Get all the details on the OG favorite Chicago-style pie.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
If you’ve been to Chicago, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve sampled “Chicago-style” pizza. But the deep-dish or stuffed pizza you likely tried isn’t the OG of Chicago pizzas. That distinction goes to a little, crispy round pie known as tavern pizza.
The History of Tavern Pizza
Back in the 1940s, Chicago’s neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs were filled with working-class people. With prohibition in the rearview mirror, bars and taverns became a favorite spot to “rehydrate” after long days of laboring. Often popcorn was offered, says Steve Dollinksy, author of “Pizza City USA,” and “The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide” to help quell hunger, but the advent of the gas oven changed that.
The gas oven, says Dollinksy, meant bar kitchens could cook without cumbersome wood-fire or coal-fueled ovens. They were more practical and easier to operate, especially for bar and tavern owners.
To entice their patrons to stay a little longer, owners began making pizza and handing it out for free. These pies were purposefully made thin and cut into squares. This made them easy to pass on cocktail napkins and eat with one hand.
From that point on it was common to find tavern pizza on the menu at your favorite bar, pub, or tavern.
What Is Tavern Pizza and How Is It Made?
It starts with the dough which is typically run through a sheeter to create that cracker-thin crust. The dough is then placed on a rack and is “cured” in the fridge to remove moisture. A crucial step, says Dollinsky, for achieving that signature crunchy, chewy crust.
When ready to assemble, the pie gets sauced edge-to-edge with traditional tomato-based pizza sauce. A layer of cheese and a single topping covers the sauce, again, edge-to-edge. The pie is baked until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly. Finally, the pie is given a “party cut,“ to achieve its signature (mostly) square slices.
It’s Not Stuffed or Deep-Dish
I would be remiss not to discuss how the tavern pie is different from other Chicago-style pies. Tavern pie is unlike stuffed, deep-dish, or deep-pan for several reasons. First, tavern dough isn’t created in typical pizza fashion. Meaning, there’s no stretching or hand-tossing involved. Instead, it’s rolled, which keeps the dough flat. Second, tavern pizza is known for its edge-to-edge toppings. And those toppings are limited to cheese and usually one other ingredient to keep the crust firm without weighing it down. Also, tavern pizzas, unlike stuffed or deep-dish pizzas, don’t require a special pan for baking. And finally, a tavern pizza is almost always cut into squares.
Give Tavern Pizza a Try
If you’ve been to the Windy City but haven’t had a chance to try tavern pizza, make sure to add it to your “to-do” list the next time you’re there. And take Dollinsky’s advice and dine in to get the best experience. His favorite spots for tavern pizza are Pat’s and Vito and Nick’s.
It's also easy to make yourself with our own homemade recipe.
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May 12, 2023 at 11:00PM
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