The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide: A History of Squares  Slices in the Windy City

The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide: A History of Squares Slices in the Windy City

  • Downloads:8631
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-09-11 10:19:01
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Steve Dolinsky
  • ISBN:081014428X
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide is your comprehensive guide to the history of the styles, locales, and people that make the Windy City a prime destination for slices and pies。 Most locals have strong opinions about whether thin, tavern-style, or deep-dish takes the crown, which toppings are essential, and who makes the best pie in town—and in Chicago, there's a destination for every preference。 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago saw an unprecedented number of new pizzerias opening their doors, very few of which focused on the proverbial deep-dish。 Several high-end chefs made the pivot to pizza, and in many cases, brought new ideas and styles, like East Coast Sicilians and thin, crispy (and cheeseless) Roman pies。 With so many slices to try in the city’s seventy-seven neighborhoods, it would seem impossible to find the best of the best。
 
Enter renowned food journalist Steve Dolinsky。 He embarked on a memorable quest for his first book, Pizza City, USA: 101 Reasons Why Chicago Is America’s Greatest Pizza Town, tasting more than 185 pizzas all over the region。 For his follow-up, Dolinsky focuses on the city’s pizzerias, while still honoring a few suburban stalwarts。
 
This user-friendly guide is organized by pizza style—including thin, tavern, artisan, Neapolitan, deep-dish, stuffed, by-the-slice, Roman, and Detroit—so you can find the right recommendation for every family member, visitor, and occasion。 Dolinsky highlights his favorites, offers a pizza lover’s glossary so you can order like a pro, and shows you every pie he ate, so you can compare notes and cook up your next pizza night。 With recipes, local beer pairings, gluten-free options, and more, The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide is an essential resource both for locals and for visitors in search of a serious pizza getaway。

Download

Reviews

Beth

I was amazed at how many different styles of Chicago pizza there were。 I was just familiar with the classic Chicago style deep dish pizza but as I found out from this book that is just the tip of the iceberg。 If I lived in the Chicago area I would make it a goal to check out all the different pizza places discussed in this book that would be a great adventure。 This book covers everything from descriptions and terminology but the best thing is the individual pizza locations and the types of pizza I was amazed at how many different styles of Chicago pizza there were。 I was just familiar with the classic Chicago style deep dish pizza but as I found out from this book that is just the tip of the iceberg。 If I lived in the Chicago area I would make it a goal to check out all the different pizza places discussed in this book that would be a great adventure。 This book covers everything from descriptions and terminology but the best thing is the individual pizza locations and the types of pizza they serve。 The author lists all the locations of the restaurants along with web addresses。 It is very user friendly。 There are pictures of the pizza at each location too。 So if you like pizza and live in the Chicago area this is the directory you need for the best pizza in town。 。。。more

Natalie

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley。I live in Chicago and had the opportunity to see the author when he was promoting his previous book at the Harold Washington Library。 I enjoyed his look at pizza in the city。 This book has a few places he did not feature in the last book which I appreciated。 The one issue with these types of books is that restaurants adapt or close so some of the info is already a little out of date。

Lisa Konet

With my family having Chicago, Illinois roots, still having family and friends there as well as being a traveler to there I had to request this。 Yes Chicago is stereotyped for its deep-dish BUT not many people know they have their thin crust style that rivals New York and New Haven (where I was born and raised: on Sallys Apiizza on Wooster Street, screw Pepe's Pizza) style。 I am sure many of my friends and relatives have eaten pizzas from the restaurants mentioned, it makes me want to do the sam With my family having Chicago, Illinois roots, still having family and friends there as well as being a traveler to there I had to request this。 Yes Chicago is stereotyped for its deep-dish BUT not many people know they have their thin crust style that rivals New York and New Haven (where I was born and raised: on Sallys Apiizza on Wooster Street, screw Pepe's Pizza) style。 I am sure many of my friends and relatives have eaten pizzas from the restaurants mentioned, it makes me want to do the same。 I also enjoyed that this book seemed like a tour of the city with the best food spots to hit。 I also love the recipes。 My dad recently purchased an Ooni pizza oven and I am purchasing this book so we can try the various recipes。 This was so written and fun and makes me even more nostalgic for my favorite city。 Go Bears!Highly recommended for any pizza foodie。Thanks to Netgalley, Steve Dolinsky and Northwestern University Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 10/15/21 (my Chicago grandma's birthday) 。。。more

Cozy Book Spot

I got to try Chicago Style Pizza a few weeks ago and I love it。 When I saw this book I had to request it! I enjoyed reading about all the types of pizzas, the stories, the restaurants and of course see all the delicious food photos。 There are a few recipes and I can't wait to try them。I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 I got to try Chicago Style Pizza a few weeks ago and I love it。 When I saw this book I had to request it! I enjoyed reading about all the types of pizzas, the stories, the restaurants and of course see all the delicious food photos。 There are a few recipes and I can't wait to try them。I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Kim

Everyone that loves pizza needs this book。It is not your average cookbook or coffee table book。 This is for all the lovers of Chicago styles pizzas。All the places to grab a slice and all the varieties might make for a fabulous summer excursion。 I am looking forward to making all the types and visiting all the places next time I am in Chi-town。

Crystal

I'm not sure what I expected when I requested this book, but what I got was so much more! Steve Dolinsky has really made The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide, no joke。 There are charts, glossary, history lessons, gorgeous pictures, and so much information that you won't have to look anywhere else for your questions about Chicago Pizza。 I absolutely love the fact that this book includes recipes for those of us brave enough to take on the art of making a Chicago pizza at home。 This is a book I intend I'm not sure what I expected when I requested this book, but what I got was so much more! Steve Dolinsky has really made The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide, no joke。 There are charts, glossary, history lessons, gorgeous pictures, and so much information that you won't have to look anywhere else for your questions about Chicago Pizza。 I absolutely love the fact that this book includes recipes for those of us brave enough to take on the art of making a Chicago pizza at home。 This is a book I intend to add to my home collection。 5/5 StarsThank you to NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for providing me with an e-arc of his book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Darius Ostrowski

The title is quite accurate。 “The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide: A History of Squares & Slices in the Windy City” by Steve Dolinsky is exactly what it says: a guide to all of the types of pizza one would find in Chicago along with a detailed examination of the best purveyors of those pizzas。As a Chicagoan, I am insulted when the conversation about Chicago pizza starts and ends with deep dish。 As Mr。 Dolinsky frequently points out, deep dish is something that we eat maybe once or twice a year, usu The title is quite accurate。 “The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide: A History of Squares & Slices in the Windy City” by Steve Dolinsky is exactly what it says: a guide to all of the types of pizza one would find in Chicago along with a detailed examination of the best purveyors of those pizzas。As a Chicagoan, I am insulted when the conversation about Chicago pizza starts and ends with deep dish。 As Mr。 Dolinsky frequently points out, deep dish is something that we eat maybe once or twice a year, usually when we have out-of-town guests that specifically ask for it。 So what do we do in between these visits? We eat thin crust, tavern style, Sicilian, and everything else you can think of。 And this is where this book shines。 Mr。 Dolinsky walks through all of the different types of pizza you will find in this city (yes, even deep dish and stuffed)。 A bit of history, backstory, and description gets one warmed up for the real treat in this book – a detailed, place by place guide to the best examples of each type。 Yes, some of the big boys are here (Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, etc。) but it’s the local, the one-off, the mom-and-pop places that really show us the best of the city。 Not only do you get recommendations of places but also specific pies to order。 We also learn about the ingredients, the ovens, the hardware (I ended up buying some pizza pans just because of this book!)。Is this guide perfect? Nope, there’s some minor flaws – if you’re reading it front to back one notices the repetition between sections (when a place is featured for more than one type of pizza), lots on Detroit-style pizza even though it may not be here to stay (a flash in the pan? (HA!)), some of the COVID information may date this book pretty quickly。 I also wish there was more on suburban places, although I understand the author’s reasoning, I believe that Chicagoans will be the largest customer of this guide and therefore they’d be more willing to drive out for an awesome pie。But overall a great guide for one of Chicago’s iconic foods。 Let’s hope Mr。 Dolinsky is working on a hot dog guide next!I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Northwestern University Press via NetGalley。 Thank you! 。。。more

Brandi

An absolute must-read for anyone who loves pizza! I learned so much about different styles of pizza。 I had no idea there was so much to this time-honored treasure! While this is written and geared towards Chicago pizza connoisseurs, it will be appreciated by all pizza foodies。 I really appreciated all the pictures and rich descriptions, especially the glossary。 All the extras, like beer pairings, recipes, and gluten free options are added bonuses。 I will have this handy the next time I visit the An absolute must-read for anyone who loves pizza! I learned so much about different styles of pizza。 I had no idea there was so much to this time-honored treasure! While this is written and geared towards Chicago pizza connoisseurs, it will be appreciated by all pizza foodies。 I really appreciated all the pictures and rich descriptions, especially the glossary。 All the extras, like beer pairings, recipes, and gluten free options are added bonuses。 I will have this handy the next time I visit the Windy City and my pizza craving strikes。 I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given。 。。。more

Joni Owens

Another title for this book could be Chicago Pizza- A Love Story。 The author clearly loves this city and pizza and it shows。 For every type of pizza (Chicago thin, deep dish, Detroit style etc) he tells you were you can find it in Chicago and at the end a recipe to make it。 This book should be purchased along with a Chicago tour guide because you will want to visit these places on your trip。

Amanda Karsh

This is an interesting tourist guide。 I goes into detail on the effects COVID-19 has on the pizza industry。 The photos look not staged, real locations, real pizzas。

Cluny

I put on thirty pounds just perusing the gorgeous pizza photographic illustrations。 As an extremely particular/fussy/persnickity Chicagoland pizza eater, this book has provided me with many new venues to try。 Now if only the book contained the much sought after secret Barnaby crust recipe, I would have given it 100 stars。 Nevertheless, this would make a great gift for pizza connoisseurs。

Courtney

Good guide to Chicago pizza places。 Includes stories, photos, and some recipes。 Great book for pizza lovers and especially those who live in or near Chicago or plan to visit in the future。 Thank you to Netgalley and Northwestern University Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。

Janet

Date reviewed/posted: June 22, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end, you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave ( #fourthwave #fifthwave?) is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan with a kindle。!I requested and receive Date reviewed/posted: June 22, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end, you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave ( #fourthwave #fifthwave?) is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan with a kindle。!I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide is your comprehensive guide to the history of the styles, locales, and people that make the Windy City a prime destination for slices and pies。 Most locals have strong opinions about whether thin, tavern-style, or deep-dish takes the crown, which toppings are essential, and who makes the best pie in town—and in Chicago, there's a destination for every preference。 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago saw an unprecedented number of new pizzerias opening their doors, very few of which focused on the proverbial deep-dish。 Several high-end chefs made the pivot to pizza, and in many cases, brought new ideas and styles, like East Coast Sicilians and thin, crispy (and cheeseless) Roman pies。 With so many slices to try in the city’s seventy-seven neighbourhoods, it would seem impossible to find the best of the best。Enter renowned food journalist Steve Dolinsky。 He embarked on a memorable quest for his first book, Pizza City, USA: 101 Reasons Why Chicago Is America’s Greatest Pizza Town, tasting more than 185 pizzas all over the region。 For his follow-up, Dolinsky focuses on the city’s pizzerias, while still honouring a few suburban stalwarts。This user-friendly guide is organized by pizza style—including thin, tavern, artisan, Neapolitan, deep-dish, stuffed, by-the-slice, Roman, and Detroit—so you can find the right recommendation for every family member, visitor, and occasion。 Dolinsky highlights his favourites, offers a pizza lover’s glossary so you can order like a pro, and shows you every pie he ate, so you can compare notes and cook up your next pizza night。 With recipes, local beer pairings, gluten-free options, and more, The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide is an essential resource both for locals and for visitors in search of a serious pizza getawayI am not a huge fan of deep-dish pizza --- unless it is 2" of cheese (and not 2" of crust)! My name is more thin crust, well done, quadruple cheese, fresh mushrooms (never canned!) 。。。 and please do not blame this Canadian for Hawaiin Pizza!! (FYI - Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian, created the first Hawaiian pizza at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, Canada in 1962。。。and the restaurant is still open 59 years later。。。see my FB and blog reviews for photos of the place!!) I am deathly allergic to ham so I have never tried it but I once had a double-cheese/ double-pineapple when I was PMS-ing and it wasn't bad!Chicago is on our bucket list foodie trip once the border opens up again (and we are not fully vaccinated until August 3, 2021 as the AZ has to be 12 weeks apart and w are not mixing vaccines!) so I am now prepared to eat my way through the city。 DId you know that Starbucks in Chigaco calls the ubiquitous Canadian Double-Double coffee "Cake in a Cup"? I don't disagree!I loved the beer pairings and appreciate the GF versions as we have a coleliac in our household -- GF for vanity's sake is RIDICULOUS! The recipes are well written and understandable by cooks of all levels and the photos make the food very appealing to myself and other lovers of food out there。I especially love the book because it uses mostly whole ingredients instead of pre-prepared and packaged foods。 I do draw the line at making my own cheese beyond a quickly-made mozzarella, and canning tomatoes but the more "ingredients" you use the better。 My one nephew says that I never have any food in my house, only ingredients --- that is why I cook so much。 I also refuse to eat or cook with Frankenfoods such as "chick'n" and its 88 ingredients vs。 🐔chicken🐔 having one and cheese that does not come from an animal is udder nonsense!)I will recommend this book to friends, family, patrons, book clubs, and people reading books in the park as we do … I have had some of my best conversations about books down by the Thames as you would be amazed how many people eat take-out food, especially pizza there!As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕 。。。more

MookNana

Having been away from Chicagoland for 6 years now, this book make me deeply nostalgic and deeply homesick。 To say nothing of hungry! This is a very information-dense guide, best consumed (unlike pizza) in single servings。 The pictures and histories of various restaurants and pizza styles were fascinating。 Working through all of the places in this guide would make an awesome project for a couple or friend group。 This would also be a great gift for anyone new to town。 Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm Having been away from Chicagoland for 6 years now, this book make me deeply nostalgic and deeply homesick。 To say nothing of hungry! This is a very information-dense guide, best consumed (unlike pizza) in single servings。 The pictures and histories of various restaurants and pizza styles were fascinating。 Working through all of the places in this guide would make an awesome project for a couple or friend group。 This would also be a great gift for anyone new to town。 Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dream about my own personal PIGUE (Rosati's forever!) while checking out flights and looking for my stretchy pants。 Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! 。。。more