Gino’s legendary deep dish pies hit the scene in 1966 thanks to two hungry taxi drivers. Tired of getting stuck in the city during rush hour with nowhere to stop for a bite, Sam Levine and Fred Bartoli opened Gino’s East just off Michigan Ave. They hired Alice, a chef who helped create the city’s first deep dish pizza only a few years prior. Sticking to Alice’s recipe ever since, Gino’s pizzas are notable for their thick, deep golden crusts which are baked in well-seasoned cast iron pans and topped with mozzarella. Their most popular pizza features a sausage patty that stretches the entire diameter of the pie, guaranteeing a bit of sausage with every bite….
This is Chicago we’re talking about, after all.