Mathew Wilde - Bob's Pizza (Chicago)

We’re back in Chicago and no, we're not talking about stuffed or deep-dish or tavern-style, but rather, a hybrid between New York and artisan at Bob's Pizza. The New York part comes from the dough – it’s stretched to 18”, the slices are foldable with no tip sag, they’re baked on stone hearths and toppings are applied judiciously, all in balance. The artisan part comes from the fact the chef and owner – Matthew Wilde – is a trained chef from Minnesota, who might sweat garlic and reduce cream for a base instead of just tomato sauce (which he also, incidentally cooks before adding it to a pie). He makes his pickles, he uses fine sea salt and most notably, uses beer in his dough rather than water. The results are mighty impressive.