The Midwest is famous for its range of exceptional culinary selections and the Chicago area is no exception. With over 2000 pizza eateries in the metro area, it’s easy to find something new and delicious to enjoy. Although most restaurants offer several varieties of pizza, Chicago style is a regional specialty.

Chicago style deep dish pizza was originated by Pizzeria Uno’s founder Ike Sewell in 1943. It is characterized by a thick, buttery crust made with olive oil and cornmeal. After being placed in a heavily oiled deep sided pan, the dough is pulled up the pan’s sides and prebaked. This creates a crunchy, fried texture on the outside of the crust while giving the inside a dense bread like consistency. The crust is then filled with cheese and other toppings with a layer of chunky tomato sauce on top.

Variations on the deep dish style include stuffed and pan pizza. Pan pizza also utilizes a thick crust, but the crust doesn’t extend up the sides of the pan. In addition, cheese is placed over the tomato sauce rather than under as in the traditional deep dish style. Stuffed pizza features a crust that is taller than deep dish. The crust is filled with a high density of toppings, an additional thinner crust is added and the pizza is finished with a layer of tomato sauce.