Oy, here we go again (link)...
Deepdish pizza (popular in Chicago & around the world) originally comes from the tradition of thick-crust pizza in Rome and elsewhere in Southern Italy. There they call it 'pizza rustica'.
The crust is so thick that they take a plain version (i.e. just the crust with no topping), they slice it in the middle and stick in things like eggs and bacon -- for breakfast!
Hai capito? :-)
Here we go again. Everyone's talking about the following comment by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia:
[Chicago's Deep Dish Pizza is] ... "very tasty ... but it should not be called ‘pizza.’ It should be called ‘a tomato pie.’ Real pizza is Neapolitan. It is thin. It is chewy and crispy, OK?”
Here's the third report I've come across, this time in the Chicago Sun-Times.
This is a complete myth based on ignorance of what qualifies as 'pizza' in Italy. It's not just thin crust! Naturally that's what you get if you only go to sit-down pizzerias but there are also places, particularly in Rome or Naples, called 'Pizza Rustica' which are walk-in carry-out places where you can order elaborate thick-crush pizzas that put our Deep Dish variety practically to shame. These are the forerunner of Deep Dish! It's there for anyone to go and see.
Another example is 'Pizza Bianca' which is a staple of good Italian breakfasts -- served up practically at every Cafe/Bar in the country: a totally plain very thick crust which is filled with cheese and other delicious things and then toasted and served crispy hot along with your cup of cappuccino. Again, a harbinger of Deep Dish.
So I'm sorry, but this really is a sort of idiot test: if someone doesn't like Deep Dish or claims it's not Italian, bingo, they win the Bozo Award!
