Molly Martin
Audio By Carbonatix
“Is there hot lettuce on it?” asked the guy sitting next to me when he was told what I’d just been served: a chicken Caesar pizza, which is the February pie of the month at Blue Pan (spoiler: there’s no hot lettuce to worry about). The local spot with three locations (Congress Park, Highland and Golden) is already known for its Detroit-style pies; now, it’s dishing up the latest spin on the chicken Caesar craze that began to spread on social media in late 2025.
Local content creator Emma Hughes, aka @emmajeancocoa on TikTok and Instagram, sparked the local trend when she posted a simple video of herself eating a chicken Caesar wrap from the chain Mad Greens during a lunch break from work, resulting in a flood of comments suggesting other chicken Caesar wraps to try around town.
The food item, which is admittedly pretty basic, had already trended in other cities. Denver was late to the game, but that didn’t stop the fervor as social media feeds were flooded with people ordering versions from spots like White Pie, Chook, Happy Camper and, our favorite, Mead St. Provisions for its chicken Caesar sandwich.
In the weeks since, we’ve seen videos posted about wraps at Tessa Deli (which includes Brussels sprouts in its version), Cherry Cricket (made with blackened chicken), Ester’s (where you can opt for a buffalo Caesar twist) and more. Leven Deli even invited Hughes in to help create its chicken Caesar special.
What’s on Blue Pan’s Chicken Caesar Pizza?
Blue Pan co-owner Jeffrey “Smoke” Smokevitch is a bit confounded by the hype, but was also inspired by it. The chicken Caesar pizza is now available at all Blue Pan locations, all month long, and it’s tapping into another trend: protein — each slice includes up to 10 grams, according to the pizzeria.
The pie is loaded with a chopped chicken Caesar, sans lettuce and cheese, before being baked. When it comes out of the oven, a finely chopped chicken Caesar salad (romaine, house-seasoned chicken breast, Ken’s creamy Caesar dressing, Grana Padano and crunchy croutons) is added on top, along with an extra drizzle of dressing and a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.
It’s also served with a side of either Voodoo-flavored or salt-and-vinegar Zapp’s chips, which you can crunch on top for added crispiness (salt and vinegar is the way to go, as it lends some nice acidity to the party).
While Blue Pan is known for its thick, rectangular Detroit-style pies, you can also opt for New York-style or, our preferred option, thin tavern-style pizza, which offers a nicely balanced pizza-to-Caesar ratio and some extra crunch.
Molly Martin
What about regular old Caesar salads?
All the perplexing hype around something as standard as a chicken Caesar wrap has us appreciating and craving the OG: a Caesar salad.
Here are some of our favorite versions in town right now:
- Florence Supper Club‘s very traditional take, with bright and zippy dressing, breadcrumbs and a hefty pile of Parm.
- Gusto‘s take, which includes croutons made from its fresh focaccia, large pieces of white anchovy and candied lemon slices under a generous mound of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Hey Kiddo, where the salad is topped with candied anchovies (a popular snack in East Asia) and pistachios. You can, and should, pair this with an order of popcorn chicken — but please don’t try to order it as a wrap!
- Marigold in Lyons, where the Caesar has become a signature dish: a head of gem lettuce halved and topped with katsuobushi (bonito flakes), wild rice, gin- washed trout roe and a healthy amount of fennel fronds and herbs.
