Step out of the cold and into pizza pot pie heaven.
Any self-respecting Chicagoan will know where to get a decent deep dish or thin crust, but what about a pizza pot pie? If you ask anyone, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder is the one and only place to get a taste of this glorious invention. This bread-like dough bowl oozing with cheesy, meaty goodness has had Clark street lined with hungry fans for generations, but the tasty invention comes with famous tales too.
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A serious pizza and Al Capone, can you get more Chicago than that? In 1972, Chicago attorney Albert H. Beaver was rumored to have spent $150,000 to realize his passion for Italian pizza and turn this bottom floor into an institution. From the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that happened just across the road to the fire that destroyed all but the brownstone shell, the beloved pizzeria went through a lot of history before becoming the cozy pine-clad hotspot it is today.
So, what goes into this gorgeous pizza pie? First, a bowl is lined with two layers of cheese, then four whole mushrooms are placed in the middle. After that a delicious homemade pizza sauce — that is lovingly made over 8 hours with “olive oil, fresh garlic, onions, green peppers, whole plum tomatoes and a special blend of cheeses; sausage made from prime ‘Boston butts’; and fresh mushrooms”— is poured over. Lastly, the bowl is covered with a triple raised Sicilian pizza dough and baked in the oven. The result? A hot, gooey bowl of heaven that is theatrically flipped over in front of you, which you will inevitably return for again, and again.
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If you’re aching for a taste of this incredible pot pie of marinara, cheese, and dough — good news: they’re still serving takeout through call-ahead orders!
Featured courtesy of Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company