Sunday, January 8, 2017

We left the apt at 1pm and walked a few blocks to catch a taxi.  The trip to Chicago’s Deep Dish Pizza (Calle 20 Sur #27-55) in San Lucas Plaza cost 9,000 pesos ($3).  We were the first customers there so we had our choice of tables.

Chicago’s has about a dozen tables at its end of a food court which includes Qbano (sandwiches), Subway (sandwiches), Hot Wings, a Mexican restaurant, a sushi restaurant, and several others. 

This Italian restaurant includes lasagna, pasta, thin crust pizza and their namesake Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Even though I’m from Chicago I prefer thin crust pizza but I had to try their deep dish to see how authentic it was.

I noticed on the menu that they have a Laureles location on Avenida Nutibara (aka Transversal 39B) at #75-25.

Teresa ordered their lasagna “mixto” which is with chicken and beef and Laura and I shared the deep dish pizza which included mushrooms and ham.  We shared two appetizers - calamari and onion rings – while we waited.  I had a Pepsi, Teresa had a mango juice and Laura tried a frapuccino.

I asked the waitress if the owner was a gringo and I was told no.  Uh-oh!  (If she had said yes my next question would be is he from Chicago.)

The waitress warned us that it would take 30 minutes for the deep dish pizza so while Laura stayed at the table Teresa and I explored the rest of the plaza.  The clothing stores were closed but most of the restaurants were open.

Back at the table I talked to Laura about her future plans.  Last time she said she wanted to be a stewardess but I knew from recent words with her mother that something else is going on.  Now she is back to wanting to go to college to study psychology.  We talked about finances.  She estimates it might cost 4 million pesos a semester.  If she can save 3 million pesos (about $1,000) over 6 months (from her mother’s finca rental at 500,000 per month) I would pay the other 1 million (about $350).  I understand the university classes would include English so I guess she’ll continue working instead of returning to English classes in Envigado.

The pizza came cut into 4 slices and one each was enough for the two of us.  It was tasty with a good crust so I wasn’t disappointed.  (Someday I’ll come back and try their thin crust pizza.)  Teresa didn’t care for her lasagna and after tasting it I agreed it was rather bland.

The total bill came to 130,237 pesos (about $44) and I was able to charge it to my debit card.  The trip back to the apt cost 8,000 pesos.

I wrote up a quick review on Trip Advisor and gave Chicago’s 4 stars because I thought the pizza was good - it reminded me of Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza.

I spent most of the rest of the day watching NFL playoff games on Direct TV.

Teresa went alone to mass in the evening.

I heated up another piece of the pizza in the microwave for my dinner.

We all watched The Call on Direct TV even though we had seen it before in the finca.

T-shirt of the day: Sorry boys, I hate soccer.