The AVClub's food writing is poor, but also wrong

Non-regional discussions Food in the news & other media
1

I won’t quibble with their regions or who’s best because whatever. But this reads like someone watched a bunch of Food Channel “The top 10 Pizzas!!” and then hit google.

But the thing that REALLY makes me wonder what they’re smoking is the assertion that native Chicagoans don’t really eat deep-dish pizza, It’s only for tourists. Now, I’ve been living on the west coast for 20+ years, so maybe there’s been some big demographic shift, but I would seriously question that assertion. My visits back home usually involve at least one visit to a local place, and it is inevitably full of the same north side beer bellied Cubs fans in their cargo shorts and polos happily digging in to a large deep-dish sausage.

Thin style party cut pizza is great, don’t get me wrong. For birthdays, bbqs, and bar nights, little 3 bite pieces you can hold in one hand are obviously the way to go. You can’t really mingle while trying to keep a lake of molten cheese on your plate.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard it, but it’s usually just hung out there as an assumed fact, like “New Yorkers never go to Times Square”. And the people I hear it from never seem to actually be from Chicago.

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2

Obviously deep-dish pizza isn’t just for tourists, since some of the most popular places are in neighborhoods with no tourists.

3

Well, yes. That seems self evident. Which is why I’m wondering where and when this assertion gained traction? I’ve heard this more than once, but only within the last year or so. I’m trying to determine if this is an actual new thing or some sort of weird Baader-Meinhoff effect.

4

Maybe whoever wrote that is just judging by his circle of friends and not considering the evidence to the contrary.

I find it believable that most Chicagoans eat thin-crust pizza more often than deep-dish.

5

I’ve visited friends in Chicago a few times. The people I know tend to order deep dish in winter, thinner pizzas in summer. Odd I know.

6

I was trying to come up with some sort of category of people who live in chicago and not simply “don’t eat deep dish often.” but don’t eat deep dish at all, or only when visitors come. Growing up, while we certainly had thin crust more often (it’s easier, cheaper, and faster, after all) but the idea of not WANTING to eat deep dish is just… as the kids these days say, I can’t even.

7

Chicagoans who just don’t like pizza, perhaps? Deep dish, or any or kind of pizza.

8

Fair point. But then, why ask such a group what kind of pizza they eat?

9

Because sometimes you have to eat things you don’t like.

Such as deep-dish when visitors come to town, or going to Times Sq. when relatives visit the Big Apple.

10

Or Hollywood fucking Boulevard.

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11

Hey , I was a tourist . Hollywood Blvd . Those bars on the side streets . My only time there .

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This is mostly true. SOHO may be next.

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I’m a tourist in New York and the last time I went to Times Square was the last. Hell on earth.

I like Hollywood Boulevard except for the tourist apocalypse around Hollywood & Vine. I stayed a few blocks away last time I was in LA and it was a great location except for having to run the gantlet to get to the Metro station.

14

The same Blvd with some of the best Thai food in the nation on it?

15

Yeh, cuz that’s the part of Hollywood tourists really, really want to visit. :wink:

16

I would think so?

17

I stayed there because it was walking distance to Luv2Eat.

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