All about the pie

For my 10th birthday, my dad took me on a father-daughter long-weekend trip to Chicago. He worked a lot, so the time alone with him was special. He and my mom had lived in Chi-town as newlyweds, and he had many a landmark—both universal and personal—to show me. One of those places was Giordano’s Pizzeria, an acclaimed spot in the city (and now a franchise) for deep-dish pizza.

I’d never had anything like that pizza, basically a whole meal in one “slice.” Having grown up in St. Louis, where pizza has a thin crust and is cut into squares, this was a whole new world. The crust wrapped around the outside, like a quiche, and remained crisp. The middle was filled with sauce, lots of cheese, and don’t ask me to remember the other ingredients (in a true deep-dish, they cannot be called “toppings”).

I hadn’t had a deep-dish pizza since that night. Then, last weekend, I was driving by Star Liquors on Nord Avenue and saw a sign for Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Co. I decided to check it out. Turns out the company recently opened in Chico, and in addition to its own storefront open on weekends (Thursday-Sunday for lunch and dinner), it’s now selling its pies at Star (959 Nord Ave.).

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza’s pies are take-n-bake, which isn’t ideal for the summer heat, and boy are they cheesy—not necessarily a bad thing, but consider yourself warned. The selection at Star was limited, so I chose the pepperoni mushroom (I was hoping for a veggie) and I’m pretty sure I didn’t bake it long enough, because the bottom turned out a bit soggy. But the edges were divine. If you’re craving that true deep-dish Chicago-style pizza, this is your place. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Co. is located at 179 E. 13th St., or go to www.godeepdish.com.

Another slice If the deep-dish variety doesn’t get you going, maybe a personalized, super-fast, thin-crust pizza will do the trick. Another sign went up recently, this one for MOD Pizza next to the brand-new Starbucks near Cinemark 14. It’s kind of fitting, as MOD (short for “made on demand”) also is based in Seattle.

This place could very well change the face of pizza parlors in Chico. MOD basically lets customers create their own pies, Subway-style, and they all cost the same regardless of toppings. Sounds genius!

The local franchise’s Facebook page is already up and running, advertising plans to give back to community organizations (one of the brand’s principles) at its grand opening, which could be as early as the end of September. They’re seeking nominations, so find them on FB to vote for your favorite organization.

Smiles for vets I got a call the other day from Angela Vanella over at Kremer Dental Care. She’s hoping to get the word out that the Chico office is offering free dentistry to veterans, their spouses and children on Sept. 8 in honor of Freedom Day. Sounds like a great cause to me. Call Kremer at 892-1234 for more info.