Pizza Archives - Our Changing Life

Saint Louis Style Pizza In Kansas City – Leo’s Pizza

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 09:45:41 +0000

It never ceases to amaze us, that one specific dish can have so many variations. A prime example of this is pizza. We are sure that images of various versions of this Italian delicacy are floating through your mind. Not only are there a myriad of ingredient combinations, but these days there is an untold amount of crust options. A visit to Leo’s Pizza, at 408 NW Englewood, brought us a new twist, with their Saint Louis style pizza.

Going Old School

Leo’s Pizza is no newcomer to the Kansas City pizza scene. For over 40 years, they have been slinging dough in the Northland. This family-owned business has developed a solid following from the locals. We had visited once before, during a session of cat-watching for our daughter. With travel calling her away again, we had a great reason to return for more of their St. Louis style pizza. Since our final destination was a few blocks away, we decided to call in an order to go. This is actually a good idea even for in-house dining since Leo’s can get swamped with business just about any evening.

It’s All About the Cheese

What’s that you say? You didn’t know there was a Saint Louis style pizza. Of course, there is, and it’s just as unique as its cousins in New York and Chicago. What separates it is the cracker crust that packs a ton of crunch, and the cheese. In St. Louis, they love their thin crusts. The dough is made without yeast, so it won’t rise during baking. This helps impart the textbook crunch and makes a perfect platform for loads of toppings. They also differentiate themselves with a special blend of cheeses. Provolone, Swiss, and White Cheddar are fused into one delicious type named Provel. Its lower melting point lends an almost buttery texture to the pies at Leo’s Pizza. Of course, it can also be widely found all across St. Louis. (Check out 11 things to see and do while visiting St. Louis.)

Getting Hangry!

With our ‘grandcat’ waiting for our arrival, we dropped by Leo’s to get our dinner. Even though it was just a few blocks to our final destination, the aroma coming from the pizza box was whipping our appetites into a frenzy. Once inside, it was time to eat. Of course, nothing happens without pictures. Crystal kept the cat occupied, while I did my duty. You can bet that I didn’t waste any time on this task.

Getting Our Saint Louis Style Pizza

Now it was time to tear into our treasures. Since we had ordered the meat pie, a side salad was required, just to say we had some veggies. The salads at Leo’s Pizza are pretty simple. Chopped Iceberg lettuce, olives, pepperoni slices, and some of their Italian dressing. Of course, they also include some of the Provel cheese as a precursor to the main course.

Pleasingly Packed Portions

Our small meat pizza was packed with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, hamburger, Italian sausage, and bacon. The Provel cheese acted as a delectable bonding agent to keep this mass of protein from falling off. Each crunchy piece was savored until we couldn’t eat anymore. I guess the salad did its job in regulating our pizza intake. This meant that I would have enough for a couple of days of leftover lunches at work.

More Northland Exploring to Come

With Leo’s Pizza under our belt, we felt like we had satisfied our hankering for Saint Louis style pizza. There were still more evenings of cat-watching to come, so it was apparent that we would be sampling some other KC restaurants, north of the river. We hadn’t spent much time in this area for quite a few years, so we knew it was time to feature eateries for those who live or visit Gladstone. Be sure to check back over the next few weeks to see what other Northland delights we uncover. In the meantime, why not clue us in on some of your favorites?

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Classic Pies At 1889 Pizza Napoletana

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 10:45:56 +0000

There are few dishes that can represent an entire cuisine. Pizza is one of those meals that can easily stand on its own. In KCK, there are a variety of pizza shops, but 1889 Pizza Napoletana stands out from the crowd by delivering classic pies to its customers. We’ve had the chance to visit previously, but with eats this good, we were happy to make a return. It was a cold day, and we couldn’t wait to get inside, since we knew it would be nice and toasty. You may wonder how the restaurant got its name, because we certainly did. According to legend, pizza was first created in 1889, in Naples, Italy.

We want to thank Visit KCK and 1889 Pizza for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Classic Pies at 1889 Pizza Napoletana

These original pies were made with simple ingredients and cooked with a wood-burning oven. Husband and wife owners, Jason and Kelli Kolich, have a passion to bring this original taste to their customers. During this visit, we learned more about pizza making than we ever believed we would. It all begins with the crust. Now like most, we thought it was just flour, yeast, and water. What we discovered was that there are a lot of flour options, but the gold standard for pizza is Caputo flour. It is finely ground and has a lower gluten content. The dough is stretched gently to prevent overworking it.

Bringing the Heat

The differences at 1889 Pizza doesn’t stop with the crust. One of the staff members (Roberto) is from Italy, and was happy to give me some pointers on perfect pizza making. A key to getting it right is the cooking method. Using a copper coated wood-burning oven, the idea is to use extremely high temperatures to shorten the cooking time. Roberto stoked the fire with fresh fuel, and soon the oven was screaming hot at around 1000 degrees. With that much heat, their classic pies cook in just a couple of minutes.

It’s All About Results

So what did all of this prep time get us? The pizza our Italian friend created was for his lunch break. Once it was finished, which didn’t take long, it was time to slice it up. What happened next was truly inspiring. Much to our surprise, he offered us a couple of slices of his lunch. He reassured us that there was plenty to go around, so we happily accepted his offer. His Margherita Pie was a classic, but filled with amazing flavor. The slices were everything we had hoped for, but only whet our appetites for more.

Our Honey Bee

Now it was time for us to pick. Customers are free to build their own pies, using a wide variety of toppings. While this allows for almost limitless combinations, we decided to pick from one of their ten pre-planned creations. So what would we be in the mood for today? Savory? Spicy? It turns out the one that caught our attention was Honey Bee. A tantalizing mixture of freshly sliced pear, Gorgonzola cheese, arugula, and local honey blend sweet and tangy in each bite. And that crust was so soft and chewy, yet had a little char to kick up the flavor level. You can bet this pie didn’t have a chance of becoming leftovers.

Create Your Own Experience

As you see, 1889 Pizza Napoletana sets itself apart from the crowd with their classic pies. Of course, there are other ways that they rise above. If you are in a hurry, they can get you in and out quickly, with a fresh pie in your hand. For those wanting to slow down a bit, dine in and pair your pizza with a glass of wine. Looking for something even more engaging? How about a pizza making class for you and some friends? This is just one of the special classes that they offer at 1889 Pizza. During our visit, we noticed a group who were enjoying the fruits of their labors, as they wrapped up their pie making class. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and devouring their just rewards. Wouldn’t that make for an excellent alternative birthday party? You can visit their website for details.

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Stone Canyon Pizza – Fueling Our Shop Small Saturday

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 10:45:27 +0000

Whenever we head out for a day full of exploring, we pre-examine the dining options in the area we plan to visit. This was our second Shop Small Saturday event, and we were excited that it was in Parkville, Missouri this year. Picking Stone Canyon Pizza as our lunch choice was a chance to visit this long time local eatery. With over twenty years in the downtown district, it’s a staple restaurant for locals and visitors alike.

We want to thank Main Street Parkville and Stone Canyon Pizza for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

First Impressions

Stepping through the entrance, our first view was the long bar where to-go orders are picked up. Having arrived in Parkville before the shops had opened, we were ready for a midday meal a little before the regular shopping crowd began filing in. Of course, we would notice the increase in occupants before we finished our meals. We seem to have good timing when it comes to avoiding the long wait lines.

Festive Atmosphere During Shop Small Saturday

We were seated and began reviewing the menu options. Stone Canyon Pizza is obviously a pizzeria, but their menu is filled with plenty of other possible choices. Pastas, salads, and sandwiches make picking more complicated. When in doubt, we fall back on our tried-and-true practice of asking the server for some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. Knowing that we had more Christmas shopping to do after lunch, we wanted to be sure to refuel for the afternoon session.

Christmas Colors at Stone Canyon Pizza

Crystal had stopped at the salad section of the menu. It should have been obvious to me what she would lean towards, since she loves raspberries. Her order of the Berry Spinach Salad is served with a roll. Baby green spinach is topped with roasted chicken breast, strawberry slices, goat cheese, and candied walnuts. The sweetness of the nuts combines with the tang of the cheese to make a good compliment of flavors. To this mix, she added the raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was quickly obvious that she was pleased with the combination and passed her compliments to our server for the suggestion.

Going Old School

Since they don’t have a Cuban sandwich on the menu, I decided to go with one of my other favorites. The Reuben Sandwich is a standard version of the traditional handheld found in delis across the land. Slices of tender Corned Beef are stacked on a bed of sauerkraut, and topped with a nutty Swiss cheese. The tangy-sweet Thousand Island dressing oozed from under the toasted marble Rye bread. The dish comes with a choice of a side, and for an extra dollar I went for the sweet potato fries. Crunchy on the outside, yet with a creamy interior, these fries were a hit with both of us.

Back to the Business of Shopping

With our lunch complete, we thanked our server for her assistance. The meal had been everything we hoped for and now we were ready to head back out to the shopping scene in downtown Parkville. We noted that a future visit would be needed to test the namesake menu item at Stone Canyon Pizza. For now, we were happy to be featuring our second Shop Small Saturday event on our social media channels. The first one took place in Bonner Springs, Kansas and was featured in an article we wrote for Visit KCK, our local Tourism Bureau. (You can read about the first event here.) With the holiday shopping finished, we now have a few months to decide where our next Shop Small event will take us. Do you know a boutique rich neighborhood, in the Kansas City metro, that you would like us to feature? Tell us a little about it, so we can check it out. In the meantime, happy shopping.

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Picture Perfect Pizzas At Artego Pizza

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 10:00:59 +0000

Kansas City is filled with all kinds of pizza joints. Many are owned and operated by pizza aficionados who studied in Italy or New York or maybe even Chicago. They bring their special perspective to the food they love creating and give us all a nice variety of pizzerias to select from. Once in a while, we run across a pizza shop that blows the doors off of tradition. This is certainly the case with Artego Pizza at 900 West 39th Street. Being so close to the state line means they have a broad base of fans from KCMO and KCK.

We want to thank Artego Pizza for their hospitality. Rest assured that all opinions are our own.

Artistic Designs

Many of our readers suggested this place for a visit. You don’t have to twist our arm to get us to eat pizza. We picked a Third Friday for our visit, which is the monthly special event. It seems like more and more areas in KC are claiming a repeating evening each month to hold special events. We find these to be a great way to explore new areas, since they will usually have stores open longer than normal. After checking out a handful of local boutiques, we were ready to quench our hungers. The West 39th Street corridor is easily walkable, so find a good parking spot and check it out on foot.

As soon as we entered Artego Pizza, we were impressed with the oversized art canvases that cover a large portion of the walls. We had the opportunity to speak with owner, Joe Perez. You might remember his name as a former Kansas City Chief player. Before opening at the end of 2014, he spent months refurbishing the space. Over 1000 wooden planks were installed piece-by-piece on the walls. The steel bar was salvaged from a scrap yard and meticulously restored.

Artistic Endeavor

Crystal noted that the canvases decorating the walls looked unusual. Joe pointed out that during the renovation he had local artist Alexander Austin helping out. This artist is responsible for these over-sized masterpieces. Most of them are painted on old drop cloths, which can be seen along the edges of the taut frames. Be sure to check them out!

Getting Our Eat On

After reviewing the menu, we placed our order and then checked out more of the artwork. We were surprised when our server delivered an order of the Caprese Salad to our table. Joe wanted us to experience this delicious starter that features fresh sliced Mozzarella and tomatoes. These are topped with fresh basil, olive oil, and a delightful balsamic reduction. We joyfully snacked on this appetizer, while we awaited our main course.

Picture Perfection

We have learned that when we are doing research we will not have the ability to take home leftovers. This has made us rethink our ordering pattern, and eventually helped us keep our weight in control. Often we will be asked how we stay our sizes with all of these tasty places that we visit. (Of course, Crystal is much better at this than I am.) Part of the secret is ordering smaller portions. We usually find that about 20 or 30 minutes after we eat the fullness hits us. At Artego Pizza, we chose to select a small version of the 39th Street, minus the green peppers. Their original crust is a special recipe that Joe and his chefs worked on to get just right. This puffed up base offers plenty of support to the fresh toppings. Whatever their secret is, this crust is amazing. They aren’t exaggerating when they say their pies look great in photos.

Did You Say Dessert?

Most restaurant visits are limited to just enjoying a single meal with the possible addition of an appetizer. When it comes to dessert time, our approach is usually to find a specialty shop for this extra touch. When we were reviewing the menu something special popped out at me. I know how Crystal feels about chocolate, and Artego Pizza offers a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake that was sure to be acceptable to her. When it arrived, it had the same artistic styling that we found with our appetizer. This sweet ending was the perfect way to wrap up an evening of delicious eats, great conversation, and new friendships. Now it’s time to get back to our walk and start burning off these calories. What are your tricks to staying fit while traveling? We’d all love to hear them, so drop us a line in the comments section below. Thanks!

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Neapolitan Style Pies At Spin Pizza

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 10:01:38 +0000

For as long as they have been around, surprisingly we had never visited Spin Neapolitan Pizza restaurant. During a bout of shopping, hunger overtook us, and we stopped by their location at 14230 W. 119th Street in Olathe, Kansas. What we discovered at this locally originated pizzeria has created a couple of new fans of the place.

Looking For A Quick Bite

Shopping is one of our favorite leisure activities, and it doesn’t matter if we are buying or just looking. It was a beautiful Fall day in Kansas City, so just being Out & About was nice. We will often just target a section of the metro to visit, and then see what we discover. On this particular day I had broken the cardinal rule, and left my cameras at home. When the decision was made to partake in a new lunch spot, I felt the pain of having to fall back on my phone for pictures. (Sorry for the lower quality.)

Let’s Check It Out

When it was announced that we should start looking for food, we happened to be sitting at a stoplight at the corner of 119th St. & Greenwood St., heading eastward. Just across the corner we spotted Spin Pizza, and the decision was made before the light changed. Of course, we had missed our left lane turn, but that was easily remedied. A quick down and around brought us back to the shop from the opposite direction. The restaurant sits in a small shopping area surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Our timing was around 1:30 in the afternoon, so the lunch rush had subsided.

Spin Pizza is kind of a hybrid style dining experience that has become popular lately. Customers entering the store pass through a line where they order there menu items, before heading to the seating area. Food and drinks are delivered to the table by servers. While some people don’t like this set up as much as a traditional wait staff approach, we find that it shortens the length of time from arrival to meal. A large menu billboard calls out the variety of items available. Flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, and soups join pizzas as the options readily available. Since we were just looking for a quick lunch, we decided to try one of their wood-fired combination pizzas.

Give It A Spin!

While we were preparing to order, one of the staff was working on preparing a pizza crust. There are still places you find tossed crusts, but they are becoming rarer. When we find one, it can be rather mesmerizing to watch. When the guy doing the tossing noticed me videoing, I think he added a little flair. I certainly noticed a small grin.

The True Test

After finding a seat, we waited for our food. The wait was not overly long, probably about 12 to 15 minutes. Soon our server delivered our piping hot pie to our table. We have fallen in love with the Neapolitan style pizzas, which are not so heavy on cheese, as many you find. Our choice at Spin Pizza was Tre Carni, which is topped with meatballs, pepperoni, and Italian sausage. The bubbly crust had just the right crunch, without giving up a little chewy texture. The toppings were well distributed across the pie, and the flavor was delicious. I even noticed the slight black licorice taste coming from the fennel in the Italian sausage. Clearly they use fresh ingredients for this mild seasoning to still be flavorful. We devoured our selection, and enjoyed every bite.

But Wait There’s More

When we made our way through the line, we noticed a display case filled with a variety of gelato. It all looked so good, and we truly wanted to try it. Unfortunately, the pizza had been more filling than we expected, and neither of us wanted to push our stomachs to an uncomfortable phase. We decided to hold off until a future visit. Perhaps next time we will just share a salad and sandwich, so that we leave room for dessert. We can always walk it off with more shopping. If you have tried Spin! Pizza, please leave us a comment about your experience. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Family Rules at Old Shawnee Pizza

Jeff & Crystal — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 12:13:09 +0000

You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the length of time it has been in business. Old Shawnee Pizza was established in 1969 by Joe Walker. Looking to provide a better life for his family, he borrowed the money from his father to begin the venture. Years later, seeing the need for more room, he moved to the current location at 60th & Nieman Road. They have since expanded to add a second location in Lenexa, Kansas. We have visited both sites, but prefer the original, as it is much closer to our neck of the woods.

Their menu is not limited to pizza alone, but also offers a variety of appetizers, salads, pastas, and sandwiches. Those in the know look forward to starting their meal with a salad oozing with the Old Shawnee Pizza green house dressing. Add some Cheese Crust or Bread sticks, and you have a meal already, but why stop there? There are so many other great menu items that we enjoy.

For the main course have them dish you up a serving of one of their delicious pasta dishes, like Chicken Alfredo or Cani-cotti. This dish is the best of both worlds, as you get a manicotti, and a cannelloni. If the choices are too much for you, we find that lasagna is always a good choice. If a handheld is more your style, try the Sicilian sandwich. It’s stuffed full of capicola, salami, pepperoni, and provolone, and topped with their garlic salad dressing.

Of course if you are like us, then you probably came to Old Shawnee Pizza for the pizza, and why wouldn’t you. With a menu chocked full of almost 30 different specialty pies, it can be difficult to decide which one to try. Of course you can always just build your own. There is an unbelievable amount of vegetable, meat, cheese, and sauce options. A person could visit dozens of times, and build a different combination each time.

The pies come in small, medium, large, and ‘The Biggin’, which will feed a family. Whatever you choose, you are sure to leave with a full belly. Stop in soon, and see if Old Shawnee Pizza ends up becoming your new favorite stop. So, what toppings are you going to put on your pie?

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