Taste the Tradition at Petaluma's Old Chicago Pizza

When we want to get a bite to eat in Petaluma, one of our go-to family friendly restaurants is Old Chicago Pizza. Located in the 1876 Lan Mart Building in downtown Petaluma, Old Chicago has been serving up distinctive Chicago-style deep dish pizza for over 30 years. Both my husband and I went there when we were growing up, and we're happy that it really hasn't changed a bit. It's a great place to relax after a day of pumpkin hunting in the fall, and we think it's even worth the special trip up from Marin.

Walk up the steps and around the corner, following the Old Chicago signs. The dining room, with its bare brick walls and big chandelier kind of makes you feel like you've gone back in time. (Rumor has it the building once housed a brothel, and Old Chicago is located in what used to be the parlor.)

If you're unfamiliar with Chicago-style pizza, it's a heftier version of the pizza we all know and love, baked in a deep pan and with a flakier, crisper crust. Once you try it, you'll probably be hooked. You'll probably need to order a pizza slightly smaller than you're used to getting, because one slice of the deep dish variety will often be enough for most people. Old Chicago claims that their large pizza weighs in at five pounds, and that's before they put any toppings on! And because it's thicker and denser, it takes longer to cook, too—25 minutes or so instead of the usual 6 to 10.

Old Chicago's pizzas are kind of a gooey mess, but in good sort of way. We ordered a large pizza specifically so we could take some home with us for lunch the next day. If for some reason the deep dish pizzas aren't your thing, Old Chicago offers thin crust pizzas as well. We all enjoyed our pizza, even if our daughter did suddenly decide to be pickier than normal and insist that half the pizza be cheese-only. It was still really good, even if it was plain cheese.

Service is friendly and attentive, and they offer a nice selection of wine and beer, as well as free refills on soft drinks, which made our kids happy, since they rarely get to drink soda, except as a special treat.

Since it's a popular place, Old Chicago Pizza can get really busy, especially on weekends. On our last visit, we got there around 5 pm, got our pizza by 5:30, and by the time we left there was a sizable crowd waiting for tables by the front door.

Old Chicago Pizza is located in Petaluma's Victorian downtown at 41 Petaluma Boulevard North. They're open Monday–Thursday from 11:30 am–10:30 pm, 11:30 am–11:30 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 4–9:30 pm on Sunday.

To get there, take Highway 101 north to the East Washington Street exit in Petaluma. At the stop light, go left (west) on East Washington over the freeway and follow it to Petaluma Boulevard North. Turn left on Petaluma Boulevard and follow it to Old Chicago Pizza, which is between Western Avenue and B Street. Plenty of free street and garage parking is available in the area.

For more information, visit www.oldchgo.com. You can call them at (707) 763-3897; reservations are only taken for groups of seven or more. Old Chicago has a second pick up- and delivery-only location on the east side of town at 203 North McDowell Boulevard.