I just found my new favorite thin crust

Pizano's is a pizza place tucked away on North State, just south of Delaware, that I've passed probably a hundred times without giving it a second thought. I don't know what prompted me to try it (maybe because it's one of the not-too-many places open on Easter), but I just came back from having a wonderful thin crust cheese and sausage....a sturdy, not overly thin crust, with a few beautiful burnt edges, no sog in the middle, a superior mozzarella on top, with great bite-sized sausage bits (and nary a grisly piece). Really outstanding. Surprising to me was a lively bar room in front (with tables, too) and a cozy non-smoking room in back with five or six tables. Also, it turns out the ownership is an offshoot of the Malnati family.

Who knew.

Welcome!

the ownership is an offshoot of the Malnati family.

JeffB knew.

Though it never hurts to repeat!

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta
864 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
http://www.pizanoschicago.com
312-751-1766

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta
3466 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
773-244-1766

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta
61 East Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60603
312-236-1777

this pizza as nothing special. crust is a bit unique. has consistency and taste of stale salerno butter cookies. nothing special about average toppings either. expensive though.

Classic. I like Pizano's well enough. I can see not liking the corn meal and fat "butter crust," which is as far as you can get from NYC-style and almost like a savory version of a graham cracker pie crust. I think the topings are particularly fine, however, especially the sausage.

The spinach-mushroom-onion veg combo on Pizano's thin crust is my current fave, plus I have to admit part of the reason I like Pizano's on State is the service - I always seem to have a more relaxing time here than at Malnati's or (unfortunately, when out of town guests insist) Uno's.

Anyone tried the new(er?) branch on Madison? I only recently discovered this exists (& its too close to my office for comfort).

We had dinner at the Madison location on a Saturday before a Chicago Symphony concert in late February. The place was packed soon after we arrived but had a lot of space by 7:15. Noise level was high until the place cleared out some. The crowd seemed to be largely twenty-somethings. I mention these circumstances because they may be relevant. We will not be going back for a pre-concert meal.

We did not have pizza. so I have nothing to offer there.

I had some rather gummy gnocchi in a mass-markety tomato sauce. My wife had pasta, which was al dente. I don't remember the shape. Sauce was not great. The servings were huge. The whole experience was that of some chain emphasizing quantity over quality.