St. Louis-style pizza
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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 yeast-less crust, the common (but not mandatory) use of Provel processed cheese, and pizzas cut into squares or rectangles instead of large pie shaped slices. Provel is a trademark for three cheeses fused to form one (provolone, swiss, and white cheddar), used instead of (or, rarely, in addition to) the mozzarella or provolone common to other styles of pizza.[1][2][3] Provel cheese was developed by the St. Louis firm Costa Grocery in the 1950s[citation needed] and is made in Wisconsin primarily for the St. Louis market. The cheese is not widely available outside the St. Louis-area.[4]
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[edit] 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[1][5] or rectangles 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 in that it 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 which is likely the influence of the Sicilian immigrants who came to the city in the first half of the twentieth century. 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 flavor.
[edit] Famous Pizzerias
The St. Louis-style pizza developed in a heavily northern and southern 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 St. Louis style chains with more than five locations.
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 St. Louis-Italian menu items, such as mostaccioli and Toasted ravioli.
Local pizzerias serving St. Louis-style pizza include Serras, Nick & Elena's, and Lou Boccardi's.
Though extra effort is required to purchase the Provel cheese, a few ex-St. Louisan restaurateurs across the United States have opened restaurants specializing in the pizza, and several places also will ship the pizza.[1][6]
[edit] Alternatives
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 New York style influenced pizzas which have a thin yeast-crust and use mozzarella cheese in addition to gourmet wood oven thin crust pizzerias.
[edit] See also
- Hoosier
- Toasted ravioli
- St. Louis-style barbecue
- People and culture of St. Louis, Missouri
- Cuisine of the Midwestern United States
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kim Harwell (2003-01-11). "City famed for arch has another angle; St. Louis-style pizzas square off against all comers". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^ Kevin Pang (2007-02-22). "For some pizza lovers, geography matters". The Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-0702220011feb22,1,6166123.story?coll=chi-ent_dining-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true.
- ^ Lemons (2008-01-17). "Imo's Pizza in St. Louis". SeriousEats.com. http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/01/imos-pizza-in-st-louis-missouri.html.
- ^ Joe Bonwich (2007-04-11). "Family ties pave the way to provel's enduring popularity". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/cooking/story/EFCC1EBC4937AD4F862572B8007BE91C?OpenDocument. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
- ^ Foods of Saint Louis MO
- ^ "Pizza of St. Louis; Unusual creations are available in Valley.". The Los Angeles Times. 1998-01-29.
