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.