Gino’s East is one of the famous Deep Dish spots.  As a resident, it falls out of my ordering rotation behind Malnati’s, partially because Malnati’s are everywhere.  I used to eat in at the Gino’s on Diversey, Southport and Lincoln back in the day.  I hadn’t had it in awhile.  But my brother-in-law Stephen had a take your kids to work day and suggested we all meet at Gino’s on Lasalle for dinner.  They usually order thin crust out in Geneva(although they’ve got a Lou’s, too.)  Stephen wanted to give the kids a taste of rolling in the deep dish in the big city.

My niece, Maddy, is a vegetarian and she picked at the cheese a little.  She wasn’t feeling it so much, pleading for a thin crust.  Stephen held firm, insisting they give it a try.  Justin ate some, but he was more interested in writing stuff on the wall, which is encouraged there.

The adults dug in, we got a supreme and a cheese for the kids.  I rediscovered Gino’s in all its glory.  Why have I denied myself this different deep dish for so long?  The sauce, the sausage, the crust…all winners.

Maybe 1 out of 5 pizzas I get is deep dish.  Instinct has me ordering Lou’s, with an occasional Giordano’s to support D Rose.  I mix in some neighborhood spots, too.  Like Bartoli’s in Roscoe Village.  I’m in Bartoli’s delivery zone.  But, I digress.  My point is I must remember to give Gino’s some love.  Tourist spots become tourist spots because they’re good.  Gino’s East – keep it in the rotation.