Another Chicago "style" pizza thread (Nashville, Phoenix: home, neighborhood)

[Steve-o]

Ok, we're all aware of the deep-dish TRUE Chicago-style pizza, but what about the thin crust pizza? Would a pizza from say, Lou Malnatis or Rosatis, be considered a Chicago-stlye thin crust? Or would that be just a plain-ol' thin crust pizza? Ive had thin crust pizza from many different places in this country and Ive yet to taste any that were remotely close to Chicago's thin crust. How would you classify a great Chicago thin crust? Is it indeed "Chicago style"?

[via chicago]

From wikipedia:

In addition to Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, there is also a thin-crust pizza unique to Chicago, sometimes referred to as "flat" pizza.[5] The crust is thin and firm enough to have a noticeable crunch, unlike a New York-style pizza, yet thick enough to be soft and doughy on the top.
The crust is topped with a liberal quantity of Italian style tomato sauce, which is usually quite herbal or highly spiced, and typically contains no visible chunks of tomato. Next, a layer of toppings is added, and finally a layer of mozzarella cheese.
Traditionally, this pizza is cut into squares, also known as "party cut," as opposed to a "pie cut" into wedges. The consistency of the crust and the quality and quantity of the tomato sauce and cheese are what separate this style from East Coast-, Roman- and St. Louis-style pizzas, and it makes the pizza from neighborhood pizzerias immediately distinguishable from that offered by national chains such as Papa John's or Pizza Hut.
This style of pizza is now spreading due to the expansion of Aurelio's Pizza, a Chicago chain, into Florida, Colorado and a few other states. Additionally, Sweet Home Chicago Pizzeria now sells the authentic Chicago-style thin-crust pizza in the Salt Lake City, Utah, market, as well as Rush Street Neighborhood Grill in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Hearty, coarse Italian sausage is the number-one pizza topping in Chicago.[citation needed] Some restaurants lay on the sausage so thickly that it covers the whole surface of the pizza, like a giant sausage disk. Other common pizza toppings in Chicago include pepperoni, spinach, onion, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms.
It is uncommon to see any sort of California-style pizza toppings on a Chicago-style pizza.

[Scribbler]

Perhaps I'm not discerning enough, but to me, thin is thin wherever.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Scribbler

Perhaps I'm not discerning enough, but to me, thin is thin wherever.

No, not at all, trust me on that. Ever had thin crust pizza in Phoenix, or Nashville? Heck, they cant even do pizza outside of Chicagoland. Thin crust here is mucho bettero than anywhere else, even east coast, but thats just my opinion.

[double d]

I guess we can't take claim to Chicago style thin crust but it really does top anything I've had anywhere else. Thin cracker style crust, I prefer it over the pan or stuffed.

[j33]

I don't know about 'chicago style' but as one who prefers thin crust pizza to thick crust, there are quite a few places who do it well. My favorite however, is Aurelio's in the south suburbs. This is the place I grew up going to, and their "Combo with olives" was a staple of my youth.

[GT28107]

Some of the best thin crust I've had from Chicago comes from Bacci Pizzeria. Bacci Pizzeria - Chicago source for pizza, pasta sandwiches and other Italian food.

Pizza is pretty much like sex; even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. There are a few exceptions (mostly chain garbage like Sarpino's or Little Caesar's).