This week we had our eyes set on “Deep Dish” Chicago style pizza. It had been a while since we sunk our teeth into that stuffed pizza we so enjoy. Our hopes were high after finding a place called Chicago Gourmet Pizza (www.chicagosgourmetpizza.com) in Irving. For those of you that may not know, I was born and raised in the Windy City, and if there is any pizza I would consider myself an expert in, it would be Chicago style. Yes, there are always slight variations, but if you are proclaiming “Chicago” in your restaurant name, you’re going to have a lot to live up to. With that being said... Chicago Gourmet Pizza, was neither “Chicago” nor “Gourmet.” While the pizza wasn’t miserable, those of you looking for Chicago style pizza, read loud and clear THIS IS NOT IT.
Set back off the O’Connor exit of Highway 114, in the parking lot of a Bank of America and A Loft Hotel, the strip shopping center was brand new. Before I walked in the front door, I already had some doubts about the authenticity of the pizza. We called ahead, because if you learned your lesson from Week 11 when we visited Chicago Street Pizza in Plano, this type of pizza SHOULD take about 45 minutes to an hour to cook. After making the call to place our order, we were told the pizza would be ready in 20 minutes.... Yikes, not a good sign.
Inside the restaurant the walls are covered in exactly what you’d expect, Chicago Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks pictures. It isn’t a very big restaurant, and has about 15 tables of 4. A man we assumed to be the owner of the establishment greeted us when we walked in. Very quickly after we sat down he brought over our “Deep Dish” pizza. The place was clean, and overall I can’t say too many negative things about the establishment. (Except my cynicism that the owner has actually ever been to Chicago to compare his pizza to the real thing).
Apart from the atmosphere (which we know is not a great indicator of pizza quality), the pizza itself was edible. Our order was a Large “Deep Dish” Spinach and Cheese ($18), and a small “Classic” cheese ($12). My first thought was that it reminded me of a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. Typically when eating a true Chicago style slice of pizza, you’d be lucky to finish 2 pieces. We had three adults in attendance this week and we cleaned up both pizzas with minimal effort. For the higher price, the pizza was below average, especially considering the number of franchises these days that crank out a comparable pizza for $5. The crust on the Deep Dish was very “bread-like” and did not include the standard handle that peeks over the top of the 2” deep pan. The “Classic” style crust on the cheese pizza was so crispy and dense that you could barely cut it with a knife, and 75% of the cheese had slid to one side of the pie. The kids weren't impressed, and we weren’t either. Had it not been advertised as Chicago style, we might not be quite as harsh; overall the pizza satisfied our hunger, but not much else.
The Final Report: 5.5 out of 10
Our hopes are high that we will find some true “Deep Dish” somewhere in the metroplex, because Chicago Gourmet Pizza, certainly isn’t it. Anybody out there have any suggestions???
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