🍕 April 5 – National Deep Dish Pizza Day: A Slice So Deep, It’s Practically a Casserole 🧀
Let’s get one thing straight: this is not your average Friday night pizza. National Deep Dish Pizza Day is all about honoring the gooey, cheesy, sauce-on-top, fork-required icon that is Chicago’s boldest culinary gift to the world. And honestly? It deserves its own holiday and maybe a slow clap. 👏
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🧀 A Little Slice of History
Deep dish pizza was born in the Windy City in 1943, thanks to Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, who founded Pizzeria Uno. Their goal? Create a heartier version of pizza that could be a full meal—and boy, did they deliver. Instead of laying the sauce on top of the dough, they flipped the script: dough on bottom, cheese next, then toppings, then chunky tomato sauce on top. It's basically a lasagna wearing a pizza costume. 🎭🍕
🍽️ Fun (and Cheesy) Deep Dish Facts
The average deep dish pizza takes 45 minutes to an hour to bake. Patience is a virtue—and a necessity.
It's not finger food. This is knife-and-fork territory, baby.
Chicago locals fiercely debate which joint reigns supreme: Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, or Gino’s East? (Spoiler: there is no wrong answer, only delicious ones.)
Deep dish is so thick, it’s measured in layers, not slices. 😏
Some Chicagoans don’t even consider it “real pizza.” Blasphemy? You decide.
🎉 10+ Delightfully Cheesy Ways to Celebrate National Deep Dish Pizza Day
Host a Deep Dish Duel – Grab a few from different pizzerias (or attempt homemade versions), then hold a blind taste test with friends. Judge on crust, sauce, cheese pull, and who passes out from fullness first.
DIY Deep Dish Night – It’s more work than your average pizza, but so worth it. Make your own dough, load up on cheese, and layer like your life depends on it.
Order from a Chicago Legend – Many iconic spots ship nationwide! Treat yourself to a true Chi-town pie from Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, or Pequod’s.
Dress the Part – Rock your best pizza-themed outfit. Bonus points for crust-colored pants and a cheese-yellow shirt. 🍕
Take a Pizza Personality Quiz – Are you a deep dish diva or a thin crust thrill-seeker? Self-discovery, but make it cheesy.
Create a Deep Dish Dessert Pizza – Swap tomato sauce for Nutella, cheese for marshmallows, and toppings for fruit. Technically it's still deep dish, right?
Host a Deep Thoughts over Deep Dish Night – Pair slices with big questions: Is cereal soup? Is deep dish pizza still pizza? Is pineapple ever okay?
Pizza Haiku Contest – “Crust thick as a wall / Cheese lava flows like a dream / My jeans scream in fear.” 🍕
Rewatch ‘Home Alone’ or ‘The Bear’ – Any Chicago-set show is fair game. Deep dish in one hand, remote in the other.
Make a Deep Dish Cocktail Pairing List – Think red wine, a malty beer, or even a bold Negroni. Because pizza deserves a plus one. 🍷
Send a Pizza-Gram – Surprise a friend with a deep dish delivery and a note that says, “You’ve got deep value in my life.”
Celebration Resources
Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizzas
Whether you’re a lifelong deep dish devotee or just pizza-curious, April 5 is your excuse to go full slice ahead. Just don’t forget the napkins. And maybe the stretchy pants.
