It's been a long-standing debate at the dinner table for pizza lovers: which is better, deep-dish or thin crust?
We're not tackling that debate in this story. Instead, we're celebrating National Deep-Dish Pizza Day in all its stuffed and cheesy glory!
To help you take part, here are a few places around the Valley where you can stuff your face (literally, and we don't judge) in deep-dish pizza:
Buddyz Pizza
BUDDYZ, A CHICAGO PIZZERIA
Joe Scarnato and his brother opened their first Buddyz pizzeria in 2005 in Chicago. Five years later, a second opened. In 2013, Joe moved to Arizona where he opened a third location in Queen Creek. In 2016, he expanded yet again into Gilbert. Over the phone, Joe takes credit for bringing Chicago-style pizza to Arizona, and for the recent influx in Chicago-style eateries opening locations in Arizona. Buddyz serves thin crust, deep-dish and butter-crust pan pizza.
IF YOU GO:
Queen Creek: 18423 E. San Tan Blvd., Queen Creek AZ 85242
Gilbert: 3611 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert AZ 85234
http://www.buddyzpizza.com/
Oregano's Pizza Bistro
OREGANO'S PIZZA BISTRO
Oregano's is not billed as a Chicago-style pizzeria. But, its roots are in the Windy City. You see Lawrence Gibbilini raised his family in Chicago and enjoyed making pizza with the presumed dream to open a restaurant of his own. Unfortunately, he died before that could happen. So, his tried to turn that dream into a reality in what is now Oregano's. The first location opened in Scottsdale in 1993. Oregano's serves stuffed pizza, among other Italian dishes.
Lou Malnati's
LOU MALNATI'S
Lou Malnati's is easily one of Chicago's most well-known pizzerias, and there are a few! It turns out that the Chicago pizzeria ships a lot of its frozen pizzas to Arizona. Because of that, in 2016, Lou Malanti's made headlines after announcing that it would open a pizzeria in the Grand Canyon State. Lou's opened its doors within Phoenix's Uptown Plaza at Camelback Road and Central Avenue.
IF YOU GO:
100 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix AZ 85012
https://www.loumalnatis.com/
Giordano's
GIORDANO'S PIZZA
Giordano's is another one of Chicago's big pizzerias. Last year, Giordano's announced that it would open a pizzeria in Arizona, it's first. It decided to open within Peoria's arts and entertainment district. The Chicago pizzeria also ships its pizzas and Arizona was one of its biggest markets. Giordano's has a variety of deep-dish pizza.
IF YOU GO: 16222 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria AZ 85382
https://giordanos.com/
Rosati's
ROSATI'S PIZZA
The foundation for Rosati's Pizza began over 100 years ago in New York in an Italian restaurant. But, the first Rosati's Pizza location did not open until 1927 in downtown Chicago. From the dough to the sauce, it is all made from scratch from family recipes.
IF YOU GO:
There are a dozen locations in the Valley.
https://www.rosatispizza.com/
Gino's East
GINO'S EAST (COMING SOON)
Unofficially, 2016 was the year of the great Chicago pizza expansion out west. Gino's East, another well-known Chicago pizzeria, announced that it, too, would make its way to Arizona. The pizzeria is currently under construction off Indian School Road and is hoping to open by the end of April. Since this is a deep-dish pizza story, Gino's East serves deep-dish pizza.
IF YOU GO:
3626 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix AZ 85018
http://www.ginoseast.com/
