1 MILLY’S PIZZA IN THE PAN
1005 W. Argyle St., Uptown
STYLE Pan
TRY Updog (pictured, opposite page)
The past few years have been a great time for pizza in this city. During the worst of the pandemic, new purveyors were cropping up every week, as many top chefs pivoted to takeout food. But no newcomer has wowed us like Robert Maleski, whose pizza is so flavorful, with its tangy tomato sauce and chewy, cheeseedged crust, that it has made us rethink how we see pan pizza. After he was laid off as a server, Maleski launched Milly’s out of a Logan Square ghost kitchen in August 2020 before moving it to an Uptown storefront. It’s a three-man operation: They serve just 65 pizzas a day, closing up shop when they sell out (order pies for delivery, pickup, or dinein via Tock). Maleski started with a recipe inspired by Burt’s Place in Morton Grove, then tinkered with it until it morphed into something wholly its own. He cold-ferments yeast-cultured dough for 36 hours before it hits the oven, and the pies pop with colorful toppings, like the pepperoni, olives, and sweet peppers on the Updog. But even a simple sausage and onion, finished with creamy fresh mozzarella, is a standout. Tasting the work of this new pizza talent is nothing short of thrilling.
2 PAULIE GEE’S
2451 N. Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square
STYLE Detroit and Neapolitan
TRY US Pizza Cup Winner
While the Neapolitan pizza at this Brooklyn-based chain is stellar, it might not be until your third or fourth visit that you manage to try it. That’s because here you’ll find the best Detroit-style pizza in the city: the Logan Squares. With thick crusts and crispy, cheesy edges, these six-square pies somehow manage to be ethereally light. The pepperoni with cold tomato sauce is delicious, but the best is owner Derrick Tung’s shamelessly named US Pizza Cup Winner, which has a just-right
