Giordano's Minneapolis: The Phatphood Experience

Giordano’s Minneapolis: The Phatphood Experience – The wait is over! Authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza with gooey awesome cheese pulls and double crust has finally arrived in Minneapolis. 2700 Hennepin Avenue in Uptown to be exact.

Giordano’s hosts a beautiful corner structure with windows galore, framed to perfection. It shares a parking lot with a bank, so be prepared for residential parking during normal banking hours. With late night deals after 10pm like a six-inch-deep-dish and a beer for $10, the parking lot may never be empty. Handwritten neon and pizza marquees light the interior in true Uptown fashion.

Walking-in, you are greeted by a hostess desk that is forefront to an aquarium style window to where all the magic happens in the back. To the right is a full service bar with high-top stools and premium Uptown viewing. To the left, a wide-open dining room with an entire wall mural of the downtown Minneapolis skyline that includes a propeller plane toting a banner that reads “MY CITY MY PIE.” Just before the back door that leads to the parking lot/patio you will also find two unisex single use restrooms in this 6000-square-foot, 110-seat sleek design by B3 Construction out of Naperville, Illinois.

“We are not a big corporation like Best Buy, but we did create sixty jobs” CEO, Yorgo Koutsogiorgas mentioned after the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Not big, but still operating over 40 restaurants in Chicago, three in Florida and a recently added location in Indiana. Yorgo also mentioned Arizona and Ohio as future locations. But at last, Minnesota gets it’s very own taste of Chicago. With no longer having to drive for six hours to enjoy a deep slice of pie, I can now put my gas money towards more pizza in my belly and more often, well, once the hype wears off. I predict long lines for months to come along with frustrated new comers not aware of the craze we have been yearning for years.

That craze comes in a perfect circular dough matter with the highest quality of cheese (and lots of it), stuffed with classic flavors and topped with rich, yet delicate sauce.

During this tasting we were offered a thin crust as well, good, but not as good as what they are known for. Get it big, and get it stuffed! The salad was above average. The bruschetta was excellent with a mound of diced ripe tomatoes and a sweet balsamic drizzle.

The tiramisu and chocolate cake were excellent and I highly recommend either, if you save room. I would pass on the cannolis however, just bland and not much to them. I have yet to try the spaghetti and meatballs, which I’ve heard only great things about. I figure, I have plenty of time. This is a good thing for Minneapolis and my cravings, give it time to fit-in and accept it!