Whether you’re from Chicago or not, if you’re a pizza lover, you can’t deny the deep dish pizza as one of the best. When I want a hearty, extra cheesy slice that I can eat with a knife and fork, my preference is LOU MALNATI’S.

Lou Malnati’s has been around since 1971, with its first location in Lincolnwood, IL. There are now more than 40 locations, that include full restaurants and some for takeout/delivery only. One of the nicest locations is in Chicago’s Gold Coast. And it’s where the boyfriend and I went last week to get our deep dish pizza fix.

If you’re not familiar with Chicago’s deep dish pizza, the Lou Malnati website perfectly explains how it’s made and what makes it so different.

“The order the ingredients are placed on a Chicago style-pizza is “backwards” from a thin crust pizza.

• Chicago style-pizza is made with slices of mozzarella cheese that are placed directly on the dough.
• Then additional ingredients like mushrooms, onions and sausage are spread on top of the cheese.
• The pizza is then topped with a fresh tomato sauce made with whole chunks of pear and plum tomatoes and topped off with a sprinkling of cheese and spices.”

Every pizza is made from scratch, and there are a few items that make each pizza at Lou’s extra special. One is the secret-recipe Buttercrust™ that creates a sturdy yet buttery and flaky pizza crust to hold all of the ingredients. Another is the exclusive lean sausage blend, as well as the tomato sauce that tops each pizza. That said, the pizza that combines all of these special ingredients is the Malnati Chicago Classic.™ We chose this pizza, along with the Malnati Salad.

MALNATI CHICAGO CLASSIC™ | Lou’s lean sausage, some extra cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust™

MALNATI SALAD | Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, Volpi salami bits and gorgonzola cheese with our Sweet Vinaigrette and romano cheese

With a beer to sip, this pizza and salad combo is a totally satisfying, delicious and casual meal.

The service is friendly and timely; and everyone seems to work well together as a team. If you’re craving some deep dish, search for a location near you, or go visit the Gold Coast one for a really nice vibe.