Rating Two Renowned Chicago Pizzerias

I wouldn't say that we are pizza aficionados, but we know a good pizza when we see (oops, I mean taste) one. And, thanks to a recent trip to the "Windy City," we had a chance to sample a second world-renowned Chicago pizzeria.

Our premier choice until now has been Aurelio's, a 50-year old, nationally-recognized Chicago-based chain with locations across Illinois (but thankfully one in Naples, FL - 590 Tamiami Trail North - 239-403-8882). They also have sites in Minnesota, Colorado, Indiana and Nevada.

Aurelio's has a wide variety of pizzas and we have never been disappointed. The pizzas are tasty, cooked to order and worth the higher price than national discount chains charge. We are partial to Aurelio's thin crust white pizza, especially when the cheese is cooked a little extra (just so it's not so runny). We primarily order carryout, but have eaten-in once. Service was great and the ambiance fitting of the Chicago area. In fact, the walls are covered with highway signs, street signs, sports memorabilia and almost anything Chicago.

Aurelio's has a frequent guest program, too. Aptly called "Tell Them Joe Sent Me," you can earn points that can be applied toward future purchases. Membership is free.

Armed with this background, we knew that when we visited Chicago recently (we attended the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting), we had to find a real Chicago pizzeria for at least one meal. We asked the hotel bellman who told us, without hesitation, about Gino's, a 43-year old local Chicago-area pizza chain. So, we gave Gino's a call Where in Chicago) and the Internet. We were able to find a phone number and view their online menu. We called in and ordered a 14" (large) deep-dish pizza (onions, hamburger and cooked a little extra) from their nearby downtown site (162 East Superior Street; 312-266-DEEP).

The person taking the orders processed us quickly and efficiently and promised us a delivery within the hour. We were advised that it would take 45 minutes to cook the pizza and about 15 minutes extra for delivery. The delivery charge was minimal, but the pizza itself was the most expensive we had ever ordered.

And true to their word, the pizza arrived on time and was still very warm. Upon opening the box, we were amazed at just how much pizza we had ordered. But the pizzeria provided us with fork, knife and napkin sets, as well as extra cheese packages.

We dug in and managed to eat 4 of 6 monstrous slices (even eliminating the ultra-tick crusty outer edge). There was simply no way we could eat any more of the most delicious pizza we have ever tasted. The tomato sauce and cheese topping was nothing like we had ever experienced before.

The only problem with Gino's web site is that they describe their pizza by slices. Trust me, two slices of their deep-dish pizza are more than enough for most mortals. Had we realized this, or if the order taker had advised us of the size of the slices (she did know it was for two people), we would have ordered a smaller size (and saved a few dollars).

So now we have two excellent pizzerias to compare others against. One of these offers us local eating; both are at our fingertips whenever we travel to Chicago again.

Both also offer air shipment, if you can't reach them locally. Just check out Aurelio's and Gino's East shipping guidelines online. Thanks to dry ice packing, you can now savor these pizzas anywhere.

But the challenge is now there. Can we find comparable pizzerias to add to this short list? Rest assured that we will be on the lookout as we journey to other locales in the upcoming months. We've already found one web site that supposedly lists the top 10 such Chicago establishments. And a friend has suggested that we try Giordano's because, "it is the best!"

Stop back to Associated Content for updates and new reviews. And if those who read this article want to make some other suggestions, we promise to try and check those out.

Somehow, I have a feeling that we will find other pizzerias that "measure" up or at least come close to these two excellent choices.