Gino's East has been making Chicago-style deep dish since 1966, with a flagship near the Magnificent Mile in Streeterville. The recipe traces back to Alice Mae Redmond, who spent 29 years as the restaurant's pizza chef developing the dough and sauce technique still used today — dough hand-stretched into the pan rather than slapped into shape, sauce gently coaxed into each pie rather than splattered on. A secret dough conditioner, part of her original recipe, is credited with giving the crust its texture.
Beyond the deep dish, the menu includes vegan cheese and a gluten-free thin crust option, though gluten-free deep dish isn't available. The cheese pull remains a signature moment of the meal, a detail the restaurant has built its identity around since it opened.
Beyond the deep dish, the menu includes vegan cheese and a gluten-free thin crust option, though gluten-free deep dish isn't available. The cheese pull remains a signature moment of the meal, a detail the restaurant has built its identity around since it opened.