The Chicago Pizza Joint With Perfectly Caramelized, Not Burnt, Pizza Crust

Chicago's known for a few styles of pizza, but the most photogenic one is deep dish (here's some of our favorites) thanks to its dramatically tall slices that yield mile-long cheese pulls. There's one pizzeria here that serves a variant of deep dish called pan pizza, and those who aren't familiar with it might tend to think its edges are burned because the ring around the exterior is so browned it nearly looks blackened. The restaurant in question would be Pequod's, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood (with a second location in Morton Grove).

Those blackened edges you see are actually coveted. That's because Pequod's pizza is completely topped with cheese, to the point where there's no exposed crust. During its time in the oven, the cheese caramelizes on the side of the pan, resulting in this gloriously crisp and salty frico (aka a caramelized cheese chip) that makes the edge something to savor. Pequod's is not only beloved by locals, it's also a tourist destination thanks to its unique pies. If you're not used to this style of pizza, you might think the pizza makers in back left it in for too long, but that's not the case. (One of my other favorites that does caramelized cheese crust pizza would be Milly's Pizza in the Pan, if you want an alternative.)

Pizza with a caramelized cheese crust might seem like an outlier, but there is notably an entire city's pizza style dedicated to it. That would be Detroit, where the pies are baked in steel pans. The brick cheese which is unique to Detroit-style pizza (it's kind of like mozzarella) melts along the edges of the pan, creating an appealingly dark crown on the sides. Detroit-style, however, is notable for its rectangular shape and stripe of tomato sauce on top. The pieces you should really go for are the corners, which have two sides sporting that browned, salty cheese crust.

If you can't make it to Detroit, Jet's Pizza is a notable fast food pizza chain that serves this style. Its signature move is flavored edges, which you can request while placing your order, plus its ranch dressing is a serious crowd favorite. In my experience, Pequod's and Detroit-style aren't dissimilar at all, though Pequod's is really unique when it comes to Chicagoland pizzerias. As a local, I recommend a visit someday, and whatever you do don't waste that precious crust.