And just like that, Thanksgiving is upon us.
I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday with the hopes you don’t see a single slice of DiGiorno’s DisGusting (no one has ever possibly made that joke before, right?) Thanksgiving pizza.
Thank you to all my friends who sent me this reel about the classic Pizza Hut. I appreciate you thinking about me and enabling me.
While the interior of the restaurant obviously hits that nostalgic dopamine sweet spot, I’m pretty confident the actual pizza itself probably tastes exactly the same as whatever they serve at the nearest Frankenstein-ed Pizza Hut/KFC/Taco Bell combo space. However, I just might have to find out.
Christmas break is long, man. My kids will be out of school for 14 days. 14! Geneseo, Illinois is only 155 miles away (and practically in Iowa), but I’ve probably driven a lot further for things not nearly as fun as eating pizza.
And while we’re talking classic Pizza Hut I can’t help but think of one of my all-time favorites from The Onion.
And just in case you were wondering what the outside of the Las Vegas arena the Sphere (which is apparently called the Exosphere) would look like all decked out with giant pepperonis, apparently Pizza Hut has you covered there too.
Someone on Reddit used an AI program called Midjourney to create a series of images showcasing the “most average man from each U.S. state” and the Illinois composite is…pretty accurate?
I don’t know WTF is going on with that pizza though?!? It looks like somebody already chewed it.
AI is notorious for having creative blind spots for certain things (like hands and fingers) and if you feel like a nice dose of nightmare fuel for yourself today feel free to click through this link to see some terrifying examples of how computers think we consume Italian food.
A biannual culinary journal called Bon Vivant is taking orders for their upcoming pizza issue.
The description promises pictures, recipes and stories from pizza makers all over the country including local favorites Billy Z, John Carruthers at Crust Fund, and Tony Scardino/Professor Pizza.
I already ordered mine and just got a notification that it shipped today. I can’t wait to check it out and try some recipes!
One the subject of recipes, I had the pleasure of having my first “professional” pizza meeting this weekend with Dan from Casazza House Pizza.
Dan does Detroit-style pizzas out of his Lakeview apartment that he sells through his Instagram one weekend a month.
The pizza? Awesome. Dan? Awesome. And we’re already setting up a few things to do together after the holiday season.
Hit Dan up next time you’re in the mood for some limited edition Detroit-style!
Also, when I was in New Haven everyone kept telling me and Brian we had to check out this place called BAR and try their mashed potato pizza. After committing ourselves to three pizzas in an eight hour span we felt that mashed potato pizza was a bridge too far. Dan just so happens to be from New Haven however, and one of his specials this month was an homage to that very pizza.
Mashed potatoes on pizza? Surprisingly good!
Norwood Park shop Dino’s Pizza is celebrating their Fifty-Five Year Anniversary by offering up all kinds of food specials, giveaways and anniversary desserts for the next few weeks.
Dino’s menu looks extensive and impressive. They do tavern-style, deep dish, something they call “Old World” pan pizza, and have a specialty pizza pocket (one million times yes).
Possibly even better is that they have a two hour all-you-can-eat (and drink) package with customizable options.
Block Club did a nice write up on Dino’s, which includes additional info on the ways the restaurant helps out their community/neighborhood and the time they got a shoutout on Jimmy Kimmel.
A new pizzeria from Vandalay Brands (which is in fact a real company started in 2006) called Napolita just had its grand opening last weekend in Northbrook.
Napolita is a VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) certified restaurant, which means the pizza is made according to 200-year-old Neapolitan techniques and standards. Only wood-fired ovens are permitted and the dough is made of only four ingredients: 00 Italian flour, sea salt, fresh yeast and water.
To some people being VPN certified is a really big deal as it signifies you’ll get as close to a true Italian Neapolitan pizza experience as is possible in America.
Napolita joins a group of eight other Chicago-area restaurants that are currently VPN members, which includes the likes of Spacca Napoli and both Forno Rosso locations (to name a few).
While we celebrate longevity for Dino’s and opportunity for Napolita I also wanted to take a second to acknowledge the Roots Pizza location in Lincoln Square that recently closed.
“Roots [Handmade] Pizza has become a cherished neighborhood spot in Lincoln Square, serving as a ‘second kitchen’ to many,” the owners said in the Instagram post. “We’ve cherished the relationships we’ve built, witnessed children grow from playful toddlers with balls of pizza dough into bright students celebrating academic achievements with free pizzas for straight A’s.”
Roots makes Quad Cities-style pizza, which means the dough is hand-tossed to about a quarter-inch thick (so thicker than tavern-style but thinner than a pan pizza). The pizza is cut into long, thin, slightly rectangular strips and typically done so by custom made pizza cutting shears (so metal!), and the crust is typically flavored with malt syrup or molasses to give it a a sort of toasty sweetness.
Roots still has three other locations in Chicago; West Town, South Loop, and Lincoln Park - but their Lincoln Square location was the only one I’d ever visited.
If you too have children that are going to be all up in your business during winter break, here’s a list of some of the best kid-friendly restaurants in Chicago to take them to.
The lone pizza representative is a place called Ed & Joe’s that’s way down in Tinley Park. I admittedly have a blind spot that far south, so I’ve never heard of Ed & Joe’s, but they have a ton of options including a taco pizza and a cheeseburger pizza. One million percent my kids would eat all of those things individually, but then immediately complain about it if they’re combined together on a pizza.
A list of local spots making fancy versions of the original Italco pizza puff?!? First of all, HOW DARE YOU. And yet, I will absolutely go eat them all.
Want to listen to a podcast all about how the U.S. military spent five years creating battle-ready pizza rations for their soldiers? It’s actually super interesting and you can check it out right here.
Ready to see a lot more Little Caesars locations around Chicago soon? Me neither, but too bad, so sad. Hot-N-Ready will outlast us all.
Pizzeria Uno will also be launching a bunch more locations in the next few years, with an eye toward stashing them in hotels. Did you know Pizzeria Uno is actually headquartered in Boston now?
Looking for a way to upgrade your tomato sauce? The answer is Giardineria. Looking for a way to upgrade your life? The answer is also (probably) Giardineria.
Curious about every state’s frozen pizza preference? WGN has got you. Illinois favorite topping? Sausage. No surprises there.
Want to take a stab at guessing how much money Mike’s Hot Honey brings in every year? WRONG. IT’S 40 MILLION DOLLARS!
Good for Mike. In this day and age where it feels like every major company is trying to be all things to all people, it’s refreshing to see an insanely successful brand that’s based entirely around selling a single product.
If you moved to New York how long would it take you to eat a slice of pizza? Apparently New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner waited two entire years because of his sworn allegiance to Detroit-style pizza.
Not pizza, but still cool!
Toronto loves Chicago (and I love them back). As anyone who has been to both cities can attest, they share a lot of similarities. I’ve visited Toronto four times in the last five years and they have some incredible food/restaurants, however I have never been able to find a really good breakfast there (and thumbs down to Peameal bacon). Know a spot? Hook me up!
Want to hear about another cool city? Pomfret, Vermont recently banned influencers and I am one million percent here for it. They join a quiet (but growing) list of places that have recently decided they’ve had enough. Someone recently asked me why I wanted to be a “pizza influencer” and I recoiled into the shadows like Dracula.
Looking for some cool things to do in Chicago this winter? Here you go.
Did you know there’s over 100 miles of secret tunnels under Chicago? They’re a part of one of the latest civil engineering projects in the entire world and the city has been working on them sine the 70s.
And finally, in honor of the greatest single eating week of the entire year (and so that none of us feels bad about anything we consume within the next few days), here’s the single most disturbing display of gluttony that I’ve maybe ever seen.
A year ago Binging with Babish did a video based off the Mayor’s request from the animated movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (which actually rules).
I still can’t believe he ate it (even if he only took a single bite of the original attempt).
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Ed and Joe’s has good pizza and it’s right next to the Metra station, so kids get to look at the trains, but it’s cramped as shit, so be warned if your kids need high chairs still.
Also, Piece puts mashed potatoes on their pizzas. I like the white with mashpos, sausage, and onion.