Restaurant Review: South Loop’s Skydeck Offers ‘Pie in the Sky’ Experience for Spectacular Views, Giordano’s Pizza
IMAGINE THIS…A spectacular sunset in Chicago. You and your family are at The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago, 233 S. Wacker Drive, 99 or 103 stories above ground, surrounded by a 360-degree view of Chicago’s glittering downtown. As you enjoy the sunset, a private, three-course meal from world-famous Giordano’s awaits you.
Welcome to their ‘Pie in the Sky‘ experience, a curated dining experience pairing iconic Chicago flavors with breathtaking skyline views for an unforgettable evening high above the city.
Each Pie in the Sky dinner includes a three-course meal with dessert and panoramic views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River. The dinners are $115 per person, (double check the price) with an optional beer and wine add-on available for $25 per guest. Couples, families, and groups up to 10 people are welcome.
Dining with a view: 103rd vs. 99th floor
On the 103rd Floor –as their website notes, you’ll find an intimate, late-nigh, glass-balcony experience on The Ledge, where guests can enjoy their meal while hovering 1,353 feet above the city. Ideal for smaller parties seeking an unforgettable skyline moment after Skydeck closes. It’s available Thursday – Sunday at 10:30pmfrom March – September, and at 9:30pm from October – February.
On the 99th Floor – A private dining space perfect for slightly larger gatherings or for those wanting a little more room to spread out, while still surrounded by panoramic city views. They’re available Thursday – Sunday at 6pm and 8pm from March – September and at 6pm and 8pm from October – February.
What’s included in the Pie in the Sky dinner?
Each package includes:
- A custom-made deep dish or thin pizza (toppings of your choice, up to 3 per pizza)
- Choice of House or Caesar salad.
- Soft drinks (Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Lemonade or San Pellegrino)
- Dessert (Eli’s Original Plain Cheesecake or Eli’s Old-Fashioned Triple Chocolate Cake)
- Beer and wine available for purchase
Dinner portions are based on group size:
- Dinner for 2–3: Includes one 12” stuffed pizza
- Dinner for 4: One 14” stuffed pizza
- Dinner for 5–8: Multiple pizzas, scaled by party size
- Beer and wine are available for purchase
Please note: Reservations are required six hours in advance. Up to 10 guests can be accommodated. For private events, please reach out to Skydeck directly.
Every experience is designed to combine comfort, atmosphere, and stunning panoramic views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River.
To book a Pie in the Sky experience, click here. For additional information, email sales@theskydeck.com or call 312-875-9447.
What is Giordano’s? Are they for real?
Giordano’s began in a small northern Italian town near Torino, Italy. As the website notes, Mama Giordano was famous around town for her exquisite cooking. Of all her renowned dishes, her most beloved meal was her “Italian Easter Pie. “ She would serve this double- crusted, cheese stuffed masterpiece on special occasions.
Italian immigrants Efren and Joseph Boglio moved to Chicago to start their own pizza business. The brothers introduced their Mama’s recipe for stuffed pizza.
In 1974, on Chicago’s South side, Efren and Joseph opened the first Giordano’s in the world. Since then, Giordano’s has served Chicago with a pizza kitchen that employs six trained artisans, who always use fluffy Wisconsin mozzarella and flavorful, fresh toppings.
To this day, Giordano’s continuously tops “Best Pizza” lists and dining guides. Giordano’s has been acclaimed “Chicago’s Best Pizza” by NBC, CBS Chicago, New York Times, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Eater, Home & Garden Magazine, and Concierge Preferred.
How About The Food?
Giordano’s has many locations throughout the city and suburbs. When you’re not eating at Skydeck, you can enjoy an Italiano Salad, filled with pepperoni, salami, mozzarella cheese, bruschetta tomatoes, kalamata olives, banana peppers, romaine and iceberg lettuce with lemon vinaigrette. Or a Chopped Salad with chicken breast, diced tomatoes, bacon, red onion, red cabbage, pasta and blue cheese with romaine, and iceberg lettuce mix, tossed in honey mustard dressing.
Other starters include a Giordano’s Sampler, featuring their crusty bruschetta, boneless chicken nuggets with your choice of buffalo or bbq sauce, mozzarella triangles served with house-made marinara sauce and signature ranch dipping sauce, and cheesy garlic bread.
Calamari & More! has tender calamari mixed with lemon rings and banana peppers, lightly fried and served with house-made marinara sauce. Or, Italian Beef and Giardiniera Arancini, which are Italian beef and giardiniera stuffed risotto balls served with beef au jus and marinara.
My personal favorite has always been their Fresh Spinach, a simple combination of fresh spinach and cheese. It’s more like a spinach souffle, and utterly delicious.
Many people also like The Special, with sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. As well as Margherita Stuffed Pizza with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Meat and More Meat is a combination of pepperoni, salami, sausage and bacon.
They also have thin crust and now, tavern-style versions of all of their pizzas.
Dessert choices include their Oversized Skillet Cookie, a chocolate chip cookie freshly baked in their pizza oven and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Or, try a Broken Cannoli, a dark chocolate-studded cannoli cream served with broken cannoli shells for dipping.
For more information about Giordano’s, locations, and menus, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
