St. Louis-style Pizza, and why I no longer eat St. Louis-style pizza

Chicago has its deep dish, New York pies are so famous, the even the Ninja Turtles were obsessed. How does St. Louis compare?

That's right, on a day in which people are freaking out that an airplane has been detailed with a picture of Bar Rafaeli in a swimsuit, Iran makes comments about being able to hit Israeli nuclear sites and try Israelis for war crimes, The St. Lou Jew brings you the all important question of St. Louis pizza.

First off, let's discount kosher pizza. It sucks everywhere (excluding perhaps, NYC and IL, which don't count anyways). Its a fact. Where is the prohibition against things tasting good in the Talmud? I can't recall a commandment that says, "thou shalt not add flavor." Seriously, Rabbis, if you want people to keep kosher, find a way to get kosher food tasting better and cost less.--end kosher food rant.

Ok, now that we settled that, what about the St. Louis pizza staples? The first that comes to mind is Imo's. Imo's pizza might be described as tomato paste on a cracker covered with cheese, but that may be too generous. The cheese is a particular varietal known as provel. If you just clicked that link (to Wikipedia) you'll see that provel is a uniquely St. Louis cheese. People don't know about it elsewhere. And for good reason. Whereas other St. Louis staples, like toasted ravioli, have some redeeming value, provel-based pizza does not.

This does not mean that it is impossible to get good pizza in STL, it just means you have to know where to look.

Pi, a green gourmet pizza parlor on the Loop, provides really interesting and tasty pizza. Bonus points for being environmentally friendly, to the extent of only serving beer on draft (to reduce waste).

Then there is Blackthorn Pub, located near the South Grand area. This little place is the best pizza you can get with a legitimate St. Louis atmosphere. The pizzas take a while, so it often makes sense to call ahead.

Finally, as a Cincinnati boy, I have to show love for Dewey's. The small chain, based out of Natiland, and locally located on Delmar between 170 and the Loop makes gourmet pizzas right. With interesting toppings and a crust almost like a pastry, Dewey's is a place to get a pie.

I'll be the first to admit, though, that I haven't tried every slice in the city, so fill me in, what am I missing out on?
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