While putting together a list of places to visit for my (recent) trip to Chicago I remembered hearing  about a restaurant that made a very interesting and unique kind of pizza.

I had seen the restaurant on TV a few years back but had a little problem- I had no clue what it’s name was! However I did remember that they made an upside-down pizza.

Chicago is known for it’s awesome deep dish pizza so I figured this place would be relatively easy to find since it was so different. While searching online I came up empty handed at first..

I kept searching and finally found it! The Chicago Pizza and Over Grinder Co makes the upside- down pizza which is actually known as Pizza Pot Pie. I had seen it on the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate and one of the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise episodes.

We arrived at the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. a little before opening time. We found a parking spot and walked to the restaurant; about 15 minutes later and a bunch of tables were already seated. It was relatively early for dinner but people seemed to be consistently showing up.

It smelled great inside the restaurant and had an old and authentic feel. The restaurant opened in 1972 so it’s definitely been around for a while. I also loved the decor, all wood- the bar, tables and booths and even wall paneling.

There is a bowl under there somewhere

My brother and I each ordered the half- pounder (small) which costs $10.75.
My pizza pot pie is on the right in the picture above. I got the regular crust (my brother’s is on left-he got whole wheat) with sausage in it.

The flip and scoop

After bring out the pizzas, the waiter had to get them out of their bowls. He flipped them over onto the crusty top side and then used a spoon to separate the pizza from the bowl. The bowl must’ve been very hot. The waiter had to wear an oven mitt on one hand to hold the bowl in place while loosening it and scooping it away from the pizza pot pie.
Watching the pizza pot pie come out of it’s bowl was probably the highlight of my visit.
Check my video below to see it for yourself:

Looking good so far

I had been looking forward to trying the pizza pot pie since we arrived in Chicago but was disappointed once I took a taste.

The sauce sounded like it would have tons of flavor with all of the ingredients they use (“a homemade sauce consisting of olive oil, fresh garlic, onions, green peppers, whole plum tomatoes”) but was just a bland. almost tastless sauce.

Oozing with disappointment