In the food world, Garfield Ridge on the southwest side of Chicago is fairly unexplored territory. But the locals there swear by Obbie's Pizza, a delivery and carry-out only hole in the wall that's been making customers happy since 1977. While my hope that I'd stumble on a place that should be a city-wide legend did not materialize, I did have some good pizza a couple of tweaks away from greatness. More

With a location steps from the Magnificent Mile and across the street from Water Tower, Chef Tony Mantuano's Bar Toma would be doing extraordinarily well based on his star power and the location, even if the restaurant served frozen dinners. Fortunately, Mantuano did not rest on his laurels, delivering some seriously delicious pizzas that should have locals fighting tourists for tables. More

Q's Restaurant & Pizzeria has served the people of Hillside for well over 50 years and exudes old school pizzeria charm. But Q's is an exemplar of how legendary suburban pizzerias can live on in greatness due to nostalgia more than the pizza. More

No restaurant in the ever-expanding empire of Scott Harris has gotten more praise than Davanti Enoteca in Little Italy. The hype means that two hour waits are fairly common on weekend nights. The food just might be worth it. More

There are countless average to above average pizzerias that get the designation, "it's good for the neighborhood." But as I discovered at Fornetto Mei, when the neighborhood is packed with excellent pizza options, decidedly mediocre pizzas aren't going to elicit much more than a shrug. More

Trattorria Porretta & Pizza has grown from tiny pizzeria to a full-service Italian restaurant and banquet hall over the years in Portage Park. The family operation maintains the regional status quo in the Chicago thin crust department, but the carry-out only stuffed crust is worth sacrificing the comforts of a sit-down meal. More

Chef Tony Mantuano may be primarily known as the creator of some of the best upscale Italian food in America, but the man is undoubtedly a pizza fan. Four of his restaurants serve pizza, each with a different style. The pies at Cafe Spiaggia have elements of greatness but also some flaws that aren't apparent in at least two of his other ventures. More

Dante's Pizzeria opened with the help of former employees of Piece and Santullo's. Between that pedigree and the positive reviews, I was expecting something at least pretty good. Unfortunately, the high points of my pizzas were just okay and the low points were no fun at all. More

On the bright side, the flavor combinations at Macello are well thought out and some of the toppings are particularly good. But that's not enough to overcome a lack of salt and a dense and bland crust. More

At the recommendation of a thoughtful Serious Eats reader, I went to Old Chicago eager to report on what might be one of the few remaining hidden pizza gems in town. Unfortunately, I got some pizza that I can't wholly recommend. More