Regional Spotlight: Chicago

Chicago is the most-visited city in the Midwest. Sure, it is a large business destination, but some travelers visit just to enjoy what the windy city has to offer. Chicago is full of art, culture and delicious food. With any major city, the challenge is not finding something you want to do; it’s finding the time to do it all. Chicago is the third-most-populous city in the United States and is home to Navy Pier, the iconic bean sculpture in Millennium Park, Wrigley Field and the tallest building in North America.

Chicago also lays claim to some of the most renowned pizza in the U.S. The unique deep-dish style pizza, made synonymous with Chicago-style, was created back in the 1940s. Pizzeria Uno at the corner of Ohio & Wabash in Chicago was the birthplace of the deep-dish style pizza. The pizza is created by layering copious amounts of cheese in a crust that is typically 3 inches high on the edges. Numerous pizzerias throughout the city now make deliciously over-the-top pies with all your favorite toppings.

Another pizza style that came out of Chicago is the stuffed pizza. Stuffed pizzas are typically even deeper than deep-dish pizzas and an additional layer of dough between the cheese and the sauce. The style of dough differs as well. Deep dish crust is generally thicker and gets a flavor boost from butter and corn oil, while stuffed pizza has a flakier crust that’s typically made with canola oil. Whichever style you choose to sample in Chicago, be sure to take a stroll through the beautiful city afterward. You will want to walk off some of that cheese.

The indulgently cheesy pizza that we have come to know and love has created a rivalry between proud Chicagoans and New Yorkers. The great debate over Chicago-style versus New York-style pizza is impossible to settle because both have their own appeal, but don’t ask for New York pizza while you’re visiting Chicago. Sure, you won’t be tarred and feathered, but you need to try the famed deep-dish pizza in its homeland. Whether you plan to visit Chicago for business or pleasure, take advantage of all the city has to offer.