Gino's East
| Gino's East | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1966 |
| Street address | 633 North Wells |
| City | Chicago |
| State | Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Website | http://ginoseast.com |
Gino's East is a Chicago-based restaurant chain, notable for its deep-dish pizza (sometimes called Chicago-style pizza), and for its interior walls, which thousands of patrons have covered in graffiti and etchings.
Contents |
Cuisine [edit]
The restaurant features deep-dish pizza baked in cast-iron pans, as well as sandwiches, soups and salads.
Interior [edit]
A tradition of the establishment was to write or carve one's name or other messages on the wooden interior walls, which soon became an important aspect of the Gino's East brand.
History [edit]
The original Gino's East was opened in 1966 by two taxi drivers, Sam Levine and Fred Bartoli, and a friend, George Loverde. The deep dish pizza is cooked with the toppings on the bottom, then cheese and then the sauce.
Original Location [edit]
The original location was at 160 East Superior Street, just east of Michigan Avenue, in the Streeterville district of Chicago.
Expansion [edit]
The company subsequently opened other locations in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, including Naperville, Rolling Meadows, Lake Zurich, Deerfield, Oak Lawn, and Highland, Indiana. The Oak Lawn location closed in 2008. The Naperville location closed in late 2010. Additionally, Gino's East operates a mail-order business, where patrons can order frozen pizzas and have them shipped overnight. The company opened its first restaurant located outside the Chicago area in Granger, Indiana, but closed it in 2012. And since 2007, Lake Geneva, WI.[1]
New Location [edit]
The restaurant eventually moved from its Superior Street location into another space at 633 North Wells Street (in former Planet Hollywood restaurant). The tradition of writing on the walls, however, remains the same in the new location. The original location on Superior Street reopened in 2007.
Appearances in the Media and Popular Culture [edit]
Amazing Race [edit]
During the final leg of the sixth season of the Amazing Race, the remaining teams had to make their way to Gino's East on Wells Street. Each team member had to eat a small deep-dish pizza before racing to the finish line.
Man vs. Food [edit]
Adam Richman traveled to Gino's East during Season One and dined on a traditional Gino's pie.
References [edit]
- ^ "Heritage Square will offer a slice of Chicago". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
(2) http://www.ginoseastrollingmeadows.com/meet.htm
(3) http://dest.travelocity.com/DestGuides/0,1840,TRAVELOCITY%7C4158%7C3%7C1%7C2425,00.html
External links [edit]
