Chicago's Gem in Southern California

Tony’s Little Italy.  A hole in the wall pizza establishment located  in Placentia,CA. . “The Best Chicago Style Pizza outside of  Chicago.”  I am a California girl. I have been to Chicago once and refused to eat anything deep dish. I like a crispy, thin crust with fresh toppings rather than a lot of chewy bread and thick crust. The outside banner boasts "Best Pizza in Orange County in 2007". The inside showcased multiple awards. So of course, I had to try what all the fuss was about.

There are only 5 or 6 tables that seat 4. So if you have a large party going, call ahead to make sure there aren't too many people waiting. Also, if you want to take the chance that you will find a table right away, order the pizza in advance, if you don't want to wait. It does take about 25-30 minutes depending on the type of pizza, if you order anything else, and how busy it is.

Their menu offers a variety of pasta dishes and sandwiches along with their  pizzas. The pizzas can be thin, thick or pan crust, stuffed and of course, their famous deep dish. The toppings were nothing out of the ordinary. They have your normal pepperoni, mushroom, Canadian bacon and pineapple, etc.

We ordered the Tony’s Special . If it has "special" next to it, you know that has to be their most popular one. Of course, we got it deep dish style. It has a thin crispy layer of dough on the bottom followed by a thick, crunchy side crust. In the middle of all this are sausage, bell peppers and onions laying in a bed of A LOT of mozzarella and freshly crushed tomatoes.

This is not your normal pick up, fold over and stuff your mouth style pizza.  You can try, but they put so much toppings, you are bound to be wearing some by the end of the meal. You really do need a knife and fork to eat this. I was already a skeptic going into this so naturally after my first bite,  I wasn’t impressed. I thought to myself "what’s the big deal!’ Then I ate another piece. I bit into a thin layer of crispy crust.  I tasted all the mozzarella, bit into chunks of tomato, tasted the flavors of the sausage, bell peppers, and onions. I ate bite after bite after bite.  I don't remember if I was even breathing or talking at the table.  Before I knew it, all that was left was the crust.  I don’t like crust. I wasn’t going to eat it. BUT, I picked it up, dipped it into the sauce and toppings that oozed off of the other slices.. It was thick, but not chewy and you could still taste what was either really good olive oil or butter. Whatever it was that was brushed on the crust, it was delish. 

So after much thought, and remembering how every bite tasted, I’d have to say, I’m a believer.  I will admit, Tony's Little Italy does make a pretty bad ass deep dish pizza! So the answer is, YES, it really is that good! So with that being said, I might have to go back to Chicago to see if their pizza stands up to this little Southern California joint. I don't know, Tony's Little Italy may give them a run for their money.