As a Chicago native, I tried St. Louis-style pizza. I’ve definitely had better
As a Chicago native, I’m a firm believer in my city having the best food (and being the best city) in the world. But as a pizza lover, I can appreciate a slice from different sectors of the Earth.
So when I was approached about reviewing St. Louis-style pizza, I was intrigued, but also skeptical. For starters, since when did St. Louis have their own pizza? I grew up knowing Chicago-style deep dish, Detroit-style pizza and New York slices.
Upon research, I learned about the delicacy of St. Louis pizza, known for its cracker-like crust, sweet tomato sauce and its use of Provel cheese. At first, I thought it was basically a Chicago style tavern pizza, but it’s different due to St. Louis’ use of Provel with a yeast-free crust, while Chicago uses a yeast-risen crust with mozzarella.
So, to continue my adventures as a new Missourian, I went to Imo’s Pizza to see the hype about St. Louis-Style pizza. The St. Louis-based chain recently opened its third Kansas City location at 8502 N. Jefferson St., but I took a trip to the Kansas City, Kansas, location for this review.
St. Louis pizza looks good. As for the taste…
For my Imo’s debut, I kept it simple and went with the lunch special, which included a 10-inch pizza, a side of cheesy garlic bread and a drink ($16.85). For the sake of the review, I got a pepperoni and sausage pizza just to keep it simple — though the hot honey pepperoni pizza was calling my name.
Upon first glance, it passed the eye test. That darker color of the cheese let me know that this pizza isn’t lacking in its cheesiness. The crust also had that crispy, kind of burnt look that a thin pizza should have. Also, I can see the oregano on the pizza.
We were off to a great start. However, trying new food is no different from getting to know someone. It’s not just the looks that matter, but what’s inside.
On the first bite, I tasted nothing. It tasted like cheese and tomato sauce, but nothing about the cheese stood out, and the tomato sauce had a store-bought flavor. The aftertaste of the pizza was better than the first bite, which was a bit concerning as I continued eating.
If you had surprised me with this pizza and told me that it was a frozen pizza from Aldi’s, I probably would have believed you. The ultra-thin crust had the same taste and weight as a store-bought pizza.
But what irked me the most was the shockingly sweet tomato sauce. I know sugar is sometimes necessary for the sauce, but it gets to a point where we have to remember that this is a pizza pie, not an actual pie.
I will say, I was content with the Provel cheese, which a Star editor who’s a Wisconsin native referred to as fake cheese. It’s a processed cheese blended with cheddar, Swiss and provolone. While the Provel cheese tasted fine, I do think mozzarella should be the standard cheese on pizza; let’s not make it complicated.
As for that cheesy garlic bread, it was just a piece of garlic bread with some melted mozzarella slapped on it. It tasted better than how it looked, but wasn’t anything to die for.
What do I think about St. Louis-style as a whole?
St. Louis as a city is well known for its sports, monuments and culture. When it comes to pizza, I think we should leave that to the big dogs.
Now don’t get it confused; I’m a big supporter of thin crust pizza. A common misconception about us Chicagoans is that our main pizza is deep dish. It’s a staple, but it’s more of a touristy treat than for the natives.
With that said, if I was getting a thin crust pizza, I’m going with the traditional tavern style pizzas that use mozzarella just think that’s the go-to pizza that won’t let you down. Would I be mad if someone offered me a St. Louis-style pizza again? No, but I would question how they view me as a person afterward.
The experience in Imo’s was pleasant, though. I went to the 4200 Rainbow Blvd. location in Kansas City, Kansas. It was small inside, but the menu was easy to get through and the wait time for the food was less than 10 minutes.
Hopefully my review doesn’t cause a strain between me and fellow Star reporter Toriano Porter. A St. Louis native, he once said Missouri should make Provel the official state cheese. I love how much he reps his city, but I can strongly agree to disagree with him on that subject.
