I thought Giordano’s just had way too much cheese on it, myself. My second trip to Chicago starts a week from Tuesday and I’ve decided on trying a thin crust pizza from Rosati’s this time.
Personally, I liked all the cheese on Giordano’s pizza, but that’s just my personal taste.
Let’s just say that when I heard about “stuffed pizza” I was expecting a more substantial top layer of crust. If there even was a top layer on that pizza it was completely subsumed by the inch-tall layer of cheese, and once that stuff starts to cool down it just becomes inedible.
My flight leaves in just a little over 12 hours from now. I’ll post updates over the next few days about how the trip is going and hopefully I won’t wind up in the hospital this time.
Rosati’s is a chain, and isn’t that good, imo. For thin crust you’d be better off opening the yellow pages in your hotel room and picking the nearest corner joint.
From my hotel, Rosati’s and Giordano’s are the two closest “corner joints”, and I wasn’t impressed with Giordano’s. If there’s a non-chain place in the Loop from which I could get a pizza back to my room by foot or bus/train without it getting cold, feel free to recommend it. As is, I was planning on just getting a small thin crust and a small deep dish so my mom can try both styles.
(We’re going to the Italian Village on Wednesday night but probably won’t be getting the pizza there, and we’ll be going to Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Company on Friday, but not for the pizza - I want that giant Italian salad they’ve got.)
When I used to take the train into the city (Rock Island line, it’s a mighty good road.) there was a place just east of LaSalle station that made a pie that was 10x better than Rosati’s. I don’t know the name of the place, but really, it was good stuff. Maybe just take a walk and roll the dice.
I’d vote for Pequod’s Pizza (pan pizza…not really deep dish which is a good thing IMO) while in Chicago (named best pizza in the US by Yelp). It is not close to downtown but it can be delivered (although delivery times can be 2-3 hours…it is a very popular pizza place).
I think it is very, very good.
Pequod’s is the kind with the burned cheese on the edge, right? It looks tasty in pictures, but I’m not sure either of us would be able to chew it (bad teeth).
It is. That’s the best part. 
On Google Maps I see a place called Boni Vino that meets that description, but the pizzas in their pictures look more like the typical New York-ish style you can find in any city.
I’ve been to Boni Vino many times (it is across the street from where I used to work).
It’s not bad but I would not recommend it to people visiting either. I think it is the same decor as when it was opened over 55 years ago.
It was a fine pie, and it was certainly better than Rosati’s!
(Local people fighting over pizza thread! We haven’t had one in weeks!)
If I were planning on dining in, I might consider that a selling point.
Well, we made it to Chicago despite my mother’s constant grumbling and struggling with her multiple overpacked bags. (Never travel with my mother - she’s a grouchy traveler.)
Made it to JP Graziano only to discover they had closed over an hour early, so we’re grabbing some Italian beefs instead.
That sucks. JP Graziano is great.
Italian beef is good but gotta say you were in culinary central* for Chicago. Soooo many fabulous places within a five minute walk or less of JP Graziano. Hell…Lena Brava is across the street (although that is expensive).
That said…it is not cheap eats in that neighborhood. A few blocks away is considered one of the most expensive streets in the US.
*Maybe River North neighborhood would disagree.
My mother does not care for Italian beef. Her loss.
She’s slightly happier about Garrett popcorn.
Where’d you end up for beef? (And I do agree with @Whack-a-Mole both on JP Graziano’s and Pequod’s, though if you have bad teeth and are worried about Pequod’s, I’m not sure JP Graziano’s would have been up your alley. They don’t use squishy Jimmy John’s or Subway bread there. I mean, it’s not rock hard or anything, but it has some chew to it. Still, my favorite sub. For a softer bread, I’d steer you to Alpine Bakery, but that’s western suburbs.)
Indeed, I absolutely love restaurants that are pretty much time capsules from the era they first opened. (I feel the same way about midcentury motels, as long as they are well maintained).
Luke’s. I thought it was good and the giardiniera had a nice kick to it.