More Deep Dish nonsense in Chicago – The Art of Pizza

 2011, 3 - Food - Toys - Tech, 4 - Consulting Lifestyle, U.S.  No Responses »
Nov 082011
 

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.

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Freezing in Chicago …

 2010, U.S.  2 Responses »
Jan 252010
 

One mantra you learn in the US is “Take your ID when you go out”. I generally try to remember this rule, but when one changes pants and rushes outside for some drinking, things have a tendency to be left behind, the wallet didn’t make the cut. In Chicago, one can assume that they card everyone, since my three coworkers knew the drill and pulled out ID as soon as they walked in, and obviously without ID, one is generally refused admission to the bars. After braving the wind and the cold mist from the river, being refused entry because of a lack of ID left a bitter taste and irritated me to say the least. Thankfully, as a tourist, I did know well enough to bring my camera knapsack. So to make lemonade from a particularly sour moment, I left the bar and started walking randomly down the street and ended up on the “Magnificent Mile”. It was practically deserted because of the bitter cold.

So after freezing and getting a lovely facial windburn, I happened to “stumble” on the John Hancock Center. Now “stumbling” here refers to the fact that I had no plans or idea that I would be here for the evening. As I walked down the steps off of Chestnut St and past the Cheesecake factory, an intense burning sensation went through the fingers on my right hand from wind exposure. Definitely not a good sign, but there was ample heat in the Hancock Center, so I warmed up quickly.

After paying my 16$ and ambling past the bored staff, there was no noticeable line-up and no question; just me, the headphones I got at the main elevator and then the handy audio guide I got when I got upstairs. The audio tour was narrated by David Schwimmer or better known as “Ross” from ”Friends”, and it definitely is a very good tour device.

The one benefit of a windy and cold night was getting the entire run of the place.

As it was such a cold windy night, I was told that there was 20 mile visibility in all directions. Of course, I wanted to see the view without the glass barrier, which you can do from the Skywalk. However getting through the revolving door on to the Skywalk did bring me back to my senses, as the wind tends to be quite strong at that altitude.

After having the run of the place, it was time to get back to street level and face the cold winds again. 25 mins later, it was time for  cab back to the hotel.

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