Why One Of Bill Murray's Favorite Pizzas Comes From This Illinois Restaurant

Although some Chicago residents prefer their pizza tavern-style, the Windy City is more famous for its deep-dish pies. As a native Illinoisan, actor and comedian Bill Murray likely never thought he would call a thin-crust his favorite. Yet, he admitted that Robert's Pizza and Dough Co. had won him over. When he visited the restaurant with his family and tried its pizza, it formed a lasting impression that made him question his deep-dish loyalty, saying in a local television interview, "That might be the best pizza I've ever had" (via Fox32Chicago).

Robert's, headed by Robert Garvey, is more than your average pizza haunt. Garvey spent over 20 years perfecting his recipes and utilizes exceptional ingredients that, combined with skillful craftsmanship, elevate his pies above the rest of the pack. Don't just take Bill Murray's word for it, either: Robert's is routinely singled out and awarded for its artisanal pizzas.

Along with pizza, Robert's serves Italian appetizers dishes like fried calamari and arancini. The Illinois establishment also hosts an extensive menu of cocktails and wines like those that pair perfectly with pizza. Still, pizza is the belle of the ball at Robert's, and every artisan slice has a bit of Chicago baked right in.

Quality ingredients treated with care help make Robert's pizzas so memorable. From cup and char pepperoni and fresh mozzarella atop a classic standard, to a margarita pizza incorporating fresh plum tomatoes slow-roasted for hours, every element of the pizzas seems to be executed thoughtfully. However, the foundation of the dish may be what truly wins people over.

Garvey's signature dough utilizes a wild yeast sourdough as the core of its conception, and he has been using the same starter for 25 years. Given that the key to feeding a sourdough starter is nourishing it daily, that shows some real commitment. Wild yeast varies from the traditional yeast folks buy at the grocery store in that it can bring intriguing flavors from its surrounding environment. The yeast Garvey sourced is from Chicago, meaning there is a little bit of the Windy City in every pizza baked in the restaurant's brick oven. As Bill Murray said in his interview with Fox32Chicago, "I never thought I'd go back to thin crust pizza." It is likely that the precision craftsmanship and dedication Garvey displays day in and day out with his cuisine is what persuaded Murray to give it another chance.