Stop #12 - Pizano's Pizza & Pasta (State Street)

A Sox fan walks into a Cubs bar...
Chris, of course, is decked out in his White Sox attire and the minute we walk in, all televisions are pointed to the Cubs game.  Needless to say, we weren't there for the environment but for the food!

Location
Pizano's has several locations around the Chicagoland area and I chose State Street because it is closest to shopping!  Chris wanted to go to the Under Armor store too and that was only a 15 minute walk south / southeast.  I'm sure if it was a little warmer out the front windows would have been wide open, inviting guests in with the wonderful pizza aroma that was irradiating throughout.
Seating is limited though so if you're not going in to have a drink at the bar, you're better off hitting up an early or later lunch (we went around 1 pm).  There is a parking garage next door as well and your best bet is to Spot Hero if you have that app.  Otherwise there are plenty of parking garages in the area.

Food
We started the meal with their fried ravioli that came with a side of marinara.  This is one of Chris's favorite appetizers so when we saw that on the list we knew what we were getting.  They came out hot but quickly cooled down.  The breading wasn't too spicy and they weren't over-done.

For pizza, we opted for a thin crust pepperoni.  At first bite you think you're at Lou Malnati's, but there is a reason for that.  The widow of Rudy Malnati still makes the dough - an old secret family recipe and the owner of Pizano's is Rudy Malnati, Jr. 



Fun fact: did you know that Rudy Malnati Sr. originally opened Pizzeria Uno? We haven't been there yet but it's on the list!


Total people: 2
Total Bill: $40.22 (1 medium pizza, toasted ravioli, & 2 sodas)

Recommendation: Yes - no special trip needed
I liked that the menu offered several different options, especially personal pan deep dish and gluten free.  Although we didn't try those, my guess is going to be that the deep dish will taste like Lou's.  If you are downtown and want Lou's, Pizanos is going to be your choice.  You don't need to make a special trip though. Of course, Chris has much more to say about his recommendation: