My search for a Detroit-style pizza in Chicago that bests the chain squares from Jet’s continues. I already told you about the Logan Squares at Paulie Gee’s—limited edition, almost faithfully executed, buttery, cheesy-crusted wonders that suffer from one fatal flaw: cold sauce. So I was eager to check out the pies from Union Squared in thronged Revival Food Hall, the second outpost of Evanston’s Detroit-style joint from the folks behind the bustling Neapolitan spot Union Pizzeria.
Union Squared’s stall comes equipped with a wide bar pouring a red, a white, and a beer each day, and serving the odd non-pizza item like, say, ribollita. The main attraction, though, are the five varieties of square pies, available whole or in quarter slices, including four regular varieties: the standard top-sauced pepperoni, quattro formaggi, wild mushroom, and a “supreme,” with mozzarella, brick cheese, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, and green pepper. There’s also a rotating special, currently chorizo with pineapple, red onion, and roasted jalapeño cream, which theoretically resembles my go-to order at Jet’s.
It’s a sloppy, appealing formula, but the real test is the all-important crust. At Union Squared’s it’s lighter and airier than at Paulie Gee’s and Jet’s, and the somewhat thinner edges lead to a more delicately caramelized rim. Still, it’s regrettably missing that distinctive butteriness characteristic of the style, and there’s an overall deficiency in seasoning, all of which make it an unremarkable B-minus. Points for the hot sauce on the pepperoni though.
Union Squared, Revival Food Hall, 125 S. Clark