BETH ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Food: Great Lake

GQ food critic Alan Richman has declared the pies from Great Lake in Chicago the best in the United States. Lydia Esparza and Nick Lessins hand craft every pizza, which creates a slow, laid back atmosphere in the small shop located in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.

Lydia Esparza and Nick Lessins, co-owners of Great Lake Pizza in Andersonville in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, October 30, 2008.
   
Lydia removes fresh oregano leaves from their stems by hand to top the pizzas.
  
Nick stretches homemade pizza dough.
     
  
Nick arranges smoked bacon on top of creme fraiche. He will add Tropea onion and thyme to finish the pizza.
  
Cremini mushroom, dante, and black pepper pizza.
  
Tomato, fresh mozzarella, and dante pizza.
     
  
Tomato, fresh mozzarella, and dante pizza.