The Good Pie- St. Louis, MO

The Good Pie is the place to experience authentic Napoletana-style pizza in St. Louis. The wood-fired, brick oven is blazing hot and the high moisture dough is topped with fresh, quality ingredients, which results in a supple, sweet pizza with a traditional charred crust.

To those not accustomed to it, the char flavor might be a tad bit overbearing, but there is a nice balance between the fresh mozzarella, sauce, and crust that make this pizza enjoyable. The sauce is just like you would find on pizzas in Italy; it has a nice sweetness to it. This pizza is very high moisture and the crust is paper thin, so you will probably need a knife and fork to eat this one. "The Good Pie", seen above, is made with buffalo mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes, and is delicious!

The Good Pie offers a variety of Neapolitan classics, including a tasty sausage pie where the liberal amount of sausage crumbles ensure that you won't be able to eat it with your hands. All in all, this is a pizza place that offers quality pizza, and is a great place to go when you are in St. Louis, but looking for a taste of Italy.


The Good Pie: Pizzeria Napoletana
www.thegoodpie.com
3137 Olive Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103
314-289-9391
Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday - Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday - Closed

Pizza Made Me Smarter

To show my parents what I feel is one of the best examples of St. Louis style pizza, I took them them to Faraci Pizza the other night, and we got into a discussion about how I believe that pizza is in part responsible for the fact that I was so well read as a child. This, I feel, is due to a program called "Book It!".

Book It! is a Pizza Hut sponsored program, which offers free personal pan pizzas as a reward for reaching the classroom's reading goal. I don't remember how many books we had to read, but I do remember that I read the King James Bible straight through, the entire science fiction section at my local city library, and countless works by Milton, Dante, Shakespeare....and Dr. Seuss. When you would look at my classroom's Book It! chart at the beginning of the year, you might see one or two gold stars next to each student....and then a year's worth of gold stars next to the name "Joshua Pyles". I remember being so disappointed when I maxed out the number of free pizzas for the year, but it didn't stop me from reading even more. Because when something becomes a habit and a hobby, it isn't easy to let it go.

So, thanks Book It!! You get a gold star from me.

When In Rome...

It's easy to be disappointed with the food in Rome. Everywhere you look, you are bombarded with signs for "Pizza!", "Hamburgers!", and "Coca-Cola!!!!!". In one of the quintessential Italian cities, it is often hard to find authentic Italian cuisine. Now, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but you have to look a little bit harder.

In addition to hosting one of my favorite gelaterias in the world, the eternal city does have some interesting varieties of authentic, old world pizzas. My personal favorite is at Pizzeria da Baffeto, a traditional Lazio style pizzeria, which makes a mean Pizza Margherita. The pizza here is thin, and crispy, but you might have to wait a while to get it. The pizzeria is right around the corner from Piazza Navona, and has very limited seating, so it is bustling.

What I really miss in Italian restaurants is the sense of community and connection you get when you go out by yourself and they seat you with strangers. At Baffeto's, I had a good time hanging out with a couple from Madrid and a retired man from Germany. We talked about wine, pizza, and our travels, and I came away feeling like my sense of the world was expanded just a bit. To me, that is such a part of what the experience of pizza, and food in general, can be. It's not just a bunch of ingredients on a pan.

I, unfortunately, didn't take photos of this pizzeria or the pizza this time, but if you are ever in the area, check it out!


Pizzeria da Baffeto
Via del Governo Vecchio 114
Roma
06-6861617
Daily 6:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Making Better Pizza

Lately, I've really been focusing a lot on making better pizza at home. I've been cooking a lot of different breads and things to learn more about yeast, flour, and dough, in the hopes that it will inform what I do when I make pizza. Also, I've been reading a lot on the forums at Pizzamaking.com, and have learned a great deal. I love reading of experiments in reverse-engineering food recipes.

A lot of it is trial and error, but it's always fun. Here is my first attempt at making a stuffed pizza, in the style of Giordano's of Chicago:



I made it in a springform pan on my pizza stone. The top rim is a little jagged, and the dough recipe isn't exact yet, but it tasted really good. I handmade some sausage, and I was satisfied with how it turned out. It made me start thinking about getting my own meat grinder. I've heard that Escalon's 6 IN 1 tomatoes are preferred for this style of pizza, so I'm going to order some for my next try.

I had a little bit of dough left over, so I made a mini-pizza:



This tasted great as well. I just ordered some hi-gluten flour from King Arthur, so I'll hopefully be making New York style pies this weekend.

St. Louis Style: Faraci Pizza and Cusanelli's

Faraci's Pizza

Cusanelli's

I recently tried the pizza at Faraci's for the first time, and was instantly reminded of Cusanelli's. These are pizza joints that, perhaps, most adequately represent the "St. Louis" style of pizza. The crusts are thin, and airy, rather than crackery or stiff. The sauce is light, smothered in soft Provel, and the sausage is handmade. The slices are cut into small squares, which are soft and flexible, but have enough heft to eat with one hand without the toppings sliding off.

Both parlors originated as family businesses, but Faraci's remains a family owned and run establishment to this day, and the family's presence is obvious when you eat in. Faraci's and Cusanelli's each take pride in their ingredients and the art of pizza making, and it pays off.

The pies are almost identical in texture and flavor, but the last time I went to Cusanelli's I felt that the sausage wasn't as flavorful as it could have been. A few sprinkles of fennel could have taken it up a notch and made it the superior pizza.

I'm going to have to order a pizza from both of these places sometime and do a side by side comparison. I've been trying to get my own handmade thin crust pizza to be close to these, so I have a lot to learn from them.


Faraci Pizza
http://www.faracispizza.com
15430 Manchester Road
Ellisville, MO 63011
(636)230-0000
Monday - Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday - Closed


Cusanelli's
705 Lemay Ferry Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63125
(314)631-7686
Sunday - Monday 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday - Thursday 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday - Saturday 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Pizza Format

This is a pizza that I picked up a while back at Joe Boccardi's in Eureka, MO. While the pizza wasn't very memorable, I just really love the shape. I wish that it was in a rectangular box, though. Presentation is such a big part of the experience.

Stubborn Love

When I was a small child, there was a period of time when my mother worked every Friday night, and my dad either couldn't cook, or didn't want to, so we would inevitably have pizza delivered. Eventually, my mom was back for Friday nights, ready to cook any number of meals, but my brothers and I demanded pizza. It had become a respected ritual. Pizza night was born.

Ever since then, I have had pizza almost every Friday night. Even when I've been deep in the jungle, or lost in the desert, I've just about always managed to find pizza. Because I have a stubborn love for pizza.

I often (most would say TOO often) have pizza other nights/afternoons/mornings, but the ritual remains, and I do not foresee it changing any time soon.

Black Thorn Pub- St. Louis, MO

Black Thorn Pub is a cool bar hidden away in a South St. Louis neighborhood. On the weekends, it floods with the hip local kids who chug beer, exchange numbers, and write on the walls to the beat of Beck, Modest Mouse, and the Flaming Lips. And they have pizza!

The pub offers several different types of pizza, including a Chicago-style-that-is-not-really-Chicago-style...which is what I got. This thick crust pizza was actually another double decker style pie, with a heavier crust than others I've tried. Black Thorn serves up a pizza that is thick, sloppy, and SPICY. The sauce is dark and extra peppery, and the crust is especially dense, creating a pie that is full in flavor and texture. The spice can be almost overbearing at times, but it's the perfect compliment to a glass of beer. This pizza is best enjoyed in the tavern with a group of friends and a cold one.


Black Thorn Pub doesn't aim to make artisan pizza, but nonetheless creates something that is a step above your typical bar fair. For the young crowd of St. Louis, this is the place to be, socialize, and have a slice.


Black Thorn Pub
3735 Wyoming St.
St. Louis, MO 63116
(314)776-0534
Sunday-Saturday 5:00 PM - 11:45 PM (bar open until 1:30 AM Mon.-Sat., 12 AM Sun.)

Dewey's Pizza

Dewey's is a chain in the Midwest, and one of my favorites. The menu offers two types of pizza: a red sauce with mozzarella cheese or white sauce with olive oil, minced garlic, mozzarella, and fontina cheese. Dewey's also offers a variety of gourmet ingredients in addition to more traditional toppings.

The hand-tossed crust at Dewey's is soft and chewy, and the cheese is supple. The sauce is thick and tasty, and all of the other toppings on the menu are good. The sausage is especially spicy. Everything works towards a pizza that is simple, but a pleasure to experience.



I personally prefer the red sauce pizzas over the white, but there are many interesting combinations possible. Dewey's also lets you order half and half pizzas, so it's fun to experiment.


Dewey's Pizza
http://www.deweyspizza.com
Check the site for location and hours.

Pi- St. Louis, MO

A lot of the pizzas I've tried lately have been light on sauce, so the pizza at Pi was a nice change of pace. Pi serves deep-dish pizzas that are almost literally tomato pies; deep, cornmeal crust with loads of fresh, chopped tomato. It's a Chicago style pizza, but it doesn't represent the style, nor is it meant to. Pi's crust is a bit crunchier and granular than most cornmeal crusts, which helps support the mound of juicy tomato, but I'm personally more of a fan of crusts which are more uniform. Everything plays second fiddle to the tomato, however. This is a pizza for tomato lovers.




Pi
http://www.restaurantpi.com
6144 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63112
(314)727-6633
(314)727-6655
Sunday-Saturday 11:00 AM - Midnight

Vito's- St. Louis, MO

Vito's claims that they are "The Original Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante". I'm not really sure what I am meant to take from that, but I was curious about their Sicilian style pizza.

Authentic Sicilian pizza, or Sfinciuni, is traditionally a style of soft, spongy pizza in which the ingredients are often baked directly in the dough, and not just placed on top like other pizzas. Instead of mozzarella, genuine sfinciuni may contain chunks of pecorino or no cheese at all, and it may use tomato sauce or 'Strattu (estratto di pomodoro), a sort of Sicilian sun-dried tomato paste.

In the United States, Sicilian-style pizza is generally used to refer to an especially thick pizza, often baked in a square pan. I found the Sicilian pizza at Vito's to be about half way between the authentic Sicilian variety and the American version.




The Sicilian style pizza at Vito's is about an inch and a half of crust, which is crisp on the outside and spongy inside. This is topped with a light sauce of chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano.

The crust of this pizza is like a fluffier, better version of the pan pizza that you would find at Pizza Hut. It subtly captures the flavor of the olive oil that it is baked in, but I wanted something a bit more bold. For a pizza that is all about the dough, I hope for more depth and variety in the flavor of the bread, but I still had a good experience.




If you are looking for a thick, soft pizza, this is definitely for you. Each slice was so rotund that the toppings kept wanting to slide off. If fluffy isn't your thing, the menu at Vito's also offers "Original style" pizzas, whole wheat pizzas, and calzones, in addition to their Sicilian style pizzas.



Vito's
http://www.vitosstl.com
3515 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314)534-8486
Sunday- Closed (available for private parties)
Monday - Wednesday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Saturday 5:00 PM - 3:00 AM

Imo's Pizza- St. Louis, MO

Imo's is often cited as the quintessential St. Louis style pizza. Founded in 1964, by Ed and Marge Imo, the chain is certainly one of the earliest and most prominent examples of the style. I am personally a fan of Imo's, but I think it is an example of a chain that is resting on it's laurels. As it has proliferated as a chain, the quality has somewhat lowered, and I feel that the price doesn't always reflect the product that you get. There is a particular variance in quality from one location to another, and someone who desires to try a St. Louis style pizza for the very first time could easily be disappointed. Still, this is a pizza that is satisfying, even at it's worst.

The pizza at Imo's is notable for it's crisp, thin unleavened crust, topped with sweet sauce and creamy provel cheese, which is then cut into small squares. When it is cooked just right, the pizza is very good, but if it is even slightly over-cooked, the crust becomes incredibly hard, and it doesn't work as well. The crust here offers very little in flavor, and serves mainly to contrast the soft, supple cheese.


Balance is the key to a successful thin crust pizza, and this is something that Imo's Pizza understands. This pizza has a very thin crust, but a generous portion of toppings so that the pizza is generally creamy, rather than dry and cracker-like. The slices in the center of the pie are especially thick and delicious.

I find it interesting that what many consider to be the archetype of a regional style is, in this case, a franchise with over 50 locations (Imo's is also one of the top performing pizza chains in the U.S.). There are superior examples of St. Louis style pizza in the city, but few have come close to the stardom awarded Imo's Pizza. Perhaps a bit of that is the work of advertising, but it is also a testament to the fact that people really do like the stuff at this famous pizza joint.


Imo's Pizza
http://www.imospizza.com
Check the site for locations and hours.

Cicero's Italian Restaurant & Entertainment Venue- St. Louis, MO

This is probably my favorite place to eat pizza in the St. Louis area.* It's a cool establishment at the end of the Delmar Loop, it's open late (until recently, 3 AM), and they have a decent beer selection, including my favorite, Rochefort 10. The first time I ate a pizza at Cicero's, it was 2 AM, I had just stumbled in from some bar with my girlfriend, and I had one of those "They have pizza here? I may as well try it." moments. And I was blown away. I was curious if this was just a one time experience, so I went back to Cicero's again and again. While the quality does vary slightly, I would say that it varies from great to exceptional. It really is good pizza.

You wouldn't think that a Jack-of-all-trades bar/restaurant/musical venue would be the best at anything, but they definitely come through at Cicero's. Someone there has a passion for pizza, which brings joy to my heart. Cicero's offers thin or thick crust pies, with a solid offering of toppings on the menu, as well as specialty pizzas like the "Hawaii Five-O", which includes ham, pineapple, onions, and cream cheese.

I first had the thick crust pizza, and it was so good, I had to go back about five times before I could bring myself to order the thin crust. Both are equally flavorful, but I prefer the thick. The pizza at Cicero's gets so many things right. The crust is one of the better crusts you will find anywhere. It is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, like a good loaf of bread. This is topped with the perfect amount of sauce, and a slab of delicious mozzarella cheese ( the thin crust contains provel in addition to mozarella). It can be a bit on the oily side**, but everything is spiced very well, creating a delicate interplay of flavor and texture. The overall effect of this pizza is soft and smooth, but each slice is firm enough to hold in your hand without it bending or spilling out.


I've never had a pizza at Cicero's that wasn't great, but the quality does vary to some degree. On my most recent visit, some of the pepperoni seemed to not have been cooked as long as others (or maybe they were stuck together?), but it didn't hurt the pizza. Your choice of size on pizzas like this affect the experience as well, because the ingredients pool differently, changing the proportions and how the pizza cooks. I personally prefer the larger sizes.

The sun sets on my final slice.

Cicero's Italian Restaurant & Entertainment Venue
http://www.ciceros-stl.com
6691 Delmar Blvd.
University City, MO 63130
(314)862-0009
Sunday 11:00 AM - 11:15 PM
Monday - Saturday 11:00 AM - 12:45 AM

* Full disclosure: Cicero's is one of the few St. Louis restaurants that I have on speed dial.
** I would advise, from personal experience, to not set your carryout box on anything that is dry clean only.

Cecil Whittaker's Pizzeria- St. Louis, MO

Cecil Whittaker's is a St. Louis chain that spread across the city in the 90s to meet the market for "St. Louis style pizza". While it isn't the best tasting example of the style, Cecil Whittaker's Pizzeria is probably your best bet for pizza if you are low on cash. Tuesdays and Thursdays are customer appreciation days, where you can get a large 14" cheese pizza for 2.99, with additional toppings $1.50 each. On every other day, extra large 16" pizzas are two for one. The pizza is so thin, however, that a large pizza is like half of a thick pizza somewhere else...



Cecil Whittaker's is characterized by it's generous amount of spices and softer crust than most thin crust pizzas in St. Louis. The negative criticism concerning St. Louis style pizza is that Provel isn't good, and that the crust is too thin and hard like a cracker. Personally, I have found that Provel is only as good as the rest of the ingredients used in the pizza. It acts like a base that the other flavors and textures bounce off of. It is easy to get it wrong, but it is very good when done well. Cecil Whittaker's doesn't quite pull it off, but it's not horrible.

Cecil Whittaker's Pizza is extremely thin, but soft/flexible.

This is really the kind of pizza that you order when you have to feed a large group of hungry teenagers for cheap, but if you want to experience a better example of St. Louis style pizza, I would recommend a non-chain, like Cusanelli's (I'll do a post on them in the near future...).


Cecil Whittaker's Pizzeria
http://www.cwpizza.com
Check the site for locations and hours

Doubling Up

Have you ever learned a new word, and then suddenly you see it being used all over the place?

I'm not sure if I've ever had a "double decker" pizza until recently, but I'm starting to notice more and more places that serve them. I recently had the pleasure of trying this style at two different pizza joints in the Midwest: Deerhead Pizza Tavern in Evansville, Indiana, and JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub in St. Louis, Missouri.

Double decker pizza is a style of pizza where a thin crust is covered with toppings, then folded over itself before being covered with more toppings. It sounds like it is huge, but it isn't nearly as thick as a standard New York style crust, because each layer of crust in the middle is so thin. The idea of a double decker pizza seems gimmicky, and maybe it is, but anything can be made into a success with proper attention to details.

Deerhead Pizza Tavern

"Deerhead Pizza Tavern" sounds like an indie band from Brooklyn, and when I found them in the middle of an almost barren part of Indiana, I wasn't expecting an exceptional pizza experience, but they surprised me.

Deerhead Pizza tavern

This pizza definitely hit the spot. I was surprised by how well everything held together. The bottom layer of crust was just crisp enough so that I could hold each slice in my hand without it all spilling out. The toppings were fresh and tasty, and the crust tasted great. I feel like it didn't make an effort to stand out beyond the fact that it was two layers, but it was very successful for what it was, and for that, I will be back next time I find myself in that area.

JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub

JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub was born in the Northern suburbs of Chicago, and now has several independently owned locations using the famous recipe across the Midwest. The JJ Twig's that I went to was in a strip mall in Valley Park, MO, of all places. The location isn't the most ideal, but the pizza is GLORIOUS.

JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub

This would be a great pizza for someone to use if they were trying to prove in a court of law that pizza is better in the U.S.A. This double decker pie smelled amazing. I could almost taste the tomato sauce before it reached my mouth, it was that fresh and potent. The sausage at JJ Twig's is homemade specifically for them in Chicago, and while Chicago isn't quite next door, it maintains the flavor of sausage made in-house. It's incredibly good when paired with the luscious slab of stretchy mozzarella that sits atop the generous portion of homemade sauce, spiced perfectly. The cheese really helps take this pizza to the next level.



The crust kept this from being a perfect pizza, however. It wasn't very flavorful, and wasn't quite firm enough to hold in my hand when it was first brought to the table. For the first time in my life, I had to use a fork and knife to eat pizza. The horror!!! Subsequent slices became stronger, however, as the cheese cooled off a bit, so it wasn't the end of the world. It reveals a drawback to double decker pizza, though. The consistency often resembles lasagna more than pizza. Does this make it an abomination? I don't think so.....

JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub wins in the overall flavor department, but Deerhead has a superior crust that provides a firmer foundation. BOTH of these double decker pizzas are successful, delicious examples of the style.


Deerhead Pizza Tavern
222 E. Columbia St.
Evansville, IN 47711
(812)425-2515
Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday - Sunday 11:00 AM - Midnight


JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub
http://www.jjtwigsstl.com
2964 Dougherty Ferry Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63122
(636)225-9944
(636)225-9945
Sunday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM - Midnight

Onesto Pizza & Trattoria - St. Louis, MO

I have found that many of the best pizza joints in St. Louis are small neighborhood establishments, modestly tucked away to be enjoyed by locals. Onesto is off to a good start with a location that feels cozy and special, comfortably nestled in it's South City neighborhood.

This restaurant is also THE place to meet for dinner on a Friday night, apparently. The place was packed when I arrived, and I knew that there was no way I would be able to get a table. I ordered a pizza for carryout and waited outside. As I waited, I couldn't help but notice that many of the patrons filing into the restaurant were young and ridiculously attractive, like Italian models. This place is hot! I had high hopes.

Onesto uses brick ovens to bake their New York style pies, and follows the respectable restaurant world trend of handmade product, using local, organic ingredients. The menu offers classic and "gourmet" toppings, or a variety of specialty pizzas like the "Gut Buster", loaded with toppings, or "The Godfather", their version of the deep dish, with gobs of mozzarella and sauce piled on.

I ordered a large 18" pie with pepperoni, sausage, and fresh mozzarella. After about an hour wait, it arrived. I was shocked by how hefty it was. The box barely fit in the passenger seat of my car. I eagerly rushed it home and flipped it open.



Onesto's greatest success in their pizza is the crust. It is hand-tossed and thin, but just firm enough that you can hold one of the enormous, chewy slices with one hand. I wasn't as satisfied as I thought I would be by this pie, however. Onesto is run by Vito Racanelli, the brother of Racanelli's Pizza founder John Racanelli. The pizza here is similar to Racanelli's, but without any improvement.I instantly wished that their regular sausage wasn't crumbled, as my pizza lacked contrast in texture. The whole thing was very flat, and a bit dry. The homemade plum tomato sauce that I had been looking forward to was very scarce. And strangely enough, for a pizza that looked and smelled so delicious, it lacked flavor. I started to wonder if my taste buds had somehow stopped working. There was no spice or texture that seemed inspired or that made this pizza memorable.

I think that if I go back to this trattoria for pizza, I will try their deep dish, or at the very least, get some extra sauce. I feel that larger toppings like chicken or artichokes would also be in order, to give it more body.

Ultimately, Onesta is a social hotspot, but the pizza leaves much to be desired.


Onesto Pizza & Trattoria
www.onestoppizza.com
5401 Finkman
St. Louis, MO 63109
(314)802-8883
(314)802-7709
Sunday 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday - Closed

Old Town Pizza - Portland, Oregon

Earlier this year, ad agency Wieden + Kennedy flew a small group of creative people from around the world to the W+K headquarters in Portland as part of a recruiting experiment. I [tricked the agency] into inviting me along to eat/drink/party/share ideas with a lot of people who are cooler than me.

I had never been to Portland, and was surprised to find how incredible it was. There are a lot of great restaurants, bars, cafes, quirky little shops, and "cultural"...um "events"(strip clubs). I think it would be a fun place to live.

My time was limited, but I made it a priority to check out at least one pizza place on this trip. There are so many places in Portland that sound promising, and the locals are very opinionated when it comes to food; so it was a hard choice, but I ended up going with Old Town Pizza...





Old Town is a charming, romantic pizza joint which is supposedly haunted. If I was a ghost, I wouldn't hang out in a restaurant in Portland. Not with the abundance of strip clubs in town. But, whatever... In the end, I didn't have a supernatural experience at Old Town, but the pizza was fantastic.


Close your eyes and imagine a pizza, and it will look a lot like this one. It is textbook, a simple and straightforward style with nothing pretentious or overachieving about it. But everything it does, it does well. Fluffy, hand tossed crust made from fresh, regional flour makes this pie a delight to sink your teeth into. My pizza was cooked perfectly, and there was really nice contrast between the crisp pepperoni and smooth mozzarella. Old Town Pizza proves that simplicity is more than enough when using quality ingredients, cooked well.

Ghosts couldn't keep me away from pizza like this.

Old Town Pizza
www.oldtownpizza.com/home.html
226 NW Davis
Portland, Oregon 97209
503-222-9999
Sunday - Thursday 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 11:30 AM - Midnight