A Chicago culinary treasure is going national: Pizza Hut just announced that it will now be serving tavern-style pizza to the masses—and we don't know how we feel about it.
While most of the world associates Chicago with deep dish pizza, many locals favor a thinner crust. Dating back to the 1930s, tavern-style pies are cut into squares and were originally served at local taverns by bartenders alongside drinks, most often for free as a way to lure patrons to stay on premise and take down some more cocktails. Given the constant chatter about all things pizza—who makes the most authentic pies, what city should be crowned Pizza Town, USA—we're not sure we're ready for our very own creation to take the national spotlight and incur the wrath of some very opinionated folks.
Alas, Pizza Hut's decision has absolutely nothing to do with our feelings about the whole thing, so we're just going to have to make peace with the idea that tavern-style crusts may soon invade all corners of social media.
"Tavern is not just a pizza; it is a culinary trend that reflects the excitement of today’s pizza scene," said Rachel Antalek, chief food innovation officer at Pizza Hut, in an official statement to Food & Wine. "We perfected these recipes to truly pay homage to Chicago and the hundred-year-old style in a modern way while pushing the boundaries of what's possible in a pizza with fresh new toppings and flavors."
The chain has also revealed that it will add new permanent toppings to its menu, including chicken sausage, pesto swirl, spicy marinara sauce, fresh diced garlic, grape tomatoes, caramelized onions, fire roasted peppers and crispy cupped pepperoni.
For more incredible slices (or squares), check out our guide to the best pizzas in Chicago.
Will tavern-style pizza become the nation's new go-to food? Will folks outside Chicago start fawning over it as much as we do? We'll have to wait and see.