they have both. The pizza is pretty darn good, and they always have a wide selection of slices.
So the next time you’re in Chicago and you’re looking for a reasonably down to earth piece of deep dish heaven … head over to “The Art of Pizza” … you won’t be disappointed.
