Deep-dish pizza is to Chicago as hot dogs are to New York, burritos to San Francisco, crab-cakes to Baltimore. Regardless of what the tour guides say, despite any awards given out, there will never be a consensus among the locals. I'm not even remotely ballsy enough to dive into the whole Gino's vs. Giordano's black hole here, so instead I'd like to talk about a place that doesn't get much love from the hype-sters; the Original World Famous Gino's Pizza.

When the OG closed up its legendary Rush Street location two years ago, a weeping could be heard around Chicagoland. Thankfully, the beloved pizzeria popped back up on Fullerton and has announced plans to re-open the original location—eventually. For now, the cavernous environs on Rush have been traded in for swanky new Lincoln Park digs, complete with an expanded bar and beer patio. That trademark pizza is still the same, though, with cornmeal crust, tangy sauce and superior cheese. Second only to Uno's in longevity (OWF Gino's opened up in 1954 to Uno's 1943), this is a pizzeria that has kept it all in the family—hands-on owner Gino Jr. makes sure his poppa's recipes are followed to the letter. Since its resurfacing, the old haunt has been bursting at the seams with parents educating their youngsters about the true taste of Chicago, steadfast loyalists trying to fix a two-year jones, and hordes of DePaul students stuffing their faces into the wee hours.

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe