Taste of the Road Vol. I -- Pizza

This summer has been a whirlwind tour of the country where I visited with great DOSMs at amazing hotels. The travel has introduced me to so many new friends, and also allowed me to indulge in the cuisine of the various cities. I'm what could be considered a "foody" given my passion for all that is food. So, naturally, I got hooked into the battle between New York's thin crust versus Chicago's deep-dish pizza. Having experienced both, I now know why this battle persists. It is a battle of two very different philosophies of what pizza is; a snack or a major meal. Both are incredible, but only one can be considered king!

While in New York I decided to visit the original, very first pizza place in the country: Lombardi's Pizza. I went with the traditional Gennaro's Original which included red sauce, fresh mozzarella and strips of basil. It was large and simple - just the taste of high-quality ingredients in complete harmony. The crust was golden and crusty on the outside with an airy inside, and a hint of smoke due to the coal oven. I cherished every bite knowing I was experiencing a masterpiece in the pizza world. Despite eating the entire pizza, I was left longing for more. Because the pizza is topped sparingly and simply, it isn't a true meal by itself. The focus of this pizza is clearly simplicity, inviting one to enjoy every aspect of the pie in moderation.

Vote: A+

In Chicago I decided to follow the Yelp recommendation and headed to Giordanos for stuffed pizza. I decided on the original with sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions. In addition to the abundant toppings was a CRAZY amount of oozing, gooey cheese. I absolutely adore cheese, but even I was intimidated by the sheer amount of cheese I was about to devour. Not to even mention the size of this pie was immense even though I bought a small! The pizza was interesting as the cheese is on the bottom with the toppings, while the sauce is on top. Unlike Lombardi's, at Giordano's the crust, which is similar to a cracker in consistency, takes a back seat to the toppings. I ended up eating only 2 slices before throwing in the towel, giving me an extra 2 slices for a snack later. The focus on this pizza is excess and cheese.

Vote: A+

So, which pizza is actually best? The battle is only fair in that both are technically pizza, but comparing them is like comparing a Poodle to a Rottweiler - both are dogs, but they are completely different. That said, if I was given both pizzas and had choose only one, it would be Giordanos. I'm just a glutton for cheese!