Chicago Vs. New York Style Pizza: 8 Key Differences
1. The Crust: New York pizza is made with a thin and crispy crust. The classic New York style is topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce, cheese and toppings and the crust is crisp in the center and chewy around the edge. Chicago style pizza, especially the deep dish variation, may have a thick and crumbly crust with a few inches of tomato sauce and toppings.
2. Foldability: New York pizza is designed to fold into a 'pizza sandwich.' Ideal for cab drivers, travelers, and other city trekkers where food on the go--with minimal fuss--is a top priority. Chicago style pizza, on the other hand, may require a knife and fork.
3. The Crust to Cheese Ratio: New York style pizza contains minimal crust with more focus on the cheese (stringy mozzarella seems to be a winner), while the Chicago style pizza doubles up on both crust, cheese, and toppings.
4. Oil Content: New York style pizza has become famous for its oil-dripping value; authentic New York pizza slices often feature a 'pool' of oil on the top of each slice, whereas the Chicago style pizza's oil content is distributed within.
5. Cut and Serving Style: New York style pizza can be cut in the traditional triangle or a grid to offer pizza squares. The thin crust makes it easy to cut completely across the pie into a square-like pattern, whereas the Chicago deep dish sticks with the standard.
6. Topping Density: Toppings on the New York style pizza are limited to cheese, a thin layer of zesty tomato sauce, and a scattering of toppings. Chicago style pizza, especially the 4" deep dish styles, offer layer up on layer of rich toppings on top of a dense crust.
7. Type of Dough: Chicago style pizza dough can be both thick and chewy, or crumbly with the addition of butter and oil for a shortbread-like texture on the deep dish pie. New York Style pizza makes use of a basic oil, flour, and yeast mixture that can be chewy but never doughy; the very thin crust versions can also be crispy.
8. Chew Factor: New York Style pizza can be eaten on the go, both as a snack and a meal. The thin crust that folds over makes the perfect sandwich, and it's a quick bite for a busy day. Chicago style pizza is the sit-down pizza; rich, heavy, and dense, it's rare to find this one eaten in a New York minute.
Published by Sabah Karimi - Featured Contributor in Travel
Sabah Karimi is a Featured Contributor in Beauty, Travel, and Lifestyle. She writes beauty, style, luxury travel, fitness, wellness, food and wine, and personal finance content for several Y! channels. She i... View profile
- Hotel Guide: Chicago, IllinoisI review the top three hotels in Chicago, Illinois for potential guests. All of the hotels lie within the beautiful Michigan Avenue area as well as the River North districts.
- Restaurant Review: New York Pizza, San Francisco, CANot to be confused with New York Pizza Kitchen on Eddy, New York Pizza is a little tiny place next to Baguette Express on Larkin Street. New York Pizza has a window full of pictures of food items - pizza, hot dogs, fr...
Gus's New York Pizza is DeliciousThis article reviews the restaurant Gus's New York Pizza.- Saratoga Springs, New York Pizza RestaurantsPresented here, is a guide which offers pertinent information regarding some of the top pizza restaurants located in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Top New York Style Pizzerias in Sandy SpringsSandy Springs, a new city in Fulton County is home to many New York style pizzerias.
- Cortland, New York: Visitors Guide
- Where to Go for Pizza in Orange
- Chicago's Italian Food
- The Top Three Chicago-Style Pizzerias in the Phoenix, Arizona Area
- Best Places for Gourmet Pizza in Madison, Wisconsin
- Hungry for Pizza? Great Pizza Restaurants in Cortland, New York
- Where Do You Find Great Pizza in Chicago?
23 Comments
Post a CommentI am far from both cities (from Houston, Texas for what it's worth). I like NY style pizza, but LOVE Chicago style pizza. I cannot thank Chicago enough for giving us their culinary gift in the form of deep dish pizza. It's the perfect pizza in every way, it's rich, deep, hearty, flavorful, and fulfilling. Oh and love Uno's buttery, flaky crust. Overall I'd pick deep dish pizza to eat 7 out of 10 times.
So many people are picking on the author. He's not saying which is better nor is he saying that these tips are ironclad. He's just saying that these are the general differences between the two styles, so those unfamiliar can help determine which sounds better.
Personally I'm a deep dish fella myself, but I don't like loads of sauce and tomatoes to fill the valley. I like a good thick yet crisp (not crunchy or crumbly) dough hat has a normal amount of sauce and a good smear of cheese.
unos chains puts shame to chicago style.... if u havent been to chicago then u havent truly tasted chicago style, and would obviously pick ny style. but lou malnatis and ginos are the best pizza parlors on this planet. hands down.
Jack is so right.
I've lived in both Chicago and NY and Chicago is WAY better. New Yorkers MUST have the real thing! It's no comparison.
I suppose that ill just eat while everyone argues over a subject that will ALWAYS BE BIASED. By the time you guys finish arguing I would have finished a slice of both and be on my second beer.
Obviously the writer here has no concept of either. I am born, raised and live in Chicago, so I will be partial to it's pizza. And Chicago does 3 types of pizza: Stuffed, Deep Dish, and thin crust. The writer says Chicago pizza is cut in the standard, and NY is cut triangular or in squares. Anyone who has ever had either of the two knows that it is Chicago that cuts it's thin crust into squares and NY does Trianles only. And yes, the pizza is about all the toppings. The cheese, the crust, the sauce, the meats, the vegetables. Everything. All in all I have stopped debating this issue only because no one will ever win it and it really only causes arguments. THey are both good in there own unique way and it is all about preference.
if i was on the go, i would choose ny pizza for sure. if i wanted a sit -down pizza then i would choose chicago style. all in all, theyre both great.
Or, Duante, you can try to not act like you're a ghetto Texan (I'm a New Yorker who lives in Texas, so I find it interesting that you're combining the two states' slang), and just admit that each one has its own merits. New York pizza is great, and so is Chicago, and so is 'generic Italian'. Try to understand that.
Let me tell y'all fools a little something. All you New Yorkers saying that yo' pizza got the advantage, better sit the hell down and listen up. Y'all just ain't got the man in you to try Chicago style pizza. Only the hungriest, wildest of them wolves got the courage to try REAL pizza - CHICAGO pizza. I LOVE my city's pizza and all its greatness. And then some of you New Yorkers come on here and say that yo' pizza is better - HELL TO THE NO. That is just completely, straight-up UNACCEPTABLE. UNDERSTAND THAT.