Chicago is a foodie's paradise, and in addition to a wide variety of national cuisines, a unique local pizza should be at the top of the list. American pizza is very different from European pizza, from the ingredients to the shape of the two concepts, the unique classic called "Chicago-style Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza" - Chicago deep dish pizza. An urban legend, it has been noted as "Best Pizza in the City" and "Best Pizza in America".

Of course, the word BEST has been used to the point of ubiquity in the United States, from the President "We are the Best" to the streets are the sweetest of their own melons for sale, and in almost every city I see Best Chocolate, etc., but it's a far cry from the Best in my mind. It's as if Best is no longer an adjective, but has become part of the noun, stuck on every sign like a random sticker.

I hate blindly following the crowd, but anything that everyone likes is not nutritious or unique. So, when a passionate Americans flamboyantly recommended me to eat Best Pizza, my heart is repulsed, not yet eat to the mouth of the brain has questioned, not that there is something wrong with the food, but you are the United States of America what is Best, I have lost judgment.

In fact, the best way to recommend a food is not to add any adjectives, seven points to write, two points to imagine, and the last point and go to eat to understand.

Chicago's deep dish pizza is really famous, want to get the most authentic flavor, but also to go to the 1974 Giordano's is also said to be the first deep dish pizza. See the shiny signage, World Famous? It seems to have a bigger claim than Best.

The size of the pizzas are large, medium and small, and the flavors can be matched according to your own preferences, so the process of choosing is like doing multiple choice questions. First of all, in the "vegetables" and "protein" two categories, respectively, pick your favorite ingredients, that is, depending on how you want to combine vegetables and meat, you can add Pepperoni or Salami, etc. to form a classic Italian flavor, or with chicken, beef, bacon to form a classic Italian flavor, or with chicken, beef, or bacon to form a classic Italian flavor. Or use chicken, beef, bacon to adjust to the American style (even vegetables up to five accessories is enough, the heart big greedy more really will not be able to walk) and then pour a layer of Neapolitan red sauce, sprinkle a layer of Mozzarella cheese, and then covered with a very thin layer of pasta, and then repeat the above steps once again spread, into the oven.

It's more work than any other pizza, and we waited nearly fifty minutes for it to bake.

While understanding that Deep Dish's style is deep-dish, I wasn't expecting to be served a pizza that was indeed thicker than the pan! If a regular pizza feels like a pizza, a deep dish pizza feels more like a pie. Before I even started eating, I could already feel the heavy weight of the plate, which was like a red volcano. As it turns out, there are four things to keep in mind when eating a deep dish pizza:

First, it can't be cut with a knife like a regular pizza because it's too thick, and cutting a slice directly with a chef's knife protects the shape better.

Two, it can't be grabbed in the hand and eaten on the go, because there are too many ingredients, and I'm afraid it's the only kind of pizza where you have to cut the food with a knife and fork. In order to maintain the appearance of eating, the napkin can not leave the hand, even so, will still eat a mouth full of sauce.

Third, pay attention to the pull, deep-dish pizza is characterized by a large portion of Mozzarella cheese, enough to pull out the height of a book! It's a sight to behold, but the amount of calories is a bit intimidating.

Fourth, go on an empty stomach, M and I bumped all the way to Chicago, fasting day, as the first meal, ordered the smallest size, two people to eat ...... or the rest of the package.

If I had to qualify it with the grammatical "highest," I wouldn't necessarily choose Best, because Biggest, Highest, and Heaviest are all more appropriate.

Nutella, also known as "Nutella" hazelnut spread, is not a very healthy sweet, but it's loved by almost everyone, from kids to adults, because there are a thousand ways to eat it, and a thousand ways to eat it. In addition to spreading bread and cookies and other conservative, there are also do coffee and stir milkshake and other innovative, and even more "Nutrient" with bacon baking such a counter-intuitive, a little addictive, but can not bear to look at.

With such a versatile ingredient, it would be a waste of resources not to do something about the market, after all, even the word of mouth is ready-made. Last summer, Chicago recognized this opportunity and opened the first Nutella Cafe in the United States, a themed restaurant that relies solely on "Nutella" to support itself.

Often, when you take something that's familiar, it can either go unnoticed or be an instant hit. The truth is that the latter, I went in July more than business is still booming, inside and outside the seat. The hilarity and I can not figure out, obviously every kitchen has a can of "can do benefit", obviously those customers in line have been sitting at their own table every morning with "can do benefit" smear toast smear 365 days, obviously the taste can be imagined, but still! They come here like pilgrims and sit in the store to eat it with sauce. By analogy, what would happen if a Lao Gan Ma themed restaurant were opened in China? I can't even tell if it would be a success or a failure.

Of course, the store would have to offer something new that it couldn't do on its own, like chocolate "fondue" or something like that. If we had gone there for dinner, we would have had to run all night to burn off the calories, so on balance we had to eat, but we decided to go to Brunch in the daytime, and then hit the road afterward, which was a good way to make up for most of the day's energy.

At one time, I imagined that the movie theater can lie down to see, but really did not expect to eat while watching a movie, is a serious meal. The United States has a kind of theater called AMC Dine-in theatre, slogan is "It's a movie theatre and restaurant rolled into one!" In short, it is the kind of theater and restaurant rolled into one. It's not just popcorn or coke or other snacks, it's Full Service with a menu, service, and the ability to order wine!

Each seat has its own dining board, and there is a button on the hand to call for service at any time. The first time I sat there, I felt like ...... how to sit on an airplane, but it was a first-class treatment because the seat can be completely put down so that you can lie down and look at it! It is also worth mentioning that each seat next to the standard bottle of ketchup and yellow mustard ...... very American flavors.

I remember when I was in Chicago to see the Fantastic Beasts "Fantastic Beasts", so that eating, drinking and playing in the same place at the same time all solve the problem, the old U.S. This set is also lazy to the extreme, really admire, the world is really let the lazy people out of the creation. In the future, there is no need to discuss whether to eat first or watch a movie first, eat first? It's too early to eat, but it's not the right time to eat. Immediately and will be hungry ...... we eat while watching it, how worry-free, how efficient.

This bag of popcorn and cinema derivatives are not the same, it has its own independent brand, franchise stores and unrepeatable flavors, it is born from the Chicago popcorn - Garrett Popcorn.

I have always been the kind of decades as one day, but only to do a kind of food stores have a natural reverence, respect for the perseverance of the generations, afraid of it!

I would understand if this perseverance came from the sushi of Sukiyabashi Jiro, even if the palm-sized foyer under the Ginza subway station is still hard to find, but how many craftsmen like Jiro Ono are there in the world? Furthermore, some ingredients such as sushi may have a deep cultural heritage that makes it worthwhile to dedicate oneself to craftsmanship, because it not only fulfills the food, but also fulfills the person who makes it. The reason why Jiro Ono is the "God of Sushi" is that he repeats simple things, from personally selecting the best rice and aquatic products, to supervising the temperature of the vinegared rice, the length of time for marinating the fish, the strength of massaging the octopus, and the thickness of the sashimi slices, and so on, week after week and so on. Perhaps, most people may not be sensitive enough to find the subtle "flavor", perhaps the choice of high-grade sushi is no longer limited, but Jiro Ono's position in the world has always been unshakeable, in a sense, it is the sushi achievements of Jiro Ono.

So I've always felt that artisanship is predicated on the premise that the food itself is worth exploring, and preferably full of interest and culture. But does exploratory and culturally savvy exist at Garrett's Popcorn in Chicago? So what does this traditional flavor, born in 1949, that has also weathered the storm for decades rely on to thrive without culture as its backbone? It is indeed a Niche Market, narrowly focused and accurate, and Garrett's popcorn has been a quality product since its birth (the amount of butter and cheese was not skimped on in those days!). The market is not big, but the first to enter, the latter is difficult to compete, Garrett so became the industry leader.

Chicago's Garrett popcorn franchise is downtown, and it's easy to recognize because you can smell the sweet aroma from afar, and you can see the snaking line from afar. After going in is simply popcorn heaven, there are salty such as cheese, there are also sweet such as caramel with a variety of nuts, you can choose a single flavor, you can also be free to mix and match. In fact, how to spell all delicious, choose more rather painful, their most characteristic signature or Garrett Mix, is the cheddar cheese and caramel two collocation flavor.

M and I combined to fill a bag intended to share, we use extremely calm mind to taste, but still can not hold down the mood of delicious excitement, obviously two people really should buy two packs! The popcorn is a thing that you can't stop eating, and you can't stop eating it, but you can't stop eating it, and you can't stop eating it.

From the center of the city through many times, I looked at the crowd in and out of the smiley faces, suddenly feel that there is no need to analyze the market, the reason is often the simplest one: delicious.

Garrett's popcorn is undoubtedly a success, not only because of its mind-conquering flavors, but also because it represents the city of Chicago as a shining business card. I also think so because of an unexpected tidbit.

When I left Chicago to go back to Indiana, Garrett's popcorn, although long eaten, but their paper bag I did not throw away, because I think the bag is very cute, packing up the bits and pieces on hand is also just right. When I got home and got on the elevator in my apartment, I met an American girl who I didn't know what floor she lived on, but was at best familiar with me. We exchanged pleasantries, and the girl suddenly laughed out loud and said, "You're going to Chicago?"

I was so tired and exhausted, and I couldn't talk, I just wanted to jump on the bed right away, and the girl was so shocked that I was confused, how did you know? I thought I didn't have a label and I wasn't wearing a jersey.

"Garrett, it's delicious." The girl gestured to the paper bag in my hand.

The realization hit me like a thunderbolt, I didn't care that I was carrying a bag, and I didn't realize that a food or brand could be so popular. It seems that good food can brighten up a city and make people who don't know each other smile.

I found an old photo of a Garrett storefront from the last century. What makes a simple food so successful across generations? Besides being delicious. Market data will be faked, but regardless of the age of the tongue is not stupid, tongue of any city is a big article, think about it, countless wisdom.

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For a city tour of Chicago, the previous post was here: Chicago | An Urban Encounter in Steel