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