Ike Barinholtz of The Mindy Project Discusses His Love of Deep Dish Pizza

In honor of Pizza Week, we asked some celebrity folks who grew up or spent significant time living in Chicago how they feel about non-Chicagoans' dismissive attitude towards deep dish pizza. Today we talk to Ike Barinholtz, who was born in Rogers Park and grew up in Lakeview. Barinholtz logged five seasons as a writer and performer on FOX's MADtv before joining FOX's The Mindy Project (returning Tuesday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.) as a cast member and writer, and will next be seen in the Seth Rogen comedy Neighbors, out May 9.

Non-Chicagoans have been notoriously dismissive about Chicago deep dish pizza — where do you stand on the issue?
With respect to Jon Stewart, anyone that doesn't like deep dish pizza is either a liar or has bad taste. Deep dish is the most delicious foodstuff in the world. And if they don't want to call it pizza, fine, whatever. You could call it a sock and it would still be one of my favorite things to eat.

Because we were unable to get good deep dish in Los Angeles, for years I spent many hours reading message boards learning how to make my own. Let me tell you, when you roll into someone's house in LA to watch a Bears game with three deep dish (pizzas), you become A GOD.

What are your favorite pizza places and what do you usually order when you go there?
I have to say that Lou Malnati's is my favorite deep dish. My parents used to pick me up at the airport and they'd have Lou's in the car. I like pepperoni with the butter crust and some crushed red pepper on the side. And because I'm not some narrow-minded New Yorker, I can say that I also enjoy thin crust. For that I prefer Bojono's on the north side.
· All Pizza Week 2014 Coverage [~ECHI~]
· Ike Barinholtz [Twitter]
· The Mindy Proejct [Official Site]