Why Chicago Tavern Thin Crust Pizza Dominates Deep Dish

[@alexhusko]

I love that Tony doesn't have a pretentious NY bias and just loves good food and pie. I absolutely think Chicago tavern is the best but I also love good NY and east coast za. They all have place in my book! Much love Tony!!

[@justinperlow9104]

Tony is the man! Such an all around great guy! Glad you were able to meet up with him, truly a Chicagoan helping Chicago Win!

[@MrBweidle]

This guy gets it

[@Bobohawk42]

I absolutely LOVE this travel-storytelling style of video and it fills my heart seeing you highlight one of my home city's greatest triumphs.

[@flushedphoenix81]

I found you through Adam. I found Adam after a Reddit post he did. I was a chef before I became disabled so love both of your content and frequently share your videos with my husband as things to have for dinner. Yet to have a bad meal from either of you and we are introducing my FIL to a lot of tasty things he has never tried. Thank you for your amazing recipes and wit

[@AdamWitt]

[@farealwitit7947]

jesus can heal you!

[@GaryCedestromIII]

I followed this guy when he had 7,500 subscribers. The kid is good, and I learned a lot from this channel.

[@axe2grind244]

Went from making pies in Buffalo to pies in Chicago and it was a lot different. Fresh Italian sausage, cornmeal on the paddle, right on the deck, the long 2 handle pizza cutter…it was a totally different way to make pizza and I loved it. I don’t even bother with a deep dish or stuffed, always go for the tavern 👌

[@AdamWitt]

That was a helluva weekend. Next lets do grandma in NYC.

[@AnthonyLopez-cc9nf]

You should probably at least ask grandma first

[@VietnamFoodTravelTunes]

awesome, i will subscribe and follow your channel❤

[@MultiGemgirl]

I like the way you think

[@HisVirusness]

I'm glad to see others realizing that tavern style is Chicago-style pizza. Nothing against Chicago-style deep dish, but... that's not really what we eat.

[@JW-rg6rg]

Deep dish is a once a year pizza, unless you want to be battling weight.

[@magedojo]

Preach

[@Kaydee22312]

i only like lou’s deep dish. needs to be well done and rested so the cheese isn’t a mess

[@charliebarnes7514]

We who? Lifelong Chicagoan here. "We" eat both.

[@AnthonyLopez-cc9nf]

Truth

[@gaichured8579]

I love your videos so much man. You and Adam make fantastic videos together (and separate). The way you shot and edited this and all 3 of you guys' pizzas looked amazing, and all your opinions are so well thought out. You in particular have opinions as strong as I do about things and I respect the amount of care and thought put into them. You are one of like 4 creators I get notifications for. Keep trucking man, found you during covid and you helped me go from a very entry level cook to an intermediate level and really get to the point where I can have fun no matter what I make and can just take a bunch of random ingredients and make something good with it (which was like magic to me before).

[@johnpabst2960]

I live in the Racine/Kenosha area, and our pizza's borrow alot from Chicago thin/tavern style. Love it!

[@charlesfinnegan7930]

I hope so Kenosha is basically a suburb of Chicago.

[@CheeseburgersImpact]

please don't ever change! love your vids! always watch them while editing my own!

[@JohnGraham-tb8zm]

Great one. Rose at Vito and nick’s uses milk with water so there’s something to it with the condensed milk. That said I’ll just try this with the milk replacing water because I don’t like sweet added in there. Will be fun to try. Thanks for the video

[@rayginzburg]

Tony is the best

[@AReardon14]

Pepperoni and hot cherry peppers is the BEST! Great call

[@rpm773]

I grew up in chicagoland with thin crust pizza, but never heard it referred to as "Tavern style", but I left 20 years ago. Is that a term used out there now? I'd love an Aurelio's thin crust right now, or at least what it was between 1986 - 2003

[@relentless3735]

What an awesome video 💯 Thank you. 30 minute flight to Chi-Town from Detroit style pizza town 🍕

[@MgBlazer77]

The thinner, the better! I'm on team classic and Giard is always to die for.

[@guadalahonky4002]

I learned so much from Professor Pizza Tony. Great episode.

[@ginapurpura1182]

Professor Pizza is a great place - I talked about it for weeks after my visit!

[@patrickwaclaw]

In the Midwest, we simply call this, "pizza."

[@fluffylilmarshmallow4525]

Ah, my hometown, sweet Chicago! Love the people, love the vibe, love the food...love the whole damn city.

[@ClimbMitBourbon]

"I don't no f***ing finishing!" and his reaction had me dying😂

[@the6thgate]

Lost track of you for a while, see the follower count increased a bit :D love episodes like this btw

[@gregsavchuk3239]

Damn, I'm only 3 hrs from Downtown Chicago! Be there by Dinner! Well Done Steve, thanks for the post! Oh and Credits to Tony and Adam! Pizza 2.0??? Ahh, no more like Pizza 4.0! Or the Triple Nickle 555 Class....

[@Caffeine.And.Carvings]

So how was it ?

[@pvpxrt5413]

Love the feel while watching this its best combo food and friendship

[@onetwo12onetwo526]

I see my guy swag carried onto that pizza great techniques for a greater end product salute🎉

[@Swagg3r3d]

Banger episode! More please

[@kierancarberry7601]

It right up there with my type of pizza Gonna try and make this type of pizza. Very different to what we get in ireland

[@6spdkeg]

As a 80's/90's Iowa boy, in a fam with not much money, I kinda grew up on Pizza hut thin crust pizza as a treat. while not Chicago Tavern style, definitely my fav pizza. Italian sausage and mushroom is my fave two topping style.

[@kitskivich]

My home pizza! Cracker crust, fennel sausage, mushrooms, sweet sauce using San Marzano tomatoes, whole milk mozzarella, and everything caramelized with enough cooking time. Chef's kiss. There's nothing else like it.

[@versusforward]

Next time you come back, hit up Rico Bene's and get the breaded steak sando. Top tier sandwich. And ayyy My friend works at Professor Pizza! It's great tavern pie. But nothin' beats New Haven apizza in my mind - a slice of white Atlantic clam pie from Pepe's. Cent'anni!

[@keithwilson9378]

Must say i want too try all three of those pizzas all look bomb aka picture perfect great video

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I do need to go to Chicago for longer, to be able to try the food. In 2013, I was there, but only at the airport. I do have relatives there, on my maternal grandfather's side, but I wouldn't know them, because they are distant relatives. My maternal grandfather did use to live and work in Chicago, after he came from Poland, in the early 1900s, before he went to Canada. That pizza looks great. A good crust makes all the difference. Cheers! ✌️

[@coko9186]

The whipped ricotta at the end is one of the most genius pizza additions I've ever seen. I'm stealing that 😂

[@whoaitsjackieee]

tony! he’s from my hometown and just opened one of his slice house locations here!

[@FrielFamilyFootball]

We are there a couple of times a year. Yes…my daughter and I each order our own pie. ❤ it.

[@tg_ny]

I make a simpler variety of the chicago tavern style thin crust at home. Both myself and my daughters love it. The crust has a nice consistency (a little chewy, a little crunchy) and has a great flavor. It’s also easy to prepare. I am from both New York and Connecticut, so I do love authentic New Haven and New York style thin crust pizzas, but for making home-made pizza, I find the tavern style dough very easy to work with.

[@maddog6542]

This is what everybody makes in downstate Illinois. Many pizza joints have mastered the tavern style pizza in central Illinois. Don't know or care who invented it, but it's been mastered south of Chicago. Nobody messes with the giant stuffed crap down here.

[@biblebelter9772]

Central Illinois thin crust is humbler and therefore better. Everything downstate is humbler. Everything Chicago is pretentious. To Chicagoans there is no Central Illinois. To them Southern Illinois starts at fifty miles outside the city limits and when then say Southern Illinois they say it with disdain.

[@briancooney5739]

Next time you're crossing the TZB into Rockland, check out the Mountain House for this style of pizza. NYer here too. Kinchley's in NJ if you want to drive further. Beekman Ale House isn't too bad. Not a fan of Colony Grill in Port Chester. Know any others in our area?

[@ScootaGray]

Visitors who don’t know anyone in Chicago get deep dish pizza. If you actually know someone’s who lives in Chicago THIS is the pizza you get.

[@adamfleischman8080]

The dude with the glasses is awesome on camera

[@gchomuk]

The best pizza. I'm in my mid 60s, and eating Chicago thin crust pizza my whole life. Last year I started making it at home. Best pizza. Best style, IMO, but I need to get to New Haven to scope that out. Soon.

[@onetwo12onetwo526]

Shout out to Tony Gem used to watch him as a kid but he was working in Castro Valley🎉

[@Dylan-rv3rz]

Just ate at professor pizza this week for the first time and got the sausage and pepper pie, delicious

[@krono5el]

that tomato sauce was so amazing looking i've never wanted to dive into the screen so bad in my life, that's how a sauce should. Thats how we make our salsas and anything with tomaterers, thick af.

[@patriciacrane548]

Chicago gal born n bred here. I might enjoy a deep dish pizza once every year or so. That's about it. Tavern style is where it's at 100%!

[@katashley1031]

I'm a Chicago gal and feel the opposite.

[@tomfilipiak3511]

To hell with tavern style,as a 76 year old Born and bred Chicago guy,it’s thin crust,never heard it called Tavern,style!Do not complicate the situation!FACT,

[@ekroook]

We need more videos like this 👍

[@marilynczech7692]

I'm not a pizza lover but all those pizzas looked so delicious. I love a nice thick layer of sauce & of course premium ingredients.

[@Lavadx]

I have NEVER wanted a pizza more than right at this moment... I would trade a kidney for that Pizza Adam made!

[@kkkk-wg6je]

Chicago pub pizza is hugely popular here in Wisconsin as well

[@orfitna]

Its the veal of basil! Another interesting video, thank you.

[@TJ71111]

Professor pizza is my fav pizza. All the styles are great.

[@benporter2059]

Link to that garlic slicer pls!

[@kmdesign9303]

Yes please link the mini mandolin.

[@Town101]

We rock in Chicago. All are welcome.

[@nickpalutsis8379]

We need a Chicago Sunday Supper event pronto

[@maxhunter3574]

Crust is just a vehicle to transport the stars of the show, the toppings and cheese. Sauce too. So no point in having any more crust than minimally needed. This is the pizza hill I'll die on.

[@jimmycurrire7868]

Hope you enjoyed my hometown 🇮🇹🇺🇲

[@carrdoug99]

CHICAGO! My favorite food city! 😋😋😋

[@RedRisotto]

The main purpose of the ice is to develop a strong gluten structure... An industrial mixer (or even a good home mixer) will warm up the dough and make the gluten structure weaker (less stretchable.) You try to keep the dough under 40-50C, depending on goal. Hence, the ice. This applies to all bread making. The fermentation (flavor) is not considered at this point. It's about perfect gluten development. As for making these cracker pizzas... looks easy!

[@alexaguillon7904]

Converted to bakers percentages so you don’t have to. Also the site doesn’t tell you how much yeast to use for your poolish or sourdough starter. If using IDY basically just add a pinch of IDY or 0.02-0.05% for an overnight poolish. AP Flour 650g - 100% Warm Water 26g - 4% Yeast 1.63g - 0.25% Corn meal 65g - 10% Malt 7.31g - 1.12% Cold water 337g - 58% Starter - 32.5g - 5% Salt - 14.63g - 2.25% As far as his sauce blending whole tomato’s with tomato paste is quite common in Chicago pizzerias and not a “cooked” sauce like Alex mentions. They use the paste as the thickening agent. Theres a lot of pizza spots that just use paste + water to dilute it to its desired consistency. Pro tip when doing a paste + water sauce you will make to make it day of or right before cooking, the dry herbs will rehydrate then you’ll have to add more water.

[@alexaguillon7904]

Also quick anecdote. In my experience if you’re going to do a cured dough or a par bake for this style increasing the hydration above the standard 50% is crucial. If you cure or par bake a 50% hydrated dough by the time it comes out of the oven, it’s just going to taste like frozen pizza crust and lose a bunch of flavor that you’re working hard for with the 48-72hr ferment times. So don’t be afraid of this guys recipe with higher hydration percentages.

[@annacfd28]

Chicago has the best pizza in the world because you have so many different styles of pizza to choose from, tavern or thin crust stuffed or pan

[@justpeachy4938]

Great stuff. I'm literally drooling 😂

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Chicago pizza is awesome 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@LiquidDIO]

We've been doing the same thing in Ohio tavern style for a pretty long time too! I worked in a cafe that rolled, cut and baked our dough in the exact same way.

[@Leo-pt9ei]

12:59 What if you used Iberian Ham instead? or some other cured meat like prosciutto?

[@MadameDex]

Put a 10" or 12" flour tortilla in a cold non-stick skillet. Turn on heat to medium and add sauce, preferred toppings, and cheese. Cover with a lid until cheese is bubbly. Slide out on to a plate and slice into 4-8 pieces. The tortilla will be crisp like a cracker without all the time and mess of making dough. You're welcome! 😁

[@ivettekittyfamily]

Thanks so cool Chicago Pizza. It was hard to make but it was yummy. I’m gonna stick to the New York pizza Bronx.❤😊

[@Bill-oy2dr]

I'm so jealous. I will have to make this. I'm In fla. From Chicago burbs . Rosati's had a franchise here but it closed

[@wayne_jkl]

Love this in every way 🍕🍕🍕

[@billg.4965]

GREAT VIDEO!!

[@budrich2773]

Crazy flavor look so good

[@SunnyBlueSkyDay]

Thin cracker crust is the only pizza to eat✨ I grew up on it in Wisconsin 🍕

[@3rdwardreport]

What style of oven is that? I'm in Texas and was wondering what company did build that oven. If you can answer that it would be greatly appreciated.

[@GabrielleRome-r2r]

Sometimes it is better to just walk away from things and go back to them later when you’re in a better frame of mind.

[@80RedRock]

Also, comment number two: Whatever you're doing for your health, keep doing it. You're looking great.

[@NipItInTheBud100]

The SMOGG looked delicious!!

[@InvadeNormandy]

7:10 Get that hoodie string all up in there

[@JDoors]

Grew up in Chicago. IMO, thin crust is snackin' pizza, deep dish is a meal.

[@keithstevens8739]

Yep, they literally tell you that in the video...bars gave it away and wanted you to hold it in one hand with a beer

[@Mari000]

Funny how tavern style is blowing up online when it’s been around for years

[@madmike017]

I am 420% going to be making this dough 🤯😵‍💫

[@DC-Aust]

Very good vid, but I'm hoping you can clarify one point. You refer to a sourdough starter/poolish as though these are the same thing which of course they are not. The recipe in the link only confuses me further as the 2 day starter is not a poolish because there is no yeast, yet if covered it will not incorporate wild yeast to even begin to make a sourdough starter. Thank you.

[@danfitzpatrick4112]

Man, that's a thick, deep red sauce! Bar pizza is my fav!

[@RxJeffery]

What is the difference between Chicago tavern style and St. Louis style pizza? Other than the provolone cheese.

[@charlesfinnegan7930]

Just ingredients. In fact the Midwest tavern pizzas are similar all over the Midwest. Chicago has the best Italian sausage, pretty much every place uses the Wisconsin cheese (Grande). As you stated St. Louis uses the Pro-vel, which is like a provolone Velveeta.

[@chrismcgrath683]

Love this vid. Who is the hunky cameraman?!?

[@stanstan9670]

What do you do with the trimmings?

[@tedfry236]

DAMN! and I was passing by Chicago last week!

[@alaskayoung3413]

I’m salivating!

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

How long does it ferment the dough.. in Connecticut A few places do something similar

[@BlackJesus8463]

Nice!

[@rally618]

I actually like my pizza a little well done with extra sauce !!!! Now I want some pizza.

[@justinguitarcia]

Whats done with the trim? Seams like a lot of discard per pie

[@MPMcDonald]

I like my thin crust pizza a little well done, but some of those are beyond well-done.

[@fritzpollard266]

Now I want pizza!

[@Bunslightyear]

Looks like Rosangelas

[@FeChefUSA]

Is there a typo in your recipe? The starter lists only AP four and water. Shouldn't there be some yeast?

[@katashley1031]

As a Chicagoan, I like tavern style, I drool for great deep dish. And nobody has a better tavern style pizza than Home Run Inn, period. Never burnt, always buttery and crisp. Been eating theirs for 40+ years.

[@stevetheripper7675]

im not a thin crust pizza guy but that looks incredible

[@mattstraight8179]

Gr8 to see you in our town. As much as I like your town(lived in Hell’s Kitchen, battery park and midtown), you know you love this town.. Chi-town.. don’t h8 - Str8

[@timfify]

Using raw pepper in Chicago egg and pepper sandwich the peppers are recommended to be cooked and a day-old

[@jeffreycurtisjr9195]

Can we get the recipe for home use