St. Louis-style pizza

St. Louis-style pizza is a distinct style of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding areas. The definitive characteristics of St. Louis-style pizza are a super-thin (unleavened) crust and the use of provel process cheese - three cheeses fused to form one (provolone, swiss, and white cheddar), instead of (or, rarely, in addition to) the mozzarella or provolone common to other styles of pizza.Cite news| title = City famed for arch has another angle; St. Louis-style pizzas square off against all comers | date = 2003-01-11 | work = The Dallas Morning News | author = Kim Harwell] Cite news | title = For some pizza lovers, geography matters | url = http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-0702220011feb22,1,6166123.story?coll=chi-ent_dining-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true | date = 2007-02-22 | author = Kevin Pang | work = The Chicago Tribune] Cite news | title = Imo's Pizza in St. Louis | url = http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/imos-pizza-in-st-louis-missouri.html | date = 2008-01-17 | author = Lemons | work = SeriousEats.com] Provel cheese was developed by the St. Louis firm Costa Grocery in the 1950sfact|date=January 2008 and is made in Wisconsin primarily for the St. Louis market. The cheese is not widely available outside the St. Louis-area. [Cite news| url = http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/cooking/story/EFCC1EBC4937AD4F862572B8007BE91C?OpenDocument | title = Family ties pave the way to provel's enduring popularity | author = Joe Bonwich | work = St. Louis Post-Dispatch | date = 2007-04-11 | accessdate = 2007-05-11]

Crust

The super-thin, cracker-like round crust is made without yeast, as compared to a deep dish Chicago-style pizza or the thin but leavened New York-style pizza. It is therefore less filling than most pizza types. The crust of a St. Louis pizza is somewhat crisp and cannot be folded easily so the pizza is typically cut into three- or four-inch squares [ [http://stlplaces.com/stl_foods/ Foods of Saint Louis MO] ] instead of the pie-like wedges typical of many pizza styles. Some local restaurants make their pizzas rectangular rather than round. St. Louis style pizza is unique even when compared to the Chicago-style thin crust pizza that is also cut into squares and is referred to as "party cut".

It is often salty and seasoned with more oregano than other pizza types. Despite its thin crust, it can be layered deeply with many different toppings. Some of the sauces used have a sweetness to them. Sometimes a St. Louis-style pizzeria will keep their pizza sauce simmering continuously to concentrate and develop the sweet and savory tomato flavors. The provel cheese gives the pizza a sharp, tangy, almost sour flavor.

Pizzerias

The St. Louis-style pizza developed in a heavily-Italian populated neighborhood in south St. Louis called "The Hill" and became well-known throughout the city, thanks in part to the large chain restaurant Imo's Pizza. Cecil Whittaker's Pizza and Elicia's Pizza are two other local St. Louis style chains with more than ten locations.

[http://www.pastahouse.com/index.html/ The Pasta House] , headquartered in St. Louis, has restaurants in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky. In addition to St. Louis-style pizza, they offer a selection of Italian-St. Louis menu items, such as mostaccioli, Toasted ravioli, and a signature house salad.

A local pizzeria, Serra's, is in suburban Maryland Heights and has been operated by the Serra family for forty years. It is said that Serra's pioneered the St. Louis-style tradition of thin crust, provel cheese and sweet, tomato-based sauce, though Imo's Pizza has also been declared the pioneer of St. Louis-style thin crust pizza.

Nick & Elena's, located in suburban Overland, offers a very traditional St. Louis-style pizza, with many topping options.

Despite the extra effort to obtain provel cheese, a few restaurateurs across the United States have opened restaurants specializing in the pizza, and several places also will ship the pizza. [Cite news| title = Pizza of St. Louis; Unusual creations are available in Valley. | work = The Los Angeles Times | date = 1998-01-29]

While St. Louis-style pizza is prominent in St. Louis, it is not the only type of pizza available in the city. St. Louis also has popular local pizzerias that specialize in deep dish pizza and conventional American thin crust pizza styles in addition to gourmet wood oven thin crust pizzerias.

Another great local pizzaria is Angelo's located on Parker Road in Florrisant, North St. Louis County. The family owned resaurant has been there for many years, and makes a delicious thin crust pizza using american cheese.

See also

*Provel cheese
*Toasted ravioli

References