36. Illinois

       We landed in Chicago after an overnight flight from the West coast. Our hotel finally found a room so we could check in early and freshen up before our day's adventure in Chicago. After a couple hours of rest we set out. We had two missions; eat pizza at Lou Malnati's and find a FedEx to ship some clothes home so we could lighten our load. We decided to rely on the "L" for this portion of our trip. The "L" is Chicago's elevated train system and is a great way to get around. I had the address and knew which stop to take. I just wasn't sure which way to go once we got off the "L". There are several restaurants and I chose the one Lincoln Park location near Wrigley Field.  We exited the "L" and on Dennis's advice we went right. When we came to the next "L" stop I knew we should have gone left instead of right so we turned around and walked back the way we came. Now remember we're still on the lookout for a FedEx or someplace to mail our stuff home. I was sure we'd come across one, after all if we weren't looking there'd be one on every corner. By this time, I'm tired, hungry, and exhausted from all the walking and carrying the bag of clothes.

Finally we see Wrigley Field and across the street we see Lou Malnati's. Oh no, they're only open for lunch Friday - Sunday and it's Tuesday. They open at 4pm and it's not even 2. Change of game plan time. We decide to walk back to the "L" and head towards downtown because I'm sure there's a FedEx someplace in the city. We take the loop in and exit near Macy's. Macy's has a Starbucks on the corner with some tables outside so I sit down and log on to the Internet so I can find the closest FedEx while Dennis grabs us a drink. Good news, there’s a FedEx only a couple of blocks away. Now to locate a Lou Malnati's that is also close by. There is one near the Merchandise Mart. Now that we have our game plan we head to FedEx and ship off the clothes. Load lightened finally. We board the "L" and get off at the Merchandise Mart stop and guess what is right there. You got it, a FedEx. Like I said earlier, now we'll see one on every corner. A couple of blocks down we locate the restaurant and they're open. Yeah!

   Lou Malnati's is decorated with sports memorabilia and I always enjoy looking at the different ways memorabilia is framed and showcased. We sit down and enjoy some of the best pizza. Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizza and we've had some of it on past trips but this was by far the cream of the crop. The other deep dish pizzas are heavy on the dough but this one is light. Almost like a thin crust deep dish. We order the “Malnati Chicago Classic” which is their special lean sausage blend, lots of cheese, and vine-ripened tomato sauce. The thin crust is buttery and flaky with the ingredients layered on top. The cheese is actually at the bottom and there is so much sausage. You get sausage in every bite. It is so filling that we actually have to take a slice home. Dennis and I have decided that this is the best pizza.

 

www.loumalnatis.com