Review: Labriola - Chicago IL

Over several visits to Chicago, I've come to understand one factor that might contribute to fiercely held opinions of "love it or hate it" regarding Chicago deep-dish pizza. It's not just Chicago vs. The World here, but there is a sentiment (outside of Chicago) that deep-dish pies are pretty much all the same.  Try one, hate it, done.

That's not the real truth, of course. Just like NYC offers world-class thin crust but 25 lousy pizza places for each good one, Chicago deep dish is very uneven as well. It pays to seek out the good stuff.

Winners I've tried include my favorite, Louisa's in Crestwood (10 miles south of Chicago), the mini-chain Pizano's, and the surprisingly wonderful pies at an Irish Pub in the Loop, Exchequer.

Less impressive was Giordano's and Pequod's. I had better deep dish in San Diego than either of those dry and bland calorie bombs. But the good pies keep me poised to try more.

Massive slice of thin crust pizza at Labriola

In the "Magnificent Mile" part of downtown, there are plenty of worthy dining choices; outposts of Shake Shack and Eataly, the flagship Pizzeria Uno and one block away, Pizzeria Due, founded in 1946. But I was drawn to a smaller, non-chain Italian restaurant, Labriola.

Labriola offers both deep dish and thin crust pizzas. There is a large but cozy dining room, but you can only get pizza by the slice for takeout. Dining solo, I chose that option. There, I had three choices; I didn't get a slice of the sausage deep dish pie, opting instead for a "hand held" mini deep-dish pie ($6.99) baked in a rectangle and an enormous triangle of a thin crust white pizza ($5.99) featuring sausage, peppers, and onions. 

Under side of the thin crust slice

The deep dish pizza had a beautiful caramelized cheese edge, much in the style of Detroit pizza. It had a generous amount of mild mozzarella, but it's signature feature was the bright and lively red sauce, applied in perfect proportion. The crust was almost an inch thick, a bit grainy, and a bit dry. It had a good flavor, but it needed more moisture. I enjoyed this little belly bomb, but it was not as good as Louisa's, Pizano's, or Exchequer.

Under the hand-held deep dish pie

The triangle was big and heavy. All of the "toppings" were riding under a thick layer of mild mozzarella. The flavor was dominated by the barely-cooked green peppers and the dusting of herbs on top. The crust itself and the peppers and the onions all contributed to a very crunchy slice. I felt the onions were under-cooked, and the sausage was denied oven browning and crisping by hiding under the cheese. I dubbed it the "thin crust casserole."

Payload toppings under the cheese blanket

There were plenty of good elements to this pie, including a sturdy-enough thin crust to support the cheese and toppings. But if the peppers and onions and sausage had been applied on top, it would go to another level. In fact, the next day I enjoyed a thin crust pizza at Pizzeria Due, overloaded with sausage, pepperoni, peppers, and onions. But all were applied on top, and the slice was superior in a thousand ways.

I was impressed with the friendliness of Chicagoans every where I went during this visit, but none were nicer than the staff at Labriola. The cozy atmosphere and friendly service make Labriola an attractive destination. Given how good the mini-deep dish pie was even upon re-heating, I imagine the regular deep dish is pretty special. If you want to stay out of the tourist traps, Labriola should be on your short list; I wish I had time to try the non-pizza menu items.