Hot List: Chef Paul's Top Deep Dish Spots
Mastering Chicago's Deep Dish Legends
By Chef Paul Kasten
When people ask me about Deep End Pizza's two Chicago deep dish offerings, I tell them this: they're not just different recipes—they're entirely different philosophies of pizza-making. Our Chicago Stuffed Deep Dish, inspired by the masters at Giordano's and Nancy’s, can only be served as whole pies because the sheer weight of cheese and toppings would cause any slice to collapse under its own delicious gravity. Meanwhile, our Pequod's-style deep dish—with its caramelized cheese crust and sturdier structure—can hold its shape as individual slices.
But to understand why we serve these two distinct styles, you need to understand the giants whose shoulders we stand on. These seven Chicago institutions didn't just make pizza; they created a culinary language that Deep End Pizza speaks fluently.
Pizzeria Uno
29 East Ohio Street, River North (Founded 1943)
Photo Credit: wikipedia
"Where it all started"
The Uno story begins in Chicago in 1943 when Richard Riccardo developed the original deep dish pizza at the place that would go on to become Pizzeria Uno.
While there was a decades-long debate over whether Riccardo, his partner Ike Sewell, or employees like Rudy Malnati Sr. and Alice Mae Redmond created the actual recipe, what's certain is that this 19th-century mansion at 29 East Ohio Street birthed the deep dish revolution.
It was marketing pro Ike who figured that if you combined some of Italy's old, authentic recipes with impressive quantities of the finest meats, fresh cheeses, ripe vegetables and flavorful spices, pizza would become a hearty meal.
What Uno taught us is that innovation often comes from asking a simple question like: "What if pizza could be a complete meal instead of just a snack?" That foundational shift in thinking—from flatbread to pie—changed everything.
Giordano's
Multiple locations (Founded 1974 on Chicago's South Side)
Photo Credit: cixju.shop
"The First Stuffed Pizza?"
Brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio founded Giordano's in 1974 in Chicago, Illinois. Italian immigrants Efren and Joseph Boglio moved to Chicago to start their own pizza business, introducing their Mama's recipe for stuffed pizza. As their story goes, their mother, Mama Giordano, was famous around town for her exquisite cooking, particularly her "Italian Easter Pie"—a double-crusted, cheese stuffed masterpiece that became a sacred tradition in the Giordano family.
The stuffed pizza at Giordano's has a top and bottom crust with cheese stuffed in between and the option of additional toppings in the middle such as pepperoni, Italian sausage, and spinach, while sauce and parmesan are added on top of the crust. What makes Giordano's revolutionary is that they took the deep dish concept and literally doubled down—adding that top crust layer that creates an entirely enclosed cheese universe.
This is why our Chicago Stuffed Deep Dish at Deep End must be served as whole pies: the structural integrity depends on that complete encasement.
Pequod's Pizza
Multiple locations (Founded 1971)
Photo Credit: @pequodspizza
"For that famous Crispy Cheese Crust"
Since 1971, Pequod's Pizza has served some of the city's most mouthwatering pan pizzas, created by the late Burt Katz. Pequod's was opened in Morton Grove, Illinois by career pizza purveyor Burt Katz.
The pizza artists at Pequod's begin by placing a ring of mozzarella around the rim of the deep dish pan which caramelizes as the pie bakes. What emerges is a dark rim of crispy caramelized cheese that forms thanks to their deep dish pans—it's not burnt, it's pure caramelized perfection.
This technique taught me that sometimes what looks wrong (that dark, seemingly burnt edge) is actually the result of precise temperature control and timing. Burt Katz's genius was understanding that cheese + direct pan contact + high heat = magic. This is exactly why we can serve our Pequod's-style by the slice at Deep End.
Lou Malnati's
Originally opened in Lincolnwood, 1971 (Multiple locations)
Photo Credit: camoloveet.click
"Butter crust & quality tomatoes"
Lou Malnati got his start in the 1950's working in Chicago's first deep dish pizzeria. In 1971, he and his wife Jean opened the original Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Lincolnwood, marking the start of a deep dish dynasty.
Their pizza, notably less dense than Pizzeria Uno's, was filled below the crust's top edge. And that crust, eventually trademarked as "Buttercrust," substituted butter for oil, creating a unique new flavor profile.
Each legendary Lou Malnati's pizza is hand-made from scratch using the finest mozzarella cheese, vine-ripened plum tomatoes, and fresh toppings layered on a buttery, flaky crust.
Lou taught me that subtlety can be just as powerful as boldness. That Buttercrust™ technique—using butter instead of oil—creates a completely different mouthfeel and flavor profile. It's not just about what you put in the dough; it's about understanding how fats behave differently under heat.
Bartoli's Pizzeria
Multiple locations in Roscoe Village and West Town
Photo Credit: @bartolispizza
"Bringing back the OG Gino's East flavor"
After perfecting his grandfather's recipe and deciding the world needed to try it, Brian opened shop.
Located in the heart of Roscoe Village with a second location opening in the West Town, Bartoli's has established itself as a go-to pizza destination.
The Chicago Tribune and USA Today are among those who have recognized Bartoli's pizza excellence.
What's fascinating about Bartoli's is the connection to the original Gino's East—George Bartoli was one of the founders of Gino's East in 1966, along with Sam Levine and George Loverde. They were all cab drivers who knew that opening a pizza place just off Chicago's iconic Magnificent Mile was a recipe for success.
Brian's commitment to his grandfather's recipe represents something profound: the understanding that some techniques shouldn't be "improved," just preserved and executed perfectly.
Art of Pizza
3033 N. Ashland Avenue & 727 S. State Street (Multiple locations)
Photo Credit: @theartofpizzamenu
"Stuffed"
The judges raved about Art of Pizza's near-perfect, golden-brown crust, a terrific base for a tomato sauce that had nice, herby flavors and excellent cheese flecked with dried oregano.
Art of Pizza was voted #1 Deep Dish Pizza by the Chicago Tribune. One of Chicago's most beloved pizza restaurants does pizza by the slice, from thin crust (sausage, pepperoni, or cheese) to stuffed (sausage, pepperoni, spinach, mushroom, or onion).
What Art of Pizza taught me is the importance of consistency under pressure.
Running a slice operation while maintaining deep dish quality requires incredible precision—every pre-cooked pie needs to reheat perfectly while maintaining that perfect cheese-to-sauce-to-crust ratio. Their $3.95 slice price point also proves that quality doesn't always require premium pricing, something I keep in mind at Deep End.
Labriola
535 N. Michigan Avenue (Rich Labriola's restaurant empire)
Photo Credit: @labriolaoakbrook
"A fresh take on Burt's and Pequod's style"
Rich Labriola was born and raised on the East Side of Blue Island. As a child, Rich would hide in the back seat of the car while his father drove to their family pizzeria so he could work side by side with his Dad making pizzas.
The Labriola Baking Company was born in 1993, with Rich, the "Chief Dough Boy", at the helm. In 2008, Rich opened his first restaurant - the Labriola Bakery Café & Neapolitan Pizzeria in Oak Brook, IL.
What makes Labriola significant is how they've modernized the Pequod's/Burt's Place caramelized crust concept within a more upscale dining environment.
They prove that deep dish techniques can evolve without losing their soul. Rich's bakery background brings a different understanding of dough science to the deep dish game, showing me how artisan bread techniques can elevate pizza crust development.
Want to learn more about this legendary Chicago pizza style and its technical differences? Read my complete breakdown in "The Many Faces of Deep Dish" for the full story of this uniquely American pizza tradition.