Let’s kick off the blog with something simple: pizza.
I would like to say that I’m a pizza connoisseur, as I grew up in my dad’s pizza restaurant. I would LIKE to say that, but the reality is that I’m very particular about what kind of pizza I like.
I enjoy a thinner-style crust (but not a really “thin” crust) with a specific pizza sauce (i.e. not a tomato-paste based sauce). I enjoy toppings, so just a cheese slice isn’t normally my cup of tea. I’ve had peanut-butter pizzas, seafood pizzas, pesto pizzas, and even a poutine pizza…so I’m certainly open to the definition of what actually makes a pizza.
That’s what I’m used to. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m sure there are amazing pizzas to be eaten in places like New York that I just haven’t been exposed to yet. This want…this need…to taste a new and different kind of pizza led me to get off the plane at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, get to my hotel, and immediately ask the people at the desk where I could get an authentic Chicago-style pizza. Turns out, there was a Gino’s East restaurant within walking distance of my hotel.
Gino’s East is Chicago-based pizzeria chain that started back in 1966. While they may not have originated the “deep dish style”, they have perfected it to the point that there were featured on both The Amazing Race and Man vs Food!
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I ordered my personal-sized pie. When it arrived, I was a little taken aback to be honest. I wasn’t expecting to see this…
The pizza ended up being a little bit “saucier” than I was expecting it to be. Of course, I also expected the cheese to be on top of the pizza and the sauce to be underneath, so all of my expectations were totally thrown out the window.
So like I said, I was a little taken aback by what I was eating. But honestly, once I settled into a bite or two, I really enjoyed the flavours that came bursting through. Everything about it was just so unique to me, yet still familiar.
This has been my only authentic Chicago-style pizza experience, and it’s certainly one that I would thoroughly enjoy again if given the opportunity. I would totally recommend Gino’s East to anybody.
If you would like to learn more about Gino’s East, they don’t only have their own website but are all over the social media map:
Gino’s East on Facebook
Gino’s East on Twitter
Gino’s East on Foursquare
To Travel Or Not 
Awesome…I’d love to make it to Chicago one of these days and try one of these pizzas.