12" Stuffed Cheese Pizza w/ Pepperoni & Olives from Giordano's

Item Purchased: 12" Stuffed Cheese Pizza w/ Pepperoni & Olives from Giordano's
Location Purchased: Giordano's / 815 W. Van Buren St. / Chicago, IL
Price: $18.95 + tax & delivery

Review: My co-worker and I were standing outside today, having a cigarette in the cold and rain. I casually mentioned to him that I didn't feel like walking down the block to get a sandwich in this cold. We both opened our slender wallets, nodded to each other in silent agreement and made our way to the stash of carry-out menus behind the register. After minimal hemming and hawing, we decided on a stuffed pizza from Giordano's.

Giordano's, famous for their stuffed pizza, serves up thick and filling pies that are more than half cheese. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, NBC Television and several other media conduits have all named Giordano's the best in Chicago at varying times. While I enjoy Giordano's pizza, to call them the best seems pretty myopic to me. Have these reporters tried Lou Malnati's? Have they tried Pizano's? Have they tried My Pi? Of course they haven't. Or if they have, they are simply catering to their audience and naming one of the most convenient and ubiquitous pizzerias in Chicago "the best."

Our pizza took over an hour to get to us and seemed almost too small for $28.00 (with tip). Unfortunately, I let this initial reaction to the pizza get the best of me and I ate three of the eight pieces. OF course, because of the density and content of each slice, this made me feel as if the bubble gum I swallowed as a child had filled with air and was still expanding. Pete played Brain to my Pinky and only had two slices, thus feeling full, but not muddily ill like me.

As for the pizza itself, the cheese was gooey and rich as always, the black olives tasted salty, but not especially fresh (as I am sure they were from a large can) and the pepperoni was flimsy but spicy. The entire pizza was slathered with a generous and chunky tomato sauce that had a slight citrus taste to it. Most pleasing was the crust of the pizza. Giordano's stuffed pizzas always come with a thick and flakey crust nearly two inches thick on the edges and about a half inch throughout. I am always reminded of dessert pie crust when I eat at Giordano's and though I enjoy it, it is still no Lou Malnati's butter crust!

While this meal was supremely filling, plentiful enough to give me breakfast tomorrow morning and a way for Pete and I to avoid walking through the freezing rain to get our lunch, delivery like this cannot be something booksellers get used to. $22.00 plus tip is not something I can keep in my budget on a regular basis. I think you know what that means for tomorrow... A buy nothing day.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Image from Giordanos.com