Rolling in the Deep (Dish) at Bourbon House Pizza

Fourteenth Stop: Bourbon House Pizza

Date: April 26, 2012

Location: 7500 Oakbrook Drive Florence, KY 41042

Ranking: 20

Chicagoans feel deeply about their pizza (pun intended).  Those raised on the popular East Coast styles of New York thin crust or the traditionally Italian style Neapolitan pizzas might consider Chicago deep dish to be more of a “casserole” than a pizza.  However, pizza perfection tastes differently everywhere in America, depending on the region of the heartland you are in.  Fortunately, our geographic location lends itself to sampling a variety of culinary tradition from the people who have crossed, transplanted, or stumbled upon our area of the map.  Though we were far from the Windy City, the pizza we ate at Bourbon House could have fooled us.

Clean, casual, and modern atmosphere

Complimentary garlic knots for first-time visitors!

Our knowledgeable server was able to give us the run-down on the whole process of how our pizza would come to fruition.  A deep dish pizza is a work of precision and careful methodology.  It’s a two-step and approximately 25-30 minute process, we learned.  After a few minutes of preparation, the bottom crust and toppings cook in the oven for about 10 minutes.  This pizza, which most closely resembles a pie, is then removed from the oven, and the top crust is applied.  It cooks for 10 more minutes after this addition.  If it’s undercooked, it will be an unappetizing sludge of soggy ingredients.  If the crust is weak, it won’t be able to stand up to the dense filling of cheese, sauce, and toppings inside.  A deep dish done right is quite the accomplishment, considering it is easier to screw up and harder to perfect than its thin-crust counterparts.  So pat yourself on the back, Bourbon House, you got it right!

Where do we start with this thing?  It was monstrous, and we immediately knew why our server said that a medium would be way more than enough for the two of us.  Our server kindly served us each our first slice.  This was greatly appreciated, as slicing and serving inches of cheese and toppings isn’t the easiest feat.  We ended up only eating one piece each of this delicious creation, taking home 3 apiece for leftovers (which, by the way, heated up amazingly in the toaster oven).  Deep dish pies are known for their substantial amount of “fillings,” and depending on what kind of toppings you choose, they will turn out anywhere from hefty to staggering in size. 

These were our leftovers. 

We ended up ordering the Bourbon House Supreme, which was “loaded with Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese, home made robust sauce, and your choice of any three toppings.”  For our toppings, we got the ol’ trusty combo of spinach, mushroom, and pepperoni.  The most amazing part of this pizza is the crust.  Biting into the crust was subliminal-the contrast of the gooey toppings with the chew and crisp of the crust was just right.  The pepperoni was notably delicious, with its savory spice and flavor refusing to be hidden by the bulk of the fillings.  The Ricotta cheese was an unlikely contender in the mix, but the little blobs mixed throughout were rich and creamy, adding an opposing dimension to the chewy goodness of the mozzarella.   

Not the most flattering picture, but I don't think the pizza minded. 

If you want a quick bite to eat, do not come here.  Visit Bourbon House pizza only when you have time to wait for that perfectly cooked stuffed pie of a pizza, and then savor its every bite.  And, if it’s your first visit, be sure to mention that to your server.  First-timers are privy to a free order of garlic knots.  This is the owner’s “thank you” for trying her pizza.  Every “thank you” should come in the form of warm, savory bread treats.  The garlic knots came out crispy at the edges, dough-y in the center of the knots, and accompanied by a thick, dipping-friendly marinara sauce and melted garlic butter.  They were so scrumptious that we couldn’t leave a bite to spare. 

The service was tip-top, the atmosphere was cozy and clean, and the food was impressive.  Our server’s reheating tips worked like a charm (cover the crust in foil, just like a pie), and the free appetizer was a nice and generous gesture.  All in all, we were quite pleased with Bourbon House Pizza, and stand by its strong ranking in the pizza list.  We will definitely be returning, though possibly not until we chomp away at the 36 pizzas left in our mission.