Some Reasons We Wish We Could be Home for the Holidays
Well, we're looking at another Christmas here in Cambridge - with all of the wonders that that implies - but without family present. My brother is coming after Christmas for a while (which will be great), but for Christmas itself it'll just be us three. So there's one reason we wish we could be back in Chicago for Christmas.
And just today in the Chicago Tribune, I saw another reason: there has been a spate of openings of better-quality thin crust pizza restaurants, which I won't be able to try out for a while. (I've blogged about my pizza adventures in Chicago earlier.) Chicagoans are learning about the wonders of Neapolitan (and Neo-Neapolitan) style pizza, often from a wood-burning or coal-burning oven. Although I like thick, pan-style pizza too (hey, I'm from Chicago, after all), I really prefer a thinner crust pizza, and that's the kind I am known for making myself. It will be interesting if this will lead to Chicago being known not just for deep dish but also for trademark styles of thin crust pizza as well? It can become a wide-ranging pizza mecca, pushing the envelope on tastes and styles.
Below is a link to a video on some of the new restaurants, courtesy of WGN News:
Thick vs. thin - the pizza war
And just today in the Chicago Tribune, I saw another reason: there has been a spate of openings of better-quality thin crust pizza restaurants, which I won't be able to try out for a while. (I've blogged about my pizza adventures in Chicago earlier.) Chicagoans are learning about the wonders of Neapolitan (and Neo-Neapolitan) style pizza, often from a wood-burning or coal-burning oven. Although I like thick, pan-style pizza too (hey, I'm from Chicago, after all), I really prefer a thinner crust pizza, and that's the kind I am known for making myself. It will be interesting if this will lead to Chicago being known not just for deep dish but also for trademark styles of thin crust pizza as well? It can become a wide-ranging pizza mecca, pushing the envelope on tastes and styles.
Below is a link to a video on some of the new restaurants, courtesy of WGN News:
Thick vs. thin - the pizza war
Labels: personal, pizza, restaurants
posted by Jason at 7:08 AM
6 Comments:
A restaurant not mentioned in that video is an amazing (and reasonably priced) place called Pizza D.O.C. on Lawrence in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. I'm a big fan of their Quattro, but the other pizzas are delish, too.
What's interesting to me about the omission of D.O.C. (and granted, no being downtown, they don't have tourist traffic) is that they've been doing the wood-burning brick-oven, Neapolitan style for years.
I guess the rest of Chicago is catching on.
come to the barrel rolling with us again on boxing day! noon at grantchester
Hey Blue Bag Horse:
You're right, Pizza D.O.C. is great - and so are two others not mentioned: Coalfire Pizza and Spacca Napoli, on the near west side and Ravenswood, respectively. I don't know why they weren't mentioned, they're great! Maybe just because they weren't part of the new wave of restaurants, but were pioneers? Don't know. I've blogged about - and eaten at and enjoyed - all three of these. I'm already looking forward to my next pie!:-D
Maggi:
You bet - it was a highlight of Boxing Day last year! I only saw the sign that the Red Bull yesterday - We'll be there.
Jay -
I finally and actually followed the link to other pizza adventures and saw that you'd been to DOC. I'll have to try the other two you mentioned.
I don't think that Chicago will ever lose its place as home of the deep dish. As anyone who has even only visited knows, there's room here for many different styles and cuisines.
It's part of what makes us so fat.
Cheers and let's hoist another when you get back, eh?
Chris,
Yeah - I am hoping that Chicago, instead of getting trapped in either-or, pan-or-thin wars, actually just becomes a place known for all kinds of GREAT pizza (I quite like both).
And, yes, I am really looking forward to a few rounds with you next time I am in town!
BTW, the funny thing is that Scotland is known for deep-fried Mars Bars - only, it was a joke at first. Then (the story goes) people started visiting and asking for the things, so they started making them, the free market being what it is. I don't think that's the case with deep-fried butter (or deep-fried Coke for that matter).
Post a Comment
<< Home