Deep-Dish Delights and Pasta Dreams: A Delicious Celebration of American Cuisine in Chicago!
by Stefanie Michaels
If you’re active on social media, you probably know the urge to let your phone eat first. There’s something about wanting to remember those meals that remain unforgettable. So, it’s no wonder hashtags such as #yummy and #foodie garners millions of views.
Food is one of those things that join us together, after all. Imagine sitting with friends at one of the Windy City pizzerias macking on a deep dish pizza or two! The late culinary legend James Beard said it best, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
Those who have made some dishes and cocktails featured in the images you’ve admired will be honored at the James Beard Foundation (JBF) Awards ceremony. It is happening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 5th.
If you aren’t familiar with the JBF Awards, think of the ceremony as the Academy Awards of culinary excellence. But, whether you attend the ceremonies or want a weekend getaway in the nation’s third-largest city, there are plenty of reasons to book those flights.
Eat
Chicago has more than its fair share of acclaimed dining options. A few that should top your list to savor also come with Michelin-starred excellence.
Chef Zachary Engel features Middle-Eastern cuisine at Galit in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. At the same time, Esemé joins the award-winning ranks within the same neighborhood with the season’s best ingredients. As so does Chef Andrew Zimmerman at Sepia in the Warehouse District.
Play
See why some of Saturday Night Live’s roster of top-rated comedians hail from The Second City. Or, get a first-hand perspective of why blues music is a thing at Chicago’s longest-running blues club – Kingston Mines.
But, for a whole other view of Chicago, hop aboard an architectural boat tour to explore the various architectural styles that Chicago’s skyline boasts along the banks of the Chicago River.
And, regarding Instagram-worthy selfies, you’ll look no further than a quick snap at The Bean (Cloud Gate) in Millennium Park.
Stay
From the centrally located Renaissance Hotel to the more intimate setting of the six-room stay at Logman and Eagle, Chicago has over 40,000 hotel rooms.
And, with plenty of direct flights from Los Angeles, Chicago is one of those destinations that you can return to time and again and not see or experience the same thing twice – unless you choose to do so.
It’s why Mark Twain once wrote, “She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time.”
Did you know?
Chicago’s culinary scene is renowned for its deep-dish pizza, a thick, hearty pizza with a high crust filled with cheese and toppings, and typically served in a round, deep dish. Some of the city’s most famous deep-dish pizza spots include Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, and Uno Pizzeria & Grill.
However, Chicago’s culinary scene offers much more than just deep-dish pizza, with a diverse range of cuisines and innovative chefs pushing the boundaries of traditional dishes.
A little history:
Chicago’s deep-dish pizza dates back to the early 1940s. According to legend, the first deep-dish pizza was created at Pizzeria Uno, which Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo opened in 1943.
Sewell wanted to develop a pizza different from the traditional thin-crust pizza that was popular then, and he came up with the idea of a pizza with a high crust that could hold a lot of toppings and cheese.
Sewell and Riccardo worked on perfecting the recipe for their deep-dish pizza, experimenting with different crusts, sauces, and toppings. They eventually settled on a formula that featured a thick, buttery crust made with cornmeal, a layer of mozzarella cheese, a layer of toppings such as sausage or vegetables, and a thick layer of tangy tomato sauce on top.
The deep-dish pizza quickly became a hit in Chicago, and Pizzeria Uno became a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
Other pizzerias, in the city soon began offering their own versions of deep-dish pizza, and it became a defining dish of Chicago’s culinary scene.
Over the years, Chicago’s deep-dish pizza has continued to evolve and innovate, with chefs adding new ingredients and experimenting with different styles and techniques.
These days, the city’s culinary scene is known for its diverse range of cuisines, but the deep-dish pizza remains one of its most iconic and beloved dishes.
