Lincoln Park's Caramelized-Crust Pan Pizza
Pequod's Pizza on Clybourn Avenue is the Chicago pan pizza variant that locals defend with religious intensity. The signature: caramelized cheese pulled up the side of the pan, charred against the metal, creating a black-edged crust ring that has become the room's calling card.
The cooking is Chicago pan pizza in its specific Pequod's form: a deep-dish pan with the cheese pushed up the side, the sauce in the middle, the toppings tucked underneath. Closer to deep dish than to thin, but not quite either.
What to Order
The classic Pequod's pan — sausage or pepperoni, with the caramelized cheese ring. The Caesar salad as a counter to the rich pizza. The bar programme is broader than the format would suggest.
The Format
The room is pub-style and busy. The bar absorbs the wait; the dining room takes parties. The pace is brisk; the pizza takes 30+ minutes from order to table.
Best Occasion: Team Dinner
Pequod's handles a Chicago team dinner reliably. The pan-pizza format provides the shareable centrepiece; the price point is honest; the format is unintimidating. Bringing visitors to the caramelized-crust experience is one of the city's most-recommended local rituals.