Written by Steven Larson Photographed by Luke Irvin
Chicago and New York, the Windy City and the Big Apple. They have plenty in common- big city, a passion for sports, and of course their love for pizza! However, when it comes to their styles of pizza, they couldn’t be more different. Chicago is most known for their towering deep dish pizzas and New York is known for it’s thin, foldable, on-the-go pizza.
If you’ve lived in Arizona long enough you know we are a melting pot of sorts. People from all over the country, like Chicago and New York, move here seeking our sunshine and six lane freeways! With that they bring the cultures and traditions of their native food scene. When I think about each pizza style I see how it takes on the personality and lifestyle of the city it represents. As the old saying goes- “are they built for speed or are they built for comfort?” Here in Arizona you’ll catch several places that do a spectacular job replicating the NYC & CHI styles.
Chicago Style
There is one Chicago pizzeria here in Arizona that’s been at the top of my list for years: Nello’s Pizza in Mesa. A great friend, groomsmen and college roommate of mine “Lips” put Nello’s on the map for me and is a Nello’s legend! Family owned and operated for over 35 years, and a home away from home for many locals, Nellos lives by its slogan: “In Crust We Trust.” There is no doubting that, it’s phenomenal! Everything about it is great. What separates Nello’s from the others and puts them into another stratosphere is the bacon (pictured on the left). My pro tip is that you ask for bacon. When you do, you’ll get a load of crunchy, crispy, delicious, full strips of bacon! Nello’s is easily the “Michael Jordan” of Chicago style pizza in AZ.
Another fantastic Chicago style pizza spot is Salerno’s Restaurant and Pizzeria. The first Salerno family restaurant originated in Berwyn, IL in 1966. They since have opened a location in Gilbert and have been serving the East valley since 2004. The Salerno restaurant has crossed over 3 generations now and they pride themselves on making authentic Chicago style pizzas. Their specialty and what they do best is the thin crust Chicago style. Most people don’t associate thin crust pizza with Chicago, but this thin, crispy crust, is blanked in cheese, and square cut just like in the Chicago suburbs. You can’t go wrong with traditional pepperoni and sausage but if you’re wanting to branch out, try a pizza with Italian beef and hot giardiniera peppers, a true taste of Chicago.
New York Style
My favorite AZ New York spot is Reel Pizza Pie in Surprise. It is new, progressive, and modern. I came across Reel when several New York natives tipped me off to its location. Reel is backed by a young, passionate owner with laid back west coast roots, Kaleb Copenhaven. What you’ll get when you slide on over to Reel is a fantastic NY pizza offered by the slice for those on the go, or whole pies for those who want to stick around and enjoy the super chill vibes of the pizzeria. Reel offers traditional/Sicilian slices, hoagies, calzones and cannolis. Everything you would expect from a NY inspired pizzeria! My recommendation here is to keep it simple with a slice of cheese or a Sicilian corner.
Sal’s Gilbert Pizza is another fantastic authentic New York style pizzeria, and the embodiment of the American dream. Sal was born in Sicily then moved to New York in 1984 to start work in his brother’s pizzeria and he attended culinary school. Since 2006, he has ran Sal’s Gilbert Pizza. Sal’s offers all of the New York favorites from traditional thin slices, grandma style, Sicilian, even upside down Sicilian. However, perhaps Sal’s worst kept secret and favorite cult classic pizza is their baked ziti pizza! Definitely worth grabbing a slice.