Chicago Pizza
 

Tonight, in my effort to find "The Wonderful World of Lou Malnati's" according to a post by DAYDREAM;
I walked from the Westin Michigan up to Rush and over 5 blocks....and then 1 more and one more.....and I saw Pizza Due and knew that UNO was nearby. So........it was about 22 degrees and in Colorado <where can run around in a tee-shirt at 22 and be HAPPY... but the news here is that even at my BEST shopping-pace it was NIPPY> I opted for the immediate warmth of Pizzaria UNO; and the fabulous service of AL behind the bar and JOHN as waiter. The spinach salad was enough to write a chapter not the sweet dressing you settle for normally, but a tight balsamic with fresh crisp mushrooms and crisp bacon....the pizza explains why these east-coast guys call it a "pie". The crust was remniscient of the best chicken-pot-pie the midwest EVER knew; and the tomato sauce and stuff on it was pure italian bliss. Downside....NO CHIANTI!! and I complained eloquently, as John (the waiter) said many people do. Sorry, but beer-n-pizza does NOT apply when the tomato sauce is as evocative as that in northern Italy. I had a great time, reading my "what to do this week in Chicago" mag....and it was a great experience in Chicago overall. Cabs outside whenever you want one, it seems, even when you are only 7 blocks away. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr....I am so glad I went!

I love Chicago pizza... especially Lou Malnati's! I think this might be more appropriate in the FT Dining Forum, however. I'm going to move this over there... and I think you will find a lot of other good dining suggestions for your next trip there.

I need to go over there myself and add comments on the handful of Chicago-land restaurants I tried myself this weekend.

(On an aside, I had hoped to meet up with you on Sunday but you never posted back a time/location where you and SarahWest were going to be. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif)

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Moderator - FlyerTalk Community & Women Travelers

LISAA, you made a wise decision for two reasons. Pizzeria Uno is the equal of Lou Malnati AND Lou's is temporarily closed!! I called there myself this very morning because I was going to visit my sister and niece (about 80 miles west). They like me to bring a partially baked pizza out there and we finish it up in the oven at her home. When they informed me that they were closed to everything but deliveries, I had to call their Schaumburg (land of Ikea) location and pick it up there! You would have been quite unhappy to walk there and find it closed, but you must try it next time and make the comparison.

land of Ikea, good one! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...um/biggrin.gif

Pizza Uno in my oppinion is the one of the best of the best! The service for me lately has been subpar. (I keep having this rather cranky old lady as a waitress!) But the pizza is always incredible, and the chicago atmosphere is ideal for a night out with some friends, or a casual date.

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Ever since I started working ,every day has been worse than the one before. That means each time you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.

Are you speaking of the downtown location on Ohio? I am of the belief that the other chain locations are terrible compared to the Ohio downtown location. I always cringe when I hear someone from another state say they tried Uno's elsewhere.

I most definately mean the location on Ohio! I accept NO substitutes!

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Ever since I started working ,every day has been worse than the one before. That means each time you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.

Well, Pizzeria Due is a good (and the only) substitute!

My favorite 'chicago style' pizza is still Geno's east. Lou's, Uno, and Due are all good too. I used to LOVE MyPi in Hyde Park, but I haven't been there in a long time.

Ain't it the truth!
 

I used to hear commercials for Uno's when I was in BOS and they'd always refer to "Mr. Uno" as the founder and, of course, there was no Mr. Uno!!! :mad:

Also, decided to try Uno's in DC's Union Station and it was sooo awful that I've sworn to never eat at another Uno's that is not the Uno's or Due's in Chicago.

(duplicate) .

I still like the Gino's East on Higgins Road, west of Cumberland (just past the O'Hare Marriott) on the way to the airport. Same great pizza as downtown and less lines :)

I'm pretty sure that all of the UNO"S use the same frozen 'UNO' pizza that you can buy in the supermarket. :( Only the Ohio st. location and maybe a few of the oldest chicago locations make the fresh pies.

Some of us FT'ers got together at Pizzeria Dues and it was damn good! Ask for extra tomato sauce, nice and tart.

Pizzeria Due
619 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago
Tel: (312) 943-2400
Monday through Thursday: 11:30am - 1:30am
Friday: 11:30am - 2:30am
Saturday: 12pm - 2:30am
Sunday: 12-11:30pm

Completely in agreement! It was also nice (since it was a weekday lunch) that they let us pre-order the pizzas.

Note that although they do accept reservations Mon-Thurs, they don't accept them Fri-Sun (despite what they told me on the phone Thurs evening). To their credit, since I'd been told the night before that we could have a Friday lunch res. and I think they did actually find the original pre-order, they did go ahead and give us a res. although we really didn't need it -- I appreciated their flexibility.