By Lee Maloney

My kind of town, Chicago is, especially when it comes to pizza! One of the Windy City's most popular food items is pizza - thin crust, thick crust or stuffed, Chicagoans are very opinionated about their pizza, and well, they should be. What other food is quite as filling in the cold Illinois winters, and what other food usually delivers - even in a snow storm!

What is Chicago pizza? Pizza Hut and Tombstone - take a hike. Thin crust is definitely OUT! Fresh toppings and lots of cheese are definitely IN!

The history of Chicago pizza goes back practically as far as Mrs. O'Leary's cow. While many attribute the current trend in Chicago-style pizza to a pizzeria called Geno's (which is excellent, by the way), I am going to talk about a chain currently popping up in the more trendy areas and shopping centers in cities all across the United States - Uno's.

In Chicago, across the street from Medinah Temple (home of our beloved Shriners) sits the original Pizzeria Uno. Although it looks like, and is, a converted home, Uno's has been notorious for fine pizza and long lines for over fifty years. Pizzeria Due sits a block away - opened in response to the growing clientele many years ago.

While the Uno chain looks like a comfortable, trendy bar with walnut veneer details, the original Uno's looks more like a Chicago style speakeasy from the prohibition era. One thing is the same at the original as well as the clones - the pizza is first rate. The deep dish delight, served in a pan, always boasts fresh ingredients and lots of cheese. The menu has given in to the "gourmet" type pizzerias so popular on the West Coast with a few vegetarian and non-traditional pizzas, but I recommend one of the traditional favorites - sausage and cheese, pepperoni and cheese, well, you get the idea.

Uno's menu spans much more than just pizza, with main course meals, appetizers and desserts as well as a very efficient bar. Look for them in your travels, or, when in Chicago, try the original on Wabash Avenue near the Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood and the Rock and Roll Museum McDonalds.

Other great Chicago pizzerias that are worth checking out would have to include Lou Malnati's, Giordanos Pizza and Genos. By the way, when in Chicago, there are two other "must do's" in the culinary department - Chicago Hot Dogs and Ribs. Along with Pizza, they are what Chicago is famous for.

If you can't go to Chicago