Photo by Roberto Rodriguez
A Pizza Story
This restaurant has closed
A Pizza Story closed in March 2016. In an industry that can be unkind even to seasoned, successful restaurateurs, the story behind a Pizza Story is an unlikely one. Three men with established careers in medicine and academia — Muhammad Alhawagri, a biologist at the Washington University School of Medicine; Sherif Nasser, an assistant professor of marketing at the university’s Olin Business School; and Nael Saad, an assistant professor of radiology — decided to open a restaurant serving Neapolitan pizza. And after only two years, it ranks among St. Louis’ best pizzerias. Alhawagri, the pizzaiolo, has developed a fine crust, light but not without substance or flavor, dotted with char from the wood-burning oven. The toppings veer from the usual, like the pepperoni-but-not Thriller, with Spanish chorizo atop the bed of mozzarella and tomato sauce, or the Fantasy, a pairing of burrata and prosciutto di Parma that would be too rich were it not for the smart counterpoint of arugula.
Last year's ranking: New
Opened: 2014
Must order: The Thriller ( $15)