Why I Prefer Lou Malnati's Pizza Over Giordano's

This week Lisa and I made a trip back up north so all of our friends and family could meet out daughter, Nora.  We managed to get all the way up to Chicago, where we used to live before we moved to Austin.  One thing we really missed about the windy city was the pizza.  Compared to Chicago-style pizza you might as well eat dirt in Austin.  Two of the preferred pizza chains in the Chicago area are Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s.  For the rest of the entry I will refer to them as Gio’s and Lou’s.  While we lived in Chicago we lived close to a Gio’s, but would always drive about thirty minutes just to get Lou’s. 

This week, while in downtown Chicago, we went to eat at Gio’s on Michigan Ave.  I wasn’t thrilled about it, but a Lou’s was nowhere close.  The next day, before we left Chicago, I made sure to get some Lou’s.  After biting into that slice of heaven I truly remembered why we went out of our way to get Lou’s and avoid Gio’s, even though Gio’s has more locations. Here are several reasons why Lou Malnati’s is better than Giordano’s. 

 Atmosphere

Gio’s is liked a restaurant.  The walls are taupe with some meaning-less frame on the wall or some other pleasant-looking things.  Meanwhile, Lou’s has got personality.  Most of the Lou’s buildings seem a little old, which they probably are, but it’s a good thing.  The best part is that they have memorabilia on the wall.  Whether it’s a framed Magic Johnson jersey or a drawing of Babe Ruth the walls are covered with stuff to look at. 

 Coca-Cola

Even though my wife prefers Pepsi over Coca-Cola, I’ve always thought the opposite.  Gio’s serves Pepsi while Coca-Cola.  My reasoning for this is simple; ice.  When the ice melts in Coca-Cola beverages I still think it taste good, when ice melts in Pepsi it tastes worse.  Plus, I’ve always felt that Coca-Cola had more syrup taste to it, while Pepsi taste more like carbonation.

 Crust

Gio’s crust is big, fluffy, and full or air.  Lou’s crust is thing crispy, and full of crust.

Toppings

When we went to Gio’s for lunch we asked for a sausage pizza we got a deep dish pizza with cheese, a few sausages per slice, and a few tomatoes per slice.  The next day we went to Lou’s.  Each slice had an entire layer or cheese, and layer or sausage, and a layer or tomatoes.  It is a perfect blend with the crust to make one damn good pizza.

The Man Without Fear is The Dark Knight?

So the decision has been made people.  The contest that has raged on for the last few months has finally ended, and a Hollywood star has come out on top.  Ben Affleck has been chosen to play Batman/Bruce Wayne in the next film adaptation of the character in Batman vs. Superman.  The film will be a sequel to this year’s Man of Steel and have actor Henry Cavill returning as the Last Son of Krypton.  Zach Snyder will also return to direct.  Social media has been a buzz and everyone has their opinion about this casting choice.  I’m more worried about the film itself.

A while ago I wrote a blog about the rollercoaster ride that is Ben Affleck’s career.  He started out winning an Oscar for Best Screenplay with his friend, Matt Damon.  Then we went on to do films that critics didn’t seem to enjoy like Reindeer Games, Pearl Harbor, and playing the Marvel character Daredevil.  Reindeer Games was mind-numbing entertainment and I liked Pearl Harbor, but anyone who criticizes Daredevil has only seen the theatrical cut.  Watch the director’s cut. I have it on blu-ray and totally redeems itself.  Affleck slowly rose from the ashes and ended up winning an Oscar again this year for directing the film Argo.  

That last part seems the most curious for me about Affleck’s agreement to play the Dark Knight.  He’s just now making name for himself as an accomplished director in Hollywood, so why would he play a superhero, possibly for the next few years?  That leads me to the second half of my worry.  I know Snyder and Warner Bros. were looking for an older, more seasoned Batman, similar to The Dark Knight Returns Batman, but didn’t they even think about the franchise?  When Marvel Studios signed Chris Evans to play Captain America he signed up for 3 Captain America films and 3 Avengers films, which will take up almost 10 years of his life.  I don’t think Affleck as made the same commitment, like Warner Bros. should have been looking for in an actor. They need an actor who will be Batman for the next decade, and play him in the upcoming Justice League movies Warner Bros. has planned. Of course I don’t believe Batman and Superman belong in a Justice League movie, at least not the first one.  But that’s a totally separate ramble for another time.

To me this announcement isn’t about Ben Affleck’s acting abilities.  I have always thought Affleck was a good actor and I think he’ll make a good Batman/Bruce Wayne, but about Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment not thinking long-term like their rival, Marvel Studios. Warner Bros. is trying to do what Marvel has done and make their own DC movie universe, but they’re f%cking it up!  They’re going for star power and thinking about each film, not how it will all flow together in the grander design.  They need an actor that is willing to make the signature of his career, and life, on being Batman.  That isn’t Affleck, at least not at this point in his career.  If DC and Warner Bros. was smart they’d take this older Batman idea and then turn it into a Batman Beyond movie; which they won’t.

Of course I had worries about this film long before yesterday’s announcement.  I’ve read quite a few Batman comics books in my day, but would never call myself a big fan of Batman.  Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big Superman fan, and if Man of Steel is the starting point for Batman vs. Superman then it’s in trouble from the starting block.  I did like Henry Cavill has the new Man of Tomorrow but I did not like Zach Snyder and David Goyer’s interpretation of the character. I  felt like they dragged Superman down in the dirt to satisfy a modern audience instead of making him the light in the darkness we should all aspire too be.

Affleck will now join the prestigious ranks of Ryan Reynolds and the late Michael Duncan Clarke who will have played both a DC and Marvel character on the big screen. So to kind of summarize this whole ramble, I think Ben Affleck will make a great Batman, but for the film and the future of the character on the big screen I don’t believe this is the right choice.  Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to have a Ben Affleck marathon.  I just can’t decide between Armageddon or Jersey Girl?