About once a week, my gut starts telling me I need a pizza to satisfy my cheesy, meaty cravings. Though my tastes lean 
more towards a thick, carbohydrate-infested crust covered with a generous pile of mozzarella cheese, occasionally a thin, crispy pizza with salty provel is in order. On those days, I head way up north to Pirrone’s Pizzeria, a Florissant staple.
Unlike the ubiquitous Imo’s where the crust is nothing more than a soggy vehicle for topping delivery (and there’s nothing wrong with that if you’re into that sort of thing), Pirrone’s square pizzas feature a thin, crunchy platform for toppings that can hold the weight of the cheese, meat and veggies. For those of us who prefer outside pieces, there is a small un-toppinged edge for a crust. Extra bonus: it actually tastes good.
Though any combination your family devises would be an appropriate way to crown the week on a Friday night (incidentally, Pirrone’s has both the rare pepperoncinis and even more scarce salami on their list o’ toppings), I suggest the Jerry’s Special ($15.20 for a medium; $18.45 for a large). The pizza gods dumped all of their spicy goodness on this one: pepperoni, crunchy bacon (the real stuff, no Bac-Os), extra cheese and a buttered crust. The Supreme ($15.20/$18.45) is a common combination of toppings, but it is exceptionally good here: sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ‘shrooms and onions.
If you’re a fan of Pasta House’s salad, you should give the dinner salad with cheese a try ($4.75 small; $6.80 large). Tossed in a simple vinegar and oil dressing that drenches sweet iceberg lettuce, this simple salad is covered by a white dome of provel cheese and topped with four tomato wedges and a pepperoncini. This is one of those salads that people who ordinarily don’t like salads will gladly eat.
Must have a beer with your pie? This is the place to go: $2.25 drafts, pitchers are $9.25. It’s a family-friendly joint, complete with video games and other money-disposals to keep the kiddies occupied while you wait for your pie. Service is consistently good. If the drive is a bit out of your way, Pirrone’s will gladly sell you a half-baked pizza to take home, so you can store it in your freezer for the next time you need to feed your fix.
Pirrone’s Pizzeria, 1775 Washington Street, Florissant, MO 63033 314/839-3633 www.pirronespizza.com
