Deep-Dish Pan Pizzas

[BB1950]

I find that the most of the pizza places recommended as the best pizzas sold in Pattaya are extremely thin-style pizzas with crispy crusts, which I hate. Might as well put some tomato sauce on a cracker (US definition).

I prefer deep-dish pan style pizzas which I have never seen in Pattaya.

This pizza is unique because it is far from the roots of an original Italian pizza. It does not include thin crusts or delicate toppings, but rather it is made with a heavy, thick crust and large amounts of cheese, sauce and ingredients. It is often referred to as a Chicago-style "deep-dish" pizza because it was invented at Pizzeria Uno, in Chicago, in 1943.

[Jingthing]

I believe the origin is Sicilian though I reckon Chicago Americanized it (and in a good way!). As an ex-Chicagoan (for awhile) I feel your pain. You won't find anything like that here that will satisfy you, give it up, sorry. Also, even if a place tried doing that in Thailand, it would have to be very expensive due to the cheese costs here. Those pies are loaded.

BTW, have you ever tried a slice of cold Chicago pizza (the good stuff from Chicago) as a leftover? Really fantastic.

[smokie36]

There have been a few threads on this subject lately.....I've not been to Chicago and never tried a pizza pie.

So I did a search around London and that turned up a blank as well. It seems this is dam_n hard to find outside the Windy City.....

[Jingthing]

Most US big cities will have some place to get Chicago deep dish pizza, but it's hard to match the better places in Chicago, even from the chains out of Chicago.

Not all Chicago pizzas are deep dish. I would bet most pizzas people in Chicago eat on an everyday basis are not deep dish. If you ate deep dish often you'd look like a house. It's more of a special occasional treat kind of thing.

I would have thought there would be places in London for it, but maybe not!

http://www.hackneyhive.co.uk/index/2010/11/review-where-can-you-find-chicago-style-pizza-in-london-su-sazzagoni/

I also found a link saying the Chicagoan who brought deep dish to London (long ago) died of a heart attack. The heart attack isn't a surprise, but the lack of a lasting deep dish presence in London is. I mean, don't we have a "special" relationship? You can certainly get fish and chips in the US.

Back to Thailand, don't some of the pizza chains do some kind of faux deep dish pizza? If they did, I wouldn't even try it, too spoiled and I'm sure it would be awful compared to the real thing.

[timekeeper]

I believe the origin is Sicilian though I reckon Chicago Americanized it (and in a good way!). As an ex-Chicagoan (for awhile) I feel your pain. You won't find anything like that here that will satisfy you, give it up, sorry. Also, even if a place tried doing that in Thailand, it would have to be very expensive due to the cheese costs here. Those pies are loaded.

BTW, have you ever tried a slice of cold Chicago pizza (the good stuff from Chicago) as a leftover? Really fantastic.

i think an American friend of mine is credited with inventing the deep pan pizza

his name was Bob Payton

he moved to the UK many years ago and bought Stapleford Park, a stately home which he turned into a country house hotel

he was a keen horseman and i bought his own horse from him and kept it at his stable in the grounds

we often road out together and i frequently changed horses for him during hunt days

Bob died aged 50 in a road traffic accident

RIP Bob......

[FarangBuddha]

The only place I have found that has anything similar (but not anywhere near as "deep") are the "pan" style pizzas available from the two major pizza chains we have here in Thailand; namely The Pizza Company and Pizza Hut. Their pan style pizzas are not bad (for what they are) and whenever I feel like a really filling meal, I order one of these with pepperoni...if you double the cheese ("perm cheeze") you just start to enter real deep-dish style pizza territory

[BB1950]

I believe the origin is Sicilian though I reckon Chicago Americanized it (and in a good way!). As an ex-Chicagoan (for awhile) I feel your pain. You won't find anything like that here that will satisfy you, give it up, sorry. Also, even if a place tried doing that in Thailand, it would have to be very expensive due to the cheese costs here. Those pies are loaded.

BTW, have you ever tried a slice of cold Chicago pizza (the good stuff from Chicago) as a leftover? Really fantastic.

Jingthing, thanks for your reply.

I also thought is was of Sicilian origins, but when I looked it up on Wikipedia, the Sicilian origins weren't mentioned. I suspected it wouldn't be available, but was hoping because Pattaya has so many pizzerias and Italian places. Lasagna also use lots of cheese, but it can be obtained in Pattaya by special order.

Yes, I've had cold pies as leftovers. It's way too much to eat in one eating! So when I go to Chicago on business, I would order a pie. Take the leftovers back to my room.They are absolutely fantastic.

Jingthing is right, there are many US cities that offer it. I've also seen it offered in Canada.

It definitely is something that you only eat on special occasions.

I guess it's something I'll have to keep dreaming about - like good Tex-Mex and Southern Country dishes.

[barryofthailand]

I'm originally from Chicago, and the original Chicago deep dish pizza was created by two eateries by the name of Unos, and dues. A man named Harry Levin in 1968 opened an Italian restaurant in Pipers alley in Old Town Chicago. He hired a cook from Unos and then had the original recipe for the deep dish pizza. I worked for him as night manager and bar tender for a year. The restaurant was an instant success.

Barry

[BillR]

Im from chicago too, I plan to do this soon but in Phuket. Here is a great website if anyone ever wants to make one at home. I plan to get my recipes from here:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5674.0.html

[timekeeper]

I believe the origin is Sicilian though I reckon Chicago Americanized it (and in a good way!). As an ex-Chicagoan (for awhile) I feel your pain. You won't find anything like that here that will satisfy you, give it up, sorry. Also, even if a place tried doing that in Thailand, it would have to be very expensive due to the cheese costs here. Those pies are loaded.

BTW, have you ever tried a slice of cold Chicago pizza (the good stuff from Chicago) as a leftover? Really fantastic.

i think an American friend of mine is credited with inventing the deep pan pizza

his name was Bob Payton

he moved to the UK many years ago and bought Stapleford Park, a stately home which he turned into a country house hotel

he was a keen horseman and i bought his own horse from him and kept it at his stable in the grounds

we often road out together and i frequently changed horses for him during hunt days

Bob died aged 50 in a road traffic accident

RIP Bob......

i am going to correct myself here and state that Bob did not invent the deep dish pizza after all

he is credited as the one who introduced it to the UK in 1977 with the first of his Chicago Pizza Pie factories in St James.

i got it wrong, but it would be easy to believe it of Bob, he was one of those huge, american sterotypes that many love to hate.......

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-bob-payton-1413990.html

[Phil Conners]

There's a place in Naklua called New York Pizza (assuming they're still in business, it's been quiet about them for a while). It was discussed in this thread a couple of month ago. They also make deep pan pizzas.

[Jingthing]

There's a place in Naklua called New York Pizza (assuming they're still in business, it's been quiet about them for a while). It was discussed in this thread a couple of month ago. They also make deep pan pizzas.

I like that place but deep dish Chicago style pizzas are definitely NOT on their menu.

That place is known to be open to make the crust as you like on call, thin, medium, or thick. Thick crust is not Chicago deep dish. Even a shallow pan is not Chicago deep dish. If that place really was doing Chicago deep dish properly they would have to raise the price considerably (maybe 300 percent for example) to deal with all the added ingredients you need in a deep dish.

American pizza in general is a thicker crust than thin crust crispy Italian pizza. New York City pizza is also a thinner crust (though has it's own style). The default crust at New York Pizza in Naklua is American style medium, not New York City thin (if you don't ask).

BTW, lasagna was mentioned. I have yet to find a lasagna that satisfies me at all in Pattaya. They certainly don't use ricotta cheese here. Tell me where! (Also you can't really compare the cheese and filling costs in one medium portion of lasagna to an entire authentic Chicago deep dish pizza pie!)

[kirkinpattaya]

WOW... glad to see there are a few chicagoans here,,,, im originally from the southside..... i remember as a kid my mom used to order deep dish pizza from giordanos....could never finish 1 piece in a sitting and had to use a knife and fork to cut thru and eat it......really miss those days

[Jingthing]

Here are some pics to make you salivate --

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/best-pizza-places-in-the-us

[gk10002000]

Pizza Hut at Big C is decent. I get the individual Pan Pizza all the time, a side of french fries and a coke and my junk food american craving is done for a few days. That Pizza Hut seems to be better than the Pizza Hut down by Garden Mall. The one time I ate at the one near the Garden Mall, they used hot dogs cut up on the pizza as "pork".

I am from Rhode Island and we had great pizza there. Uncle Tony's was a small chain of about 4 restaurants that had the best thick pizza. It really wasn't deep dish, but was very thick. A few of the mom and pop pizza joints were really good. The North East pizza has a distinctive taste. don't know if it is due to the oil, or the sauce, but having lived all over the USA, I never can find the similar flavor. Good pizza to be had all over the country, but never the same flavor.

[Jingthing]

Pizza hut "personal pan pizza" is to real Chicago deep dish pizza as boloney is to premium steak.

[angiud]

Italian lasagne:

Bolognese sauce

Bechamel sauce

Grated parmigiano cheese

Somebody put small meatballs

Somebody put a little fresh mozzarella

Ricotta is the filling of vegetarian cannelloni (together with spinach, nutmeg, some sauce, etc)

[mark45y]

I'm originally from Chicago, and the original Chicago deep dish pizza was created by two eateries by the name of Unos, and dues. A man named Harry Levin in 1968 opened an Italian restaurant in Pipers alley in Old Town Chicago. He hired a cook from Unos and then had the original recipe for the deep dish pizza. I worked for him as night manager and bar tender for a year. The restaurant was an instant success.

Barry

I used to work close by at Lawry's The Prime Rib, Henrici's and later the Playboy club and Pump room. Ate at Uno's once a week in the early 70's. The Shaw of Iran used to fly pizza's by jet from Uno's to Iran. Best Pizza in the world? I thought so. They later became a chain and filed for bankruptcy this year. I guess it was hard to duplicate. I ate at a couple of the chain restaurants and they were not the same as the original.