Tengrain Visits Chicago -OR- What I Know

Without my knowing, Tengrain, the proprietor of Mock Paper Scissors is in Chicago and is posting about his food experiences.

To his credit he hasn't stated anything definitively as yet, but I always cringe a little when anyone from somewhere else talks about Chicago's eats. Ask 100 random Chicagoans about good pizza and you'll get 100 different answers depending upon what part of the metro area it is in which the respondent eats pizza. There are well-known names that are thought of regarding deep-dish pizza. Unos, Dues, Lou Malnotti's, Giordano's and they have only one thing in common; they are all different. Similar? Sure, but each has their own twists.

If I guessed that there are 100,000 pizza places in the Chicago area, I'd be low. Taking out the national chains, there are still well over 100,000. Little places
mostly. Neighborhood joints. Each making a variant on the concept of pizza. The differences are mind-boggling. Some are amazing, some are pedestrian, some are borderline awful. All have their fans and critics.

I've had terrible pizza in Chicago, but I've never had really good pizza anywhere else. New York?!? fuggetabouddit. Then again, when I'm somewhere else, I'm eating somebody else's idea of pizza. It really is that subjective and conditioned. If I had the time and money to research New York pizza, I'm sure I could find a good one somewhere in Gotham. Probably something under an unassuming proprietor's name. Ted's Pizza? George's?

Tengrain ate Giordano's Deep Dish. A decent Chicago representation that I find less than ideal, but for an out-of-towner, a safe bet. I would have gone for Lou Malnati's
or Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder, but that's me. Good pizza remains a subjective.

But hey, if you're interested in well-funding a research project...