31 Days of Pizza: Day 28, 2015: Gino's East (Chicago, IL)

DAY 28: OCTOBER 28th, 2015

LOCATION: Gino's East (162 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611)

GUEST(S): Robin Rothman, Erin Nederbo

ORDER: 1 and 1/2 slices of a large Gino's Supreme (Sausage, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms), 1 slice of Spinach Margherita (Spinach, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil)

REVIEW:
Tastes great, more filling. Founded in 1966, Gino's East has earned its place as a Chicago deep dish institution. It has since grown beyond Chicago and beyond deep dish pizza. With 15 locations in three states and a menu that is also rapidly expanding, don't expect the service to wait patiently for you to decide what you want. You know what you want. They know what you want. They know it takes 45 minutes to cook and they'll mention it (multiple times in my case) if you come in within two hours of closing. So get your hot mass of creamy mozzarella and chunky tomato sauce asap. Add some high quality toppings for texture and the signature sausage for the perfect savory balance. You'll be glad you did. Try the Spinach Margherita if you want to pretend you're eating something healthy in a stiff fried three inch crust. I like Gino's East deep dish pizza like I like lasagna. And I love lasagna. I may even ship a pizza here if a location near me doesn't open up soon.

PHOTOS:

Deep-dish pie

A slice of Spinach Margherita

Another view of a Spinach Margherita

Day 28

A picture of another Spinach Margherita slice (after some time)

MISCELLANEOUS:

Erin Nederbo and Robin Rothman

1. Robin Rothman and I drove for 6.5 hours from Detroit to Chicago's O'Hare airport in the rain the whole time. When we reached Chicago, it was rush hour, dusk, and the wind chill made it feel like 10'F. I have loved this vacation road trip but I'm ready to get back home.

2. Thank you, Karisa Bruin and Scott Morehead for putting us up for the night and introducing us to Grayson. It's hard to believe it has been 5 years since we last visited you in Pizza Month 2011.