Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

439 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 828-9800

www.loumalnatis.com

Following my trip to NYC, it was clear to me why New Yorkers claim they have the best pizza. Now, I was off to Chicago and was hoping for the for same result. I looked at a few places for my trip and settled on Lou Malnati's based on several reviews, rating, and its proximity to the city center. They have several locations and I'm sure the quality and experience can vary, my choice was on Wells Street.

$5 Stuffed Spinach Bread (7)
I liked this dish for the contrast in texture of the cornmeal crust and the spinach, cheese filling. It also came with a marinara sauce that's quality was so-so.

$12.50 Small Pepperoni and Sausage Deep Dish Pizza with Butter Crust (6)
Where do I start with this one as there were several components to the pizza. I'll go outside in:

The famous butter crust --- I was imaging something buttery as in light and airy and greasy. This was butter as in a dessert tart and hard. I was not a fan.

The tomato sauce --- The use real tomatoes in the sauce and I liked that, but tomatoes have a high water content that ran into the pizza. Again, was not a fan of. Overall, I liked the quality of this component.

The cheese --- A lot of it, but no different than any other pizza cheese. They just put a little more on it.

The pepperoni --- I thought the quality was better than most pizzas, a little thicker and it had a depth to the taste.

The sausage --- The second most disappointing part of the pizza next to the crust. Large chucks, but very bland. It needed fennel.

Yeah its' better than most pizzas you can get in LA, but Chicago definitely should keep quiet when NYC comes calling. I wouldn't go to Chicago just for the pizza and it shouldn't be their claim to fame. I'll try a different spot next time, probably Burt's Place and take in the hot dogs. And of course another trip to Alinea.