rant · moment 6 of 18
Giordano's Deep Dish and Chicago Dogs vs. Local Delis
from The Middle Of The End · #109
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
6 minTim details the absurd 45-minute wait and appetizer binge required to eat Giordano's stuffed deep dish pizza, compares it to a Chicago dog, and argues against fetishizing low-end regional food like pizza and deli sandwiches.
- 22:38Chicagoans debate deep-dish pizza places like Giordano's versus Fatty Del Vecchio's as if they're different, when they're all the same greasy pie.
- 23:27Chicago deep-dish takes 45 minutes to bake, and customers fill the wait by eating appetizers—garlic bread, mozzarella sticks—consuming the pizza's ingredients before the pizza arrives.
- 24:21Tim had two slices of deep-dish at a Chicago pizzeria with a local opener and felt sick; the pizza's so massive you can't order a small or eat it alone.
- 25:26Chicago dogs are just New York street dogs on a poppy seed bun with tomatoes and peppers—not particularly distinctive.
- 26:11Tim refuses to fetishize low-end food; pizza is good in many places and varies widely, so people should stop getting emotional about which city has the best.
- 26:46A Sporkful podcast guy who used to work at WNYC reached out to do a food episode, then told Tim upfront that WNYC doesn't matter anymore.
- 27:31At WNYC, everyone's obsessed with identity politics instead of actual food; they pulled the food guy for discussing meatballs and pickle-in-tartar-sauce while the staff was dealing with real issues.
- 27:53Tim agreed to do the podcast at Arty's South Shore Fish, a fresh fish market in Island Park where he grew up.
- 28:17Tim's talent agent at WMA quit without being replaced, so he asked for a new one; they barely send him auditions and suggest he could play mechanics or work greasy-food gigs.
Chicago pizzaSporkfulWNYCArty's South Shore FishGirodano'sWMANew OrleansChicagoIsland ParkNew YorkNorth Carolina