Pictures and text | Ice-drinking patients

Chicago is a paradise for foodies. In addition to a rich variety of international cuisine, tasting a unique local pizza should be the headline of the plan. American pizza is very different from European pizza. From the ingredients to the shape, they are completely different concepts. That unique classic dish is called "Chicago-style Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza" - Chicago deep dish pizza. As an urban legend, it has been praised as "Best Pizza in the City" and "Best Pizza in America".

Of course, the word "BEST" has been widely used in the United States. From the president's "We are the Best" to the streets selling the sweetest melons, I see Best in almost every city. Chocolate, etc., are far 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 signboard like a random sticker.

I hate blindly following trends, but anything that everyone likes is nutritious and featureless. So, when an enthusiastic American recommended me to eat Best Pizza with excitement, I was repulsed in my heart, and my brain was already questioning it before I even tasted it. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the food, but that you Americans have everything. Best, I have lost my judgment.

In fact, the best way to recommend a food is to not add any adjectives, seven parts realistic, two parts imaginative, and the last part will be understood once you eat it.

Chicago's deep-dish pizza is indeed famous. If you want to get the most authentic taste, you have to go to Giordano's in 1974, which is said to be the first deep-dish pizza. Did you see its shiny signboard? World Famous is world-famous... It seems to have a louder tone than Best.

The pizzas come in large, medium and small sizes, and the taste can be matched according to your own preferences. The selection process is like a multiple-choice question. First, choose your favorite ingredients from the two categories of "Vegetables" and "Protein", that is, it depends on how you want to combine vegetables and meat. You can add Pepperoni or Salami sausage to create a classic Italian taste, or use chicken. Beef and bacon are made into an American style (you can choose up to five auxiliary ingredients with vegetables. If you are too greedy, you will really be unable to walk). Then pour a layer of Naples red sauce, sprinkle with a layer of Mozzarella cheese, and then cover it very thinly. Separate the dough, then repeat the above steps and put it in the oven.

Such a huge project is more tedious than any kind of pizza, and the baking time alone took us nearly fifty minutes.

Although I knew that Deep Dish’s style was deep dish, I didn’t expect that the pizza that was served was indeed thicker than the pan! If regular pizza feels like a thin crust, deep dish pizza feels more like a pie. Before I started, I could already feel the heavy weight of this plate, which was as red as a volcano. Facts have proved that there are 4 points that you must pay attention to when eating "deep dish pizza":

1. It cannot be cut with a round knife like ordinary pizza because it is too thick. You can cut it directly with a chef's knife to make it more delicious. Protects the shape well.

2. It cannot be eaten on the go because there are too many ingredients. This is probably the only pizza that needs to be cut with a knife and fork. In order to keep eating, the napkin must not be left in hand. Even so, the mouth will still be full of sauce.

3. Pay attention to the drawing. A major feature of deep dish pizza is the generous amount of Mozzarella cheese, which is enough to pull out the height of a book! As a great sight, I have to lament that the heat is a bit scary.

4. Go on an empty stomach. M and I traveled all the way to Chicago on an empty stomach. As our first meal, we ordered the smallest size and shared it between two people... there was still leftover to pack.

If you must use the "superlative" grammar to modify it, I may not choose Best, because Biggest, Highest and Heaviest are all more appropriate.

Nutella is also called "Nutella" hazelnut chocolate spread. Although the sweet is not very healthy, almost everyone loves it. From children to adults, they cannot bear to refuse it, because there is one in a thousand readers. Thousands of ways to eat it. In addition to the conservative ones such as spreading bread and making cookies, there are also the innovative ones such as making coffee and milkshakes, and there are also the unconventional ones such as "Nutella" with grilled bacon, which is a bit enjoyable, but you can't bear to look at it.

For such a versatile ingredient, it would be a waste of resources not to use it to create some market effect. After all, even word-of-mouth is already there. Last summer, Chicago sensed this business opportunity and opened the first Nutella Cafe in the United States, a themed restaurant that relied solely on "Nutella" to support the table.

Often, making a fuss about a familiar thing will either go unnoticed or become an instant hit. The fact is that it is the latter. When I went there in July, the business was still booming and there was no room to sit inside or outside.

While I was joining in the fun, I couldn't figure it out. Obviously every kitchen has a can of "Nutella". It's obvious that the customers queuing up are already sitting at their own tables taking "Nutella" to spread on their toast every morning. 365 Oh my God, even though the taste is pretty predictable, I still came here like a pilgrim, sat in the shop and smeared the sauce on it to eat it. By analogy, what would happen if a Lao Gan Ma themed restaurant was opened in China? I can't even tell if it was a success or a failure.

Of course, the store will inevitably have new tricks that cannot be operated in-house, such as chocolate "hot pot" and the like. If we go there for dinner, we may need to run all night to burn off the calories. We still have to eat after weighing the balance, but we decided to eat Brunch during the day. After eating, we set off on the road, which replenished energy for most of the day.

Once upon a time, I imagined that I could lie down and watch movies in a movie theater, but I really didn’t expect that I could watch a movie while eating, which is a serious meal. There is a theater in the United States called AMC Dine-in Theatre, whose slogan is "It’s a movie theater and restaurant rolled into one!" In short, it is the kind of theater and restaurant rolled into one. It’s not just simple snacks like popcorn or Coke, but a full service with menu, service, and even wine ordering! Full catering experience.

Each seat has its own meal board, and there is a button on hand to call the service at any time. When I sat there for the first time, it felt like...how could it be like flying in a plane, but in first class? Great deal, because the seat can be completely folded down so you can lie down and watch! It is worth mentioning that there is a bottle of ketchup and yellow mustard that comes standard next to each seat...very American taste.

I remember watching the Fantastic Beasts movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" in Chicago, where eating, drinking, and having fun were all solved at the same time and at the same place. This American style is extremely lazy. I admire it, this world is really created by lazy people. From now on, there is no need to discuss whether to eat or watch a movie first. Eat first? It's too early. It's not time for dinner yet. Why don't you watch first? I'll be hungry again soon... Let's eat and watch at the same time. It will save more worry and be more efficient.

This bag of popcorn is different from the derivatives in movie theaters. It has its own independent brand, exclusive store and unrepeatable taste. It is a popcorn born in Chicago - Garrett Popcorn.

I have always had a natural awe for those shops that only make one kind of food for decades. I respect their perseverance from generation to generation and fear their ever-changing appearance. What exactly is it? The power has supported a simple ingredient through the changes of the times, but it can still satisfy the discerning taste buds of modern people?

If this persistence comes from the sushi of "Sukiyabashi Jiro", I can understand it. Even if the palm-sized foyer under the Ginza subway station is still hard to find, there are a few Ono in the world. What about craftsmen like Erlang? Furthermore, some ingredients, such as sushi, may have their own profound cultural heritage, which makes them worthy of dedication to craftsmanship, because that not only completes the food, but also the craftsmen themselves. The reason why Jiro Ono is the "god of sushi" is that he does simple things repeatedly, from personally selecting the best rice and aquatic products, to supervising the temperature of the vinegar rice, the length of marinating time, the strength of massaging the octopus, and the thickness of the sashimi slices. , over and over again and never tire of it. Perhaps, most people may not be sensitive enough to detect the subtle "flavor". Perhaps the choice of high-end sushi is no longer limited, but Jiro Ono's status in the world has never been shaken. In a sense, it is sushi that makes Ono Erlang.

So I have always felt that the premise of craftsmanship is that the food itself should be worth exploring, and preferably full of interest and culture. But is there an exploratory and cultural essence to Garrett’s Popcorn in Chicago? So this traditional taste that was born in 1949 has also gone through decades of ups and downs. What does it rely on to thrive without culture as a pillar? From a market analysis alone, it is indeed a Niche Market. The positioning is narrow and precise. Garrett Popcorn has focused on quality since birth (the amount of butter and cheese was not stingy in those days!). The market is not big, but the first impression will make it difficult for future generations. Competition, Garrett became the industry leader.

Chicago's Garrett's Popcorn Store is located in the city center and is easy to identify because you can smell the sweet aroma and see the winding line from afar. After entering, it is simply a paradise for popcorn. There are salty ones such as cheese, and sweet ones such as caramel and various nuts. You can choose a single flavor or mix it as you like. In fact, no matter how you put it together, it’s delicious, but having so many choices can be painful. Their most unique signature is Garrett Mix, which is a combination of two flavors: cheddar cheese and caramel.

M and I packed a pack together and planned to share it. We tasted it with an extremely calm attitude, but we still couldn't contain our excitement about how delicious it was. We should definitely buy two packs for two people! But when it comes to eating popcorn, you can't stop grabbing it. If you agree to share it, it's more like rushing to eat it.

After passing through the city center many times, I looked at the smiling faces of the people coming in and out, and suddenly felt that there was no need to analyze the market too much. The reason is often the simplest one: delicious food.

Garrett popcorn is undoubtedly successful, not only because of its conquering taste, but also because it represents the city of Chicago, like a dazzling business card. The reason why I think so is because of an unexpected little story.

When I left Chicago and returned to Indiana, I had already eaten all of Garrett’s popcorn, but I didn’t throw away their paper bags because I thought the bags were cute and it was just the right thing to pack away. . After returning home, I got on the elevator of the apartment and met an American girl who looked familiar to me. We chatted for a while and the girl suddenly laughed: "You went to Chicago?"

I was so tired from all the work and couldn't speak, I just wanted to throw myself on the bed immediately. The girl's shock made me stunned. How did you know? I thought to myself that I didn’t have a label and I didn’t wear a uniform.

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

It suddenly dawned on me that I felt a tremor in my heart. I didn’t care that I was carrying a bag, and I never expected that a food or brand could be so deeply rooted in people’s hearts. It seems that good food can brighten up a city and make strangers smile at each other.

Above, I found an old photo of the bustling Garrett restaurant in the last century. Why do you think such a simple food can achieve cross-generational success? Besides being delicious, it’s still delicious. Market data can be falsified, but no matter what era the tongue is, it is not stupid. Every city on the tip of the tongue has a lot to say. If you think about it carefully, you will find countless wisdom.

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Regarding the city tour in Chicago, the previous article is here: Chicago | A city encounter in reinforced concrete