The Chicago Restaurant That Bill Murray Says Makes One Of The Best Pizzas He's Had

When it comes to pizza, actor Bill Murray is as much of a fan of a good pie as we are. And since he was born and raised on the north side of Chicago, he often comes back home to visit. He's often seen around town, just enjoying being in his hometown, and we recently learned that one of his favorite pizzas in Chicago is neither a slice of deep dish nor square-cut pizza. 

In a recent interview on FOX 32, Murray asks his interviewer, "Robert's Pizza? Have you ever been there? What an amazing place that is! And I never thought I'd go back to thin crust pizza, but that's amazing pizza. That might be the best pizza I ever had."

The "Robert's Pizza" Murray is referring to is Robert's Pizza and Dough Company, located near tourist attraction Navy Pier, and just within walking distance of Lake Michigan. But what makes Robert's Pizza a really interesting pic is that it serves a unique style of pizza that defies what you think of when you think of pizza in Chicago. I've been to its first location before it moved to its current, bigger space, and I can definitively tell you it's some of the best Chicago has to offer.

The style of pizza Robert's serves is one I can only describe as artisan: The dough ferments for two days before it rises for a long period. It doesn't fit in one of the defined regional pizza style category, but rather focuses on the complex, almost caramelized flavor of the crust. Toppings are definitely on the higher end of things, so you'll see ingredients like seafood, duck prosciutto, and mushroom pies with soft rind cheese and truffle cream bases.

Robert's Pizza and Dough Company is run by founder Robert Garvey and his wife, Dana Hokin, and after multiple storied career paths between the both of them, they eventually arrived in Chicago. During that time, Garvey became fascinated with dough, trying to perfect the right recipe for the perfect pizza crust — but as a home cook with no intention of becoming a restaurant owner. Once his obsession reached a fever pitch, Garvey finally took the plunge, opening his own restaurant in a fairly small space (which is the one I visited). Its success grew, and eventually Garvey had to find a new, much bigger home for his pizzeria.

This pizza is definitely an outlier for Chicago, and if you're looking for something wholly unique, I highly recommend it, should you find yourself here. And if you ask Bill Murray for a pizza recommendation, you know he'll be sure to say the same thing. You might even see him there.