As a 30 yr. old Chicagoan, I’ve had my share of deep dish pizza, in fact I like to think of myself as a bit of a deep dish connoisseur.  What I’m starting to grasp a hold of is that once a mom & pop pizzeria becomes a chain restaurant quality declines.  And once it becomes a franchise, you know what to do… that’s right, you can fahgettaboudit.

We Chicagoans have seen this happen to our beloved Gino’s and Pizzeria Uno’s.  And now, my pizza loving friends, I’m sorry to announce it’s happening to Lou Malnati’s.

At its best Lou’s is buttery crust, fresh chunks of tomatoes, cheesy cheese, a perfect mix of herbs and spices, and it’s such a mouthful that at times a knife and fork are required.  But at its worst, it’s a soggy or burned, over-cheesed, under-sauced $20 mess.  The latter has been the case as of late.   Which is unfortunate considering that the company seems to be expanding.  Lou’s are popping up all around the Chicagoland area.

We all know I can’t afford to pay that much for a medium pizza, let alone one that ain’t right.  I’ve taken to complaining, and they’ve acquiesced by offering me a free pizza the next time I order.  But even the free pizzas suck.  They clearly aren’t keeping track of just how dissatisfied I’ve become, if so you’d think they’d want to make it right.

It all comes down to principal for me, when I pay for someone to make my food, I expect it to be RIGHT.  And when it isn’t, I expect them to make it right.  Perhaps I’m asking too much of my pizza makers.  Is it just me, or should consistent excellence be the primary goal for a restaurant?

Is it too much to ask that the crust be crisp, but not burned?  That the cheese and sauce have a perfect balance? Who wants to choke down a mouthful of thick cheese and dry crust?

So I guess I’m looking for a new pizza place?  Preferably one that doesn’t cost an arm & a leg and that is good EVERY TIME… any suggestions?