The 40-year-old family pizza empire opened this Gold Coast location (its 32nd, including the carryout-only stores) in July as the company’s new flagship location — the largest Malnati’s by far, with a stunning urban-industrial design by Mark Knauer. However, the pizza, which has kept me shopping for new pants for about 30 years, remains the same. 1120 N. State St., 312-725-7777
Made with pizza dough, this is like a loaf-shaped calzone. Addictive.
Photo of Malnati family on opening day of the first Malnati’s pizzeria, in Lincolnwood.
Malnati salad: What you order while waiting for the pizza to arrive.
Malnati’s ships 300,000 pizzas a year this way.
Rudy Malnati and son, Lou, managed Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due before Lou struck out on his own.
A little more cheese, a little less sausage than the standard sausage deep-dish.
Malnati’s goes through 70,000 cases of these every year.
Invented by an old Malnati’s line cook, who added cream and cheese to a basic mostaccioli-and-meat-sauce recipe. For years an employee-meal fave, finally added to menu.
No, not a matchstick. A french fry with ketchup.
Inspired by a dessert at the late Great Godfrey Daniels in Skokie, only simpler. Feeds at least three.
Faux-aged menu finish meant to emphasize the company’s longevity. “A been-here-forever color,” owner Marc Malnati calls it.
Marc Malnati once bested Bobby Flay in a deep-dish-pizza throw-down.
Shaded boxes are the recommended dishes, the “ones you ought to buy.”
Location is a former Anthropologie; the store’s wide-plank wood floors were pulled up and used as paneling.
