Gino's East
At Ontario St
Cuisines: Pizza
About
Gino's -- once the quintessential dive restaurant -- now occupies a cavernous space that's a testament to its enduring popularity with both Chicago natives and tourists. (The original restaurant's graffiti-covered booths were brought along to keep the "authentic" flavor.) Despite the restaurant's size, be prepared to wait for a table during peak hours, because Gino's pizza -- with good reason -- is still a major draw. Many Chicagoans consider Gino's the quintessential deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. (I know transplanted Midwesterners who come here for their cheesy fix whenever they're back in town.) True to its reputation, the pizza is heavy (a small cheese pizza is enough for two), so work up an appetite before chowing down. Specialty pizzas include the supreme, with layers of cheese, sausage, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms; and the vegetarian, with cheese, onions, peppers, asparagus, summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant. Gino's also offers salads, sandwiches, and pastas. A warning for hungry families: Pizzas are cooked to order, so you'll have to wait about 45 minutes for your food (I highly recommend calling ahead to preorder, which will save you about a half-hour of waiting time, but preorders aren't accepted on Fri or Sat). If you want to take a pizza home on the plane, call a day in advance and Gino's will pack a special frozen pie for the trip.
