Mayor De Blasio Defends New York Pizza After Staffer Alleges Chicago-Style Is Better

In early November, Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary, Eric Phillips, said Chicago has the "best pizza in the United States and it's not even close" — a risky opinion for a representative of New York City, home to some of the nation's finest pie. Ultimately, Phillips was dragged on Twitter for the controversial claim, and now de Blasio has gone into full damage-control mode.

"Chicago doesn't stand a chance against New York," de Blasio said, according to the New York Post. "And anyone who would say otherwise — where is he?"

De Blasio smiled and scanned the crowd for Phillips, hoping to (jokingly) throw him under the bus.

"I think everybody knew who he was talking about. I'll have to take my lumps," Phillips told the New York Post. "The mayor is certainly of the belief that New York pizza is the best in the world, and it's difficult to say he's wrong."

While Chicago is widely known for deep-dish pizza, many hold the opinion that the item is actually not a pizza, but a casserole instead. If you — like Phillips — enjoy casseroles disguised as pizza, here are the 15 best deep-dish pies in America.