An American original, deep-dish pizza was introduced in Chicago in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno. The restaurant was opened by former football star Ike Sewell and restaurateur Ric Riccardo, who had originally conceived a Mexican eatery. But after the place was decorated, they sampled a meal and Riccardo became ill— so ill that it is said he ran away to Italy. When Riccardo returned, he and Sewell removed the Hispanic decor and made their place a pizzeria. They decided that normal pizza, as served in some Italian restaurants around town, wasn’t hefty enough for Chicago appetites. So they came up with the recipe for deep-dish.
Cooked in a high-walled round pan, deep-dish pizza verges on being a casserole, its thick, biscuity cornmeal crust loaded with mozzarella cheese and chunked tomatoes. Big sheets of fennel-spiked sausage are a common option. Deep-dish offshoots include the stuffed pizza, which adds a top crust and makes the whole thing look more like a traditional pie; pizza souffles, for which the cheese on top is whipped up and can contain pesto or spinach; and pizza pot pie, an upside-down version decanted into its crust tableside.
Chicago + Naples = deep-dish pizza.
STEPHEN RUSHMORE