Top 5 pizzas in Chicago

Top 5 pizzas in Chicago
Top 5 pizzas in Chicago

Top 5 pizzas in Chicago

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

All this week, I’m recapping some of our favorite Top 5s from the past year.  Since we highlighted what is - in our opinion, at least - the most overrated pizzas in town yesterday, we thought we’d share our favorites today.  Let the intense debate begin…

#1 Great Lake Because Nick Lessins makes a dough that is ethereal: complex, slight chew, great complexity, just enough salt and moisture content; his toppings reflect the seasons and he makes each pie himself.

#2 Burt’s Place in Morton Grove Because even though this is the precursor to Pequod’s, I still find Burt’s version superior - not sure if it’s the seasoned pans or the chunky tomato sauce or both - and the crust has a richness while maintaining a good chew.

#3 Castel Gandolfo Because they make their cheese from scratch, and use it judiciously on their blistered pies.

#4 Macello Because they know how to use burrata on a pizza (like Nancy Silverton at L.A.’s Mozza) and they don’t overwhelm their dough with buckets of sauce.

#5 Lou Malnati’s (the original in Lincolnwood) This is the Uno’s of the 1950s - deep & cheesy, with a layer of ripe, plump tomatoes and a buttery crust.

(Incidentally, for another respected colleague’s views on pizza in our environs, be sure to check out Jeff Ruby’s list of his Top 25. I take issue with a few of his picks, but isn’t that what healthy pizza debate is all about?)

(half of a Great Lake masterpiece…but oh, the wait)