Pizzeria Uno

Anyone who knows pizza knows Uno's.  They've got about a hundred locations around the country, and they're famous for the specific style of pizza known as deep dish.  So me and my brother Dave blew into the Windy City to see where it all started.

Dave Andelman: "This is one of the only places in the country that oozes both history and cheese."

Dan Andelman: "This restaurant has been here for 75 years.  You walk into the restaurant and you can just feel the history.  And the resident historian in General Manager April Gavin."

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "Pizzeria Uno is just an old fashioned pizza joint.  It's the original deep dish pizzeria in the world.  Deep dish pizza was invented here in 1943, so when you do find us on the corner of Ohio and Wabash, you've found the birthplace of deep dish pizza."

Dave Andelman: "This is sacred culinary ground."

It all began with a man named Ike Sewell, a Texan who made his way to Chicago, wanted to open a restaurant, and decided that pizza would be his specialty.  But Ike envisioned something more substantial than the traditional thin crust.  He wanted to serve a pizza that was big, and hearty, and baked in a pan.  And the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza was born.

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "This is really the first time that somebody taken a dough and put it in a skillet, kind of similar to what you might think of as a apple pie crust but instead of filling it with all of these sweet flavors, they fill it with all of these hearty ingredients that actually is super affordable, can feed an entire family for a reasonable price, and really spoke to the people of that generation.  It really resonated with people and they said the pizza was as thick as a manhole cover and twice as heavy."

Dan Andelman: "Now the first thing you think of when you see the pizzas coming out of the kitchen and through the dining room is oh my lord, these things are huge, and they are heavy."

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "It is going to look like the biggest pie you have ever seen.  And you're gonna think to yourself that it's actually built upside down.  So the dough is in the right place, it's on the bottom.  But then we stack cheese, and then sauce, and then toppings.  So many people are looking for the cheese to be on top of the pizza but we don't do that here, because it's deep dish, we've got to put the cheese on the bottom."

Dan Andelman: "The crazy thing is that every single slice of deep dish pizza is like bigger than a typical meal.  It's a beast.  And it's perfectly layered.  I mean just check this baby out.  You have that golden crumbly crust on the bottom, then that sweet layer of gooey creamy cheese.  Sausage is definitely the number one seller here in Chicago at the original Uno, and just a whole big strip of sausage, and then the vibrant ruby red tomato on top.  That is real Chicago deep dish."

Dave Andelman: "Let me tell you something, I can eat, and I was full after just this one slice.  This has got to be the most filling slice of pizza I ever had."

Dan Andelman: "Chicago is a city full of big eaters, and this pizza was designed for the biggest eaters of all.  The Numero Uno."

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "So the Numero Uno is like our cheese pizza, our pepperoni pizza, our sausage pizza, and our veggie pizza all wrapped into one pizza."

Dan Andelman: "Imagine an extra cheese pizza with an entire pound of sausage, plus pepperoni, plus veggies. That's right, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, all packed onto a pie.   I feel like we're on one of these food challenge shows.  Like do I get a free t-shirt if I finish it?  The slice is enormous, but it's also delicious.  So much cheese, it's honestly pornographic.  There's so much sausage it's ridiculous.  And then you get fresh veggies. Fresh mushrooms, fresh peppers, fresh onions, it's like a salad, right?  Is it like a salad?  It's like a salad.  I'm eating salad.  I'm gonna keep going, until I pass out, and when I do, revive me and give me more Uno's.  This pizza is numero uno.  Seriously.  This is the Michael Jordan of pizzas my friend.  This is the Michael Jordan of deep dish pizza.  Now I know why his tongue was always hanging out of his mouth."

Dan Andelman: “Now let's talk atmosphere.  This is literally an historic landmark, built in 1943, and you know what, not much has changed.  The original black and white tiles, the original green paneling on the walls, all the historical black and white photos.  There's a big time speakeasy vibe.  In fact, this place used to be a speakeasy.  I mean I don't know if Al Capone ever ate here, but he definitely should have."

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "It's kind of down a little bit from the street level, a couple of feet down.  There's sparse windows throughout, so you can tell this is place that you would go to do something maybe illegal.  And you might feel like after you've eaten this pizza that you've done that."

Dan Andelman: "So is it worth a flight to Chicago to get a deep dish pizza?  Some would say that's ridiculous.  I would say of course it's worth it.  Absolutely one hundred percent.'

April Gavin - GM, Pizzeria Uno: "It's just a fun place to be, the vibe is like pizza and beer.  I don't think there's anything better than that."

Dan Andelman: "Cheers.  Cheers.  Uno y'all."