CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Jan 30, 2014) - In the Windy City, many vie for the title of having the best deep-dish pizza in Chicago. While you're sampling this tasty treat, many of our Chicago hotels' guests wonder how it all began.

The original deep dish was created at Pizzeria Uno, which opened in 1943 at the corner of Ohio and Wabash on the North Side. Co-founder Ike Sewell originally wanted to open a Mexican restaurant, but partner Ric Riccardo sold him on the idea of pizza, something he had tasted in Italy during World War II.

What remains unclear is whether the deep-dish version was masterminded by one of the co-founders or by the bartender, Rudy Malnati, Sr. The corporate successor to Pizzeria Uno pins the pizza prize on Sewell, and even those who question whether he was the creator credit him with popularizing the new fare.

Those who hail bartender Malnati as the creator of the Windy City's most famous dish, point out that he ran the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, including handing out free slices to bar customers. There is also the argument that it runs in the blood: Malnati's son founded Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in 1971, now considered to be one of the best pizza eateries in Chicago.

Even if you spent your entire vacation sifting through documents, it's unlikely you'll solve this whodunit. So book our Chicago hotels, pick a pizzeria, and start sampling this gastronomic treat for yourself.

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