New York or Chicago pizza: the real differences and how to vote

New York pizza is a thin, foldable slice baked in a very hot oven. Chicago deep dish is a thick, pan-baked pie with the cheese under the sauce. Which one is better is a matter of taste, and in the Mosey app it is also a vote: Settle it asks people in the US to pick a side, and shows how everyone voted once enough people have.

What is the difference between New York and Chicago pizza?

The biggest difference is the crust and how it is baked. A New York pizza has a thin crust that is crisp on the bottom and chewy on top. It is usually baked on a flat surface in a very hot oven and topped with grated low-moisture mozzarella, which is why the slice bends instead of snapping.

Chicago deep dish is baked in a deep, well-oiled round pan, and the crust climbs the sides. It takes a long bake, often 30 to 45 minutes, and the fat in the pan gives the bottom a crisp, almost fried texture. Some versions use cornmeal or semolina in the dough.

Why is Chicago deep dish built upside down?

Deep dish reverses the usual order. The cheese and toppings go in first and a thick layer of chunky tomato sauce goes on top. The sauce has to be sturdy, because it spends a long time in the oven, and the cheese underneath keeps the crust from going soggy.

The result is closer to a baked casserole than a slice. You sit down for it, and a knife and fork is not a sign that you are doing it wrong.

Is there a thin Chicago pizza?

Yes, and it is worth knowing before you argue. Chicago also has a thin-crust style cut into small squares, often called tavern style. So the split is not only thin against thick between two cities. The Settle it vote uses the two classic images: New York, thin and foldable, and Chicago, deep dish.

A menu name is a style label, not a promise. A shop that says New York style may bake a thicker crust than you expect, and a Chicago pizzeria may sell mostly thin pies. Ask which style a place makes before you commit to a trip for it.

How do you eat each one?

A New York slice is eaten by hand. You fold it lengthwise so the tip does not droop, and you eat it standing, walking or at a counter. It is fast, which is part of the point.

A deep dish is a meal. Expect to wait for the bake, so many people order it at the start of the evening and share a starter while it cooks. One slice is a lot, and a small pie feeds more people than it looks like it will.

What should you order with each style?

With a New York slice, many people judge a shop on a plain cheese slice before they try anything else, because there is nowhere for a weak base to hide. Add toppings once you trust the crust.

With deep dish, fewer toppings is a good first order. The pie is heavy, and the sausage or vegetables sit inside the cheese layer, so one or two is plenty for most appetites.

How does the Settle it vote work in the Mosey app?

Settle it appears as a card on Home when your market has debates, and the pizza question reads "New York or Chicago pizza?" You pick a side. You get one vote per debate, and you can change it by tapping the other side. The latest pick counts.

You can read the debates without an account, but you need to sign in to vote. Once you have picked, you see how your country is voting, and you can share your pick as an image.

When do the results show, and what do they mean?

A result is shown only once at least three counted votes are in for your country. Before that the app says there are not enough votes yet. Shares are whole numbers that add up to 100, worked out on the server, and a tie at the top is shown as too close to call.

A counted vote comes from a real customer account that has not been shadow-banned. Votes are tied to the country they were cast in, so the US result is made of US votes.

Does a Settle it result rank pizzerias?

No. The question is about a style, not a business, and no place appears in it. The app says so on the screen: this is what Mosey diners voted, and it is not a ranking of any place.

To judge a particular pizzeria, look at the dish ratings people leave for it rather than the debate. The vote is for fun and for sharing, not for choosing where to eat tonight.

On Mosey you rate the dish you ate, not only the place, so a slice you loved can be found again later. That is the right tool for choosing a pizzeria. The debate is the right tool for settling an argument.

Can anyone outside the US vote on this?

No. The American Settle it debates run in the US only. In another market the card does not show, and a vote sent for a debate that does not run there is refused as not found. Canada has its own debate, about poutine.

How this works in the app: Settle it and Daily food games.

More guides to read next:

• Daily food games on Mosey: Ladle, Origin, Ingredient
• Rate and rank US states for food travel in the Mosey app
• Thanksgiving and big game specials: how to find them in the Mosey app
• Where to watch the big game: how to find a sports bar showing it

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.