Tony’s Little Italy Pizza

Once American pizza evolved into multiple regional styles – and developed clannish fans who insisted that only their homestyle versions were “the best” – smart food writers began to theorize that what people perceived as “best” depended largely on what they grew up with and developed a love for. New Yorkers would insist their slices were best because that’s what they knew, and the more another style challenged their preconceptions, the less it was “pizza.” That theory went a long way towards explaining the comically insane reactions some people had to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, which is distinctively different from all other pizzas, yet fantastic when made well.

Tony’s Little Italy Pizza is Placentia is one of only two independent restaurants serving what purports to be authentic deep dish pizza in Orange County, alongside Rance’s Chicago Pizza in Costa Mesa. Tony’s has been around since 1978, and Rance’s is a teenager by comparison. But whereas Rance’s recipes are basically identical to the ones Lou Malnati’s was using at its prime, and essentially flawless as excellent deep dish goes, Tony’s version is better than passable – good but not great. That’s enough to win it second place, above chain options such as BJ’s Brewhouse (or Pizzeria Uno, which popularized a weak version of deep dish nationally but exited California years ago).

(Note that Tony’s does not serve Chicago tavern-style pizza, a thinner crust version traditionally topped with cheese, which is also available at Rance’s. Tony’s does offer a thin crust pizza that’s more conventional than each of the Chicago styles, and takes only 30 minutes to cook.)