Lou Malnati’s

Posted by Edmund in Chicago, Featured Articles, Pizza, Restaurants | 2 comments

Cuisine: Pizza.
Specialty: Deep Dish Pizza/Chicago-Style Pizza.
Location: All Throughout Chicago.
Price: $16.75-$21.75 for a 14” pie (serves 4), $5.45-$6.75 for a 6” (individual size).

Honestly, I’m not a fan of chains at all. I don’t like my restaurants to cut corners anywhere, especially with something as sacred as a pizza.

So I was more than a little surprised when I found out that the supposed “best” pizza in Chicago was at Lou Malnati’s. Lou’s isn’t just a chain; it’s practically a brand of its own, with about 20 or so locations. Still, with so many recommendations from locals, Lou’s definitely had the credibility, so I decided to finally check it out.

And I have to admit that the restaurant doesn’t seem so bad. Unlike most of the famous pizzerias out there, which tend to be holes-in-the-wall, the Lou’s location I visited at least had some color to it—paintings on the walls, black-and-white photos, pictures of celebrities, TVs showing the ball games, and tons of space. It reminded me of a sports bar more than a Domino’s, so that I didn’t feel like I was at a chain. And because it actually is a chain, you don’t need to worry about that pizza rush that happens at some of those one-of-a-kind pizzerias, where you’ll have to wait an hour just to get in (I’m looking at you, Grimaldi’s!).

That doesn’t mean you won’t have to wait, though. Lou’s pizza is deep dish, as is all true Chicago-style pizza. And by deep, I mean DEEP, to the point that a knife and fork are practically required. Because of that thickness, it takes about 25 minutes to half an hour to bake it properly (and it really is more “baking” than “cooking”). Needless to say, I was intrigued. If pizza takes that long to bake, it better be good.

So when I finally got my two individual-sized pies, I dug in without hesitation. It took just one bite of my sausage deep dish to realize that Lou’s pizza is the real deal, and for several reasons. First, if you notice in the pictures, the cheese is laid on the bottom, then the toppings, then the sauce, so that the crust doesn’t get soggy at all from sucking up that sauce. The cheese literally covers the whole dish, as though the crust has a layer of cheese glued it to it, meaning you get cheese in every bite. Moreover, the tomato sauce is so fresh that it tastes like you’re eating tomatoes that were just mashed in the back, an effect made better by the herby flavor of the basil sprinkled on top. And to top it all off, Lou’s sausage is superb—it’s actually a “specialty,” made completely in-house. It is, as Lou’s explains, a very lean type of sausage, so you don’t feel too greasy or bloated after eating it.

I do have two complaints, though. First, at least in the plain deep dish pizza, the crust is flavorless. Second, the tomato sauce is extremely good, but it’s far too powerful, largely because there isn’t all that much cheese on the pie. If you love your pizza saucy, you’ll love this pie, but it’s not as balanced as I’d like. Score: 4.0/5.0

My next pie, though, was in a league of its own, easily surpassing the last. It was the “Lou,” the specialty of the house, which comes with a special buttercrust, topped with spinach, mushrooms, onions, and three kinds of cheeses. And it’s the house special for a reason, remedying my two complaints with the last pie completely. The butter under the crust adds a bit of fatty oiliness to give the crust some flavor. The crust isn’t quite as crunchy or flaky, either, because it’s not as dry. Instead, you get a much nicer chewiness, since it has soaked up all the oil of the butter.

As for the cheese, you not only get a ton more, but you get three different varieties. A layer is even added to the top, helping to keep all the toppings in place with a satisfying glue-like texture. Thus, with the extra cheese and softer crust, you get the best of the chewy, gooey, and the crunchy. But that doesn’t mean the tomato sauce is overshadowed, either. Instead, its flavor is kicked up a notch with the inclusion of Roma tomatoes, which contribute an extra tanginess, and of spinach, which provide a good herby freshness to counterbalance the heavier ingredients Score: 4.7/5.0. Add some of the amazing housemade sausage to this, and you’ve got a nearly unbeatable pizza.

Lou’s, then, manages to overcome all the stereotypes of the typical chain pizzeria to arrive at a pizza, that, while perhaps not the best in America, is definitely up there in the top echelons. Get the deep dish with a buttercrust, and you’ll be in for a true culinary delight.

Scores

Ambience (not counted): 2.5/5.0. Clean and orderly for a pizza parlor, but not exciting in any way.
Service (not counted): 2.2/5.0. Typical service for a chain but no mishaps.
Taste: 4.4/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0. $5-$7 a person for fresh-made pizza this good—now that’s a bargain.
Verdict: 4.4+/5.0