CHICAGO DEEP- DISH

The best known regional style after New York, Chicago’s pizza is a heavier, fork- and- knife affair. Dough is spread in a round metal tray with high sides and baked for upward of half an hour, unlike the much faster- cooking thinner versions. Because it cooks so long, cheese on top would burn, so whatever you get in ( not on) a deep- dish pie, the top is usually tomato sauce to protect the innards. The result is the cake version of pizza, tall slices with “layers” inside. When done right, it’s a sublime balance of dough and fillings. It’s also the style that travels best. You can find very good deep- dish outside its birthplace, and frozen pies from classic spots like Gino’s East and Lou Malnati’s, which both ship, serve up a great taste of Chicago anywhere.

LOU MALNATI’S, THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS The best of the Chicago chains. Deepdish was introduced at the original Pizzeria Uno, which later franchised. But according to period reports in the Chicago Daily News, the recipe was invented by Uno’s head chef, Rudy Malnati, whose son, Lou, opened the first Lou Malnati’s in 1971. Still family- owned, there are now more than three dozen locations.

CAPO’S CHICAGO PIZZA, SAN FRANCISCO When chef Tony Gemignani set out to re- create great regional pizza styles, he skipped deep- dish because it takes so much longer to cook. So he later opened this second eatery specifically to serve Chicago- style pizzas.

Lou Malnati’s deep- dish