The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

We Ask, They Answer
Home›We Ask, They Answer›We Ask, They Answer: Q&A with Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7 News food reporter and co-host/producer of The Feed podcast, about his new pizza tours, book and Chicago’s restaurant scene

We Ask, They Answer: Q&A with Steve Dolinsky, ABC 7 News food reporter and co-host/producer of The Feed podcast, about his new pizza tours, book and Chicago’s restaurant scene

By TheRealChicagoOnline
May 31, 2018
727
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Q: Tell us a bit about your pizza tours and what folks can expect from them.

A: Basically, each of our tours lets guests experience and taste four different styles of pizza in three hours. I wanted to make a point to get to the areas outside of River North and the Gold Coast, where 85 percent of the tourists go. We cover Sicilian, Neapolitan, Roman and, of course, deep-dish, but not the deep you’re probably thinking of.

I lead a bus tour on Saturdays at 11 a.m., then we have a stable of trained and enthusiastic “doughcents” who know pizza almost as well as I do, but they share my passion. They lead the three walking tours we offer each week (11 a.m. in the West Loop on Saturdays; 3 p.m. in West Town on Saturdays; 11 a.m. in Bucktown/Wicker Park on Sundays).

Q: Why is Chicago the best pizza city in the world? 

Our sheer diversity and range of styles. Unlike New Haven, Conn., which has mainly one style, or New York, with its five styles, we have 10 styles of pizza to choose from, and I think that having a seriously deep bench of pizza to choose from is why we are “Pizza City, USA.”

“For some reason, (Chicago is) in a taco-and-fried-chicken-sandwich rut right now, which I hope we get out of. But our talent level, at companies like the Boka Group, One Off Hospitality, HogSalt and Alinea Group, are incredible forces to be reckoned with.”

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Q: Explain the Chicago restaurant scene right now.

A: We have everything from the molecular experimenters to the mom-and-pop neighborhood ethnic joint. We’ve been seeing a slow decay in terms of fine dining, however, with a lot of classically-trained chefs moving on to more casual pursuits. For some reason, we’re in a taco-and-fried-chicken-sandwich rut right now, which I hope we get out of. But our talent level, at companies like the Boka Group, One Off Hospitality, HogSalt and Alinea Group, are incredible forces to be reckoned with, no matter which city you’re from.

Q: Any info on your book you want to share?

A: Yes, it’s available for pre-order on Amazon! Pizza City, USA: 101 Reasons Why Chicago is America’s Greatest Pizza Town comes out Sept. 15, and we’ll be having pizza parties all over town. Visit PizzaCityUSA.com for more information and SteveDolinsky.com for my blog.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsAlinea GroupBig City BlogBoka GroupHogsaltizza CityOne Off HospitalityPizzaCityUSASteve DolinskyThe Real ChicagoUSA: 101 Reasons Why Chicago is America's Greatest Pizza Town
Previous Article

The Big City Blog: “Dirty Dancing — The ...

Next Article

Outdoor eats: Chicago food blogger Amanda Topper’s ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • General Features

    Logan Square at night: Bar hopping provides a glimpse into what makes this one of Chicago’s hottest neighborhoods

    July 11, 2019
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Good Eats

    Good Eats at Kick: Plenty of heat, and a global fusion of flavors, has arrived in Chicago’s North Center

    July 29, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • General Features

    Gone antiquing: Find vintage items of years gone by on a tiny stretch of Belmont Avenue

    June 2, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: A quick guide to surviving the craziness of Lollapalooza

    August 3, 2018
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: New happy hour specials at Ironside, cigars & scotch at The Redhead, “Baby Wants Candy” shifts ...

    January 17, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Inside Scoop

    Inside Scoop: Free Millennium Park concerts and movies, Tuesdays on the Terrace at the MCA, farmers’ markets and deals

    May 31, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    No vegetarians allowed: Examining Chicago’s love affair with steak

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Down-home Chicago: The search for the city’s best comfort food

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Southport shopping spree: Plenty of unique stores on this quaint street

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.