Pass on the Deep Dish

I know, I know.. I seem to be the only person in Chicago who hates deep dish pizza. Hate is a strong word. I'd eat it if I had to, but I live in a city of thousands of more delectable options. That includes many other wonderful pizza options beyond the greasy, two-inch thick slab of cheese. Yuck.

This is a classic example of Chicago-style pizza. It looks like lasagna to me. Unappetizing.

My favorite pizzas always seem to come from Piece Pizzeria. Very dependably delicious and I love the thin crust and fresh toppings. The BBQ Chicken pizza has quickly become one of my go-to options when I just can't bear my kitchen. They also have great salads and supposedly yummy, unique toppings like mashed potatoes. I haven't tried that, but I'm sure if anyone could do it well, Piece could. They also brew their own beer which is great with the pizza, and even better in a take-home growler – complete with a discount on refills.

Piece Pizza - thin and crispy

Next up is Crust Organic Eatery. My roomie Andie and I attended a party there and after we tasted one piece of their Italian sausage pizza, we quickly devised a plan to take turns going through the buffet so we could get the maximum amount possible, without looking like lunatics. It was seriously just that good. I’ve been back a few times and many of the other pizzas are fantastic as well including eggplant/arugula and mushroom/spinach/béchamel/goat cheese. They have a wide variety of organic beers and my personal favorite – homemade infused vodkas. I tried the raspberry-infused vodka and had trouble stopping at one. On a side note, for any naysayers that aren’t into organic or think organic pizza would taste bad, take my word for it and try it for yourself. There is nothing “healthy” tasting about these amazing pizzas.

Crust's outdoor seating and eggplant/arugula pizza.