Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Gold Coast

Family-led Lou Malnati's Pizzeria has been turning out the definitive Chicago-style deep dish pizza since 1971 in Lincolnwood and today there are nearly 60 locations in the Chicago area, seven in AZ (Cubs' spring training fans have to eat somewhere) and four each in Wisconsin and Indiana. Practically every neighborhood pizzeria offers a pan-style pie, but Lou's remains the arbiter of Chicago style. Every pizza is handmade from scratch using the family's secret recipe for the flaky, buttery crust but that's not all: the Malnati team hand selects California tomatoes, the exclusive sausage blend covers the entire disc and the fresh mozzarella comes from the same small dairy that has supplied Malnati's forever. If you don't go deep, order a thin and you'll still get a sense of that incredibly flaky crust. Try a robust Malnati salad: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, salami bits and Gorgonzola cheese with a sweet vinaigrette.