Aspen Chowhound coming to Chicago: ISO Good Pizza Near Drake Hotel

[krs828]

Hi,
My mum and I are visiting Chicago for fun and are staying at the Drake Hotel at Michigan Ave & Walton (near Streeterville area?).

We would like your recommendation on Pizza -- deep dish, thin crust, does not matter, its all good.

Any other recommendations for good moderate priced dinner option near hotel are also welcome!

Thanks,
/Kathy

[krs828]

Thanks for all the good information … it really made this trip enjoyable….now can you do something about the weather? Just Kidding.

Despite the blizzard conditions we enjoyed the following:

La Madria
Pizza was very good. Had the Fennel sausage pizza which had a nice balance of flavors, not too heavy on the garlic or fennel. The crust was done well, although could have been a bit thinner and crisper to my liking. Made excellent breakfast in the am. Nice deal after 9pm – one pizza and one salad (plenty for 2) for $20. Of course our wine more than doubled the bill ☺

Purple Pig
My Swedish- American mother (who thinks all non-white food is too spicy) loved this place. It is as good as its press. We had radicchio salad that was sublime and the delicious butternut squash with seeds – it had sweet offsetting the squash and seeds added texture. Yum. Eggplant tapenade was good but not memorable. Why doesn't Aspen have a restaurant like this?

Café Iberecio
I love this place despite its ok-to-good food The mushrooms in garlic were the best. Skip the spinach salad.

The Walnut Room in Macy’s
My mother loved this. Her mum took her there every Christmas and we enjoyed the famous Chicken Pot Pie, just as they did. It was terrible food but still fun. The Frango Mints are still the best.

[chicgail]

Just reading "Walnut Room at Macy's" makes me uncomfortable. You mother and her mum loved the Walnut Room at Marshall Field. I' am not sure Macy's comes even close to the same experience.

[Siun]

So glad Madia worked out well for you ... and they do have nice specials. Went the other evening with a work colleague and their tables were full so they offered us seats at the pizza bar where you can watch the cooks - it was great fun ... and they pour you a complimentary glass of very nice prosecco when you sit there!

[boomzdaddy]

I like them all but Lou Malnati's easily takes the cake with toppings on their Pizza. Nothing better than a sausage pizza from there

[weinstein5]

You have a number of great options within a half mile - starting with the birthplace of Chicago Deep Dish at Pizzeria Uno and its sister restaurant across the street Pizzeria Due as well as Giordano's, Ginos East and Pizzano's - all with excellent pizza both deep dish and thin crust -

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Gino's East
162 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611

Pizzeria Due
619 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Pizzeria Uno
29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta
864 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

Giordano's
730 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611

[nsxtasy]

Those are good recommendations from weinstein5. If I were visiting from out of town and staying at the Drake, I would go to Pizano's. It's the nearest place for classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Uno and Due are good too but a bit further from your hotel. If you want to try double-crust "stuffed" pizza, then Giordano's on Rush is the place to do it. I personally prefer Giordano's to all of them, but the single-crust "pizza in the pan" served at Pizano's (and Uno/Due and Lou Malnati's) is the original style of deep-dish pizza.

[HoosierFoodie]

I would avoid Giordano's to the point of not having pizza. Uno, Duo are better and Malnati's is a lot better.

[nsxtasy]

The pizza at Uno and Due, Lou Malnati's, and Pizano's is very similar to each other, and it's not a coincidence. One of the principal players in the early decades of Uno and Due was Rudy Malnati Sr. and his sons worked with him at the two restaurants. Rudy Sr.'s son Lou went on to found his namesake restaurant beginning with the Lincolnwood location in 1971. His son Rudy Jr. founded Pizano's in 1991.

But they're all delicious. Giordano's stuffed pizza is still my favorite - yum!!! - but I also like having a Malnati's every once in a while as well. If you have the chance, try them all!

[weinstein5]

I second nxtasy's recommendation try them all!

[chicgail]

You'll find a lot of opinions on this so I'll add mine, if you're only going to do one, I would skip Giordanos and Ginos and stick to Uno's, Due's, Malnoti, or Pizanos.

[Breadcrumbs]

From a Toronto, pizza-loving hound who has visited all suggested, I'd vote for Pizanos.

[Siun]

We're big fans on Madia which is not too far away - a brisk walk south. Great pizza, salads, nice wine and good prices ...look for their specials.

In the same area, other favorites are Rick Bayless' Xoco and Sable which has amazing cocktails and can be an inexpensive super good meal or pricey - the menu has lots of options.

If you are shopping and need a snack, Nordstroms has a nice cafe btw.

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La Madia - A Contemporary Pizzeria
59 West Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60610

[krs828]

Suin,
Thanks for the recommendations. I hear the Xoco has great hot chocolate -- went to Food & Wine Classic and Rick was giving a demo and discussed mexican chocolate at length.....Yes to shopping.Yes to Nordstrom (neither of these available in this town:)

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XOCO
449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

[Siun]

Xoco's Aztec Hot Chocolate gets me through Chicago winters ... enjoy!

Noting the suggestions below - all great if you are looking for Chicago Deep Dish pizza. As a former New Yorker, I haven't developed the taste so just a warning that Madia is not deep dish pizza ... but it is very tasty!

(I continue to crave Sally's pizza from New Haven ... sigh)

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XOCO
449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654