No cuisine inspires a sense of civic pride in Chicagoans quite like pizza. When former Daily Show host Jon Stewart ranted about deep-dish a few years ago, our city collectively stepped up to defend the cheesy creation that most of us only eat when our friends come to visit. The fact that Chicago hosts so many amazing pizza restaurants is a testament to the dish's seemingly universal appeal, encompassing all styles, from thick pan pizza to thin New York–style slices.
Now we're getting a celebration worthy of our favorite by-the-slice dish. Old Style has announced the first annual Chicago Pizza Summit, which will welcome 12 local pizzerias to Chop Shop in Wicker Park for two sessions of tastings, showcasing conventional slices and pizza-inspired dishes. The event will take place on April 3, and each session will be capped off by a keynote speech from rock musician and party icon Andrew W.K. (hopefully he packs his pizza slice guitar). Tickets are $35 and include all-you-can-eat pizza, five beer tickets and a commemorative pizza plate. You'll be able to purchase your ticket for the 2pm or 6pm session on Friday, February 19, beginning at 10am.
Frankly, we can't believe it took this long for a Chicago food festival devoted to pizza to materialize. After all, our city already boasts events dedicated to sausages, hot dogs, doughnuts and bacon (not to mention Time Out Chicago's very own Mac and Cheese Smackdown on March 20).
