Kitchen 17
Deep-dish pizza is a pretty unlikely candidate for a vegan imitation. Can you guess why? Because a single traditional slice typically features a threatening cliff of mozzarella—never mind the chunks of sausage and pepperoni struggling against the grease that seeps out from beneath the layer of marinara on top. But the unpretentious, all-vegan Kitchen 17 in Lakeview reimagines the Chicago-style gut bomb with a lineup of its own experiments, including the Buffalo Chik’n Deep Dish, the Jalapeño Popper Deep Dish, and the Fully Loaded, which consists of house-made “ricotta,” roasted red peppers, giardiniera, olives, artichoke-spinach filling, pepperoni, and house-made “sausage.” Still plenty decadent, each pizza sports a crisp and sturdy crust that helps prevent slices from spilling all over the place once they find a plate. Many of the vegan toppings are made in-house, so your patience will certainly be rewarded. Pies range between $20 and $25 and are currently made on Wednesdays only (and the cozy BYOB spot will run out, so get your orders in early).