Move over, deep dish! La Madia proves thin crust reigns supreme.

Chicago is famous for its deep dish. Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, and Gino's East all compete for the title of the best deep dish pie, but as someone from the east, I much prefer a well-crafted thin crust, and La Madia on Grand Avenue is a true gem.


I first visited the restaurant when my dad came to Chicago on business. Mostly, we chose it for its convenient location, being just a block from his hotel, but as I scoured the menu online, the place looked promising. With an extensive wine list (they've received Wine Spectator's Award for Excellence!), beautiful bar, and a wood-fire pizza oven, what's not to like about this place?

I've since been back to La Madia several times, and it never disappoints. The Pizza Fondue (some of their delicious pizza crust with a garlicky tomato dipping sauce) and the butter lettuce salad were all delicious. But being a contemporary pizza kitchen, the pies are truly the star at La Madia.

Housemade lamb sausage, Fresno peppers,
Caciocavallo cheese, and mint pesto. Yum, right?

There's an art in creating a perfect, delicious crust, and La Madia succeeds. The perfect thickness, with a little outer crunch from the char of the oven and fluffy but gooey center creates the perfect canvas for some of the creative toppings that La Madia supplies.

The special one evening was a ham, pineapple, and hot chili pizza, inspired by Puerto Rican flavors.The tangy pineapple with the sweetness of the ham and the zing from the chilies created a flavor explosion.  Another delicious combination was the Slagel Farm wood smoked pork belly with Tuscan kale, garlic, caramelized onion, Caciocavallo cheese. If you're more of a traditionalist, the house made sausage and sweet onion pizza with marinara was to die for.

But the most unexpected combination turned out to be the most delicious. The Teleggio and 3 hour roasted grape pizza was the ultimate pairing. The grapes were sweet, warm and melted like butter. Paired against the mild, but incredibly delicious Teleggio was superb. I never thought I'd say that grapes were my favorite pizza topping, but in La Madia's case, they are sublime.

La Madia is fantastic, and if you're going to be in Chicago, October is the month to try it! In celebration of their 6th anniversary, La Madia is offering select pizzas for only $6 from 11 to 3. For an additional $6, you get the wine pairing, as well. That's an amazing deal!

The Roasted Grape Pizza with Taleggio is the bomb!

If you love thin crust, if you love wine, and especially if you love both, La Madia is bound to be your favorite Chicago pizzeria.