
While Chicago's pizza is signature to the city's culinary identity and recognized globally, recent rankings from online food magazine Tasting Table do not have Chicago as the country's best city for pizza.
The list of 19 American cities ranks each city's pizza prowess based on historical connection to pizza, innovation in ingredients and style and a city's distinct identity with the food.
"A true pizza city, above all, has a distinct identity and emotional relationship to pizza manifested as a competitiveness or innate need to challenge anyone that says a city's pizza is anything less than the best," the foreword to Tasting Table's rankings said.
Chicago ended up ranking as the third-best pizza city in the U.S., outdoing every other Midwestern city and besting any city along the West Coast while being ranked behind New Haven, Conn. and New York City respectively.
In the magazine's writeup on Chicago's pizza scene, Tasting Table praises the city's two distinct styles of pizza: the deep-dish pizza revered by visitors with nationally-recognized restaurants, and tavern-style thin-crust pizza, often found at neighborhood spots across the Chicago area.
"The best pizza in Chicago can be found at many different spots, depending on what kind of pie you're searching for. If you're looking to sample Chicago's deep-dish, we recommend trying for a table at Pequod's Pizza, which has been serving its pizza in the windy city for upwards of 40 years. Besides its long wait list, Pequod's is known for the caramelized edges on its pizza and uber-gooey cheese. Vito & Nick's nondescript location and signature thin-crust pies have received high praise from foodies like Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports and Guy Fieri," Tasting Table's writeup on Chicago said.
Chicago narrowly beat out fellow Midwestern pizza hotspot Detroit, coming in at fourth and earning high praise for the thick-crust Detroit-style pizza that has inspired impostors across the country.
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St. Louis and Milwaukee also cracked Tasting Table's top 10, falling in at #6 and #9 respectively. St. Louis' thin-crust pizza made unique by its use of provel cheese received high marks, while Milwaukee's own take on an ultra-thin crust pizza garnered recognition.
A full list of Tasting Table's 19 best pizza cities in America can be found below:
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- 19. Miami, Florida
- 18. Ocean City, New Jersey
- 17. Providence, Rhode Island
- 16. Old Forge, Pennsylvania
- 15. Las Vegas, Nevada
- 14. Phoenix, Arizona
- 13. Portland, Oregon
- 12. San Francisco, California
- 11. Washington, D.C.
- 10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- 8. Denver, Colorado
- 7. Boston, Massachusetts
- 6. St. Louis, Missouri
- 5. Los Angeles, California
- 4. Detroit, Michigan
- 3. Chicago, Illinois
- 2. New Haven, Connecticut
- 1. New York City, New York
More information on Tasting Table's rankings can be found here.