Chicago - Food & Drink: Deep-dish pizza and hot dogs

With over two million inhabitants, Chicago is the third largest city in the USA. The metropolis on Lake Michigan is not only famous for its breathtaking architecture, but also for its culinary delights.

Deep dish pizza at Giordano's

Chicago's culinary flagship is the deep-dish pizza. If you ask a local where to find the best deep-dish pizza, they'll usually answer "at Giordano's." Unlike its Italian counterpart, which Europeans are familiar with, with a wafer-thin crust, pizza in the Windy City is prepared in a pie-like dish. You can choose from a variety of toppings on the dough, which are then covered with lots of cheese and smothered with tomato sauce.

Shortly before our return flight to Europe, we visited one of the 18 branches in Chicago. The two of us ordered the "smallest" pizza, which according to the menu consists of six slices, and had it topped with ground beef and green peppers. Even if you don't come during rush hour like we did, you can expect a wait of about 45 minutes. The mountain of dough, cheese, and tomato sauce takes time to cook. You should be prepared for this and, like us, bridge the wait with a few delicious beers. The open non-alcoholic drinks are constantly refilled free of charge throughout your visit.

Then it arrived: a cheese and tomato sauce monster come true! The waitress placed the deep-dish pizza on a metal stand between us and served each of us a slice with a pie server. As you can clearly see from the photos, no expense was spared on the cheese, and we had to work hard not to spill it all over the table. The deep-dish pizza at Giordano's (giordanos.com) is definitely a culinary experience. Its flavor is so powerful that the two of us barely managed to finish it.

Hot Dog at Gene & Jude's

The recommendation for GENE & JUDE'S (Address: 2720 River Rd, River Grove, IL 60171, geneandjudes.com) from our hotel's breakfast waitress. According to her, there's no better hot dog in the entire Northeastern United States. In short, I can confirm that statement!

The place doesn't look that special at first glance, but it was very busy. The menu is easy to explain: hot dog, double hot dog, and corn roll. You can also choose from a variety of sides (relish, American mustard, pepperoni, and onions). The dog is also served with freshly cut and fried fries. These weren't crispy enough for my taste, though. All in all, it's very tasty and, at under $3, also reasonably priced.

Hot Dog at Portillo's

You can also find a genuine Chicago-style hot dog at Portillo's (portillos.com). The selection at Portillo's is much larger than at Gene & Jude's. In addition to the dog (which, by the way, should never be ordered with ketchup), the chain restaurant also offers sandwiches, burgers, and salads. I ordered a simple classic hot dog with mustard, relish, freshly chopped onions, tomato, pickle, and pepperoni in a soft bun. For $2.75, you get a delicious meal that will fill you up.

Travel Guide Chicago

For the perfect city trip to Chicago, we recommend this travel guideHere you'll find not only a detailed city map, but also plenty of information on all the major attractions. You'll also find great suggestions for excursions into the outskirts of Chicago.

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