1 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
Red-L Pizza’s owner John Rice has been attached to a number of local restaurants including, in reverse chronological order, Space (on the Hill), Colorado (where Diablito’s now stands), and Redel’s (the genesis of several menu items), which lends the pizza place its altered name. When Red-L Pizza’s website opens, a full-page picture of a chandelier invites you to make upscale associations between the image and the product; it also reminds you that the place is located in one of St. Louis’ tonier suburbs: Ladue.
The website and real thing are a bit at odds, however. Red-L Pizza consists of a walk-up window only—no inside—and the experience is more akin to ordering from a country club snack shack than an elegant dining room outfitted with chandeliers. (If you’ve ordered from a country club snack shack, you’ll know this is no knock against Rice’s establishment.) Mixed messages aside, Red-L offers some tasty takeaway pizza, salads, and sandwiches, but also accommodates "dine in's" with a few outside tables.
The choice of pizzas (all thin-crust with no sugar in the sauce), toppings, and substitutions will throw anyone who’s the least bit indecisive into a paralysis—online menu research is a must before a visit. We tried three of the “designer” pizzas: the veggie (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, tomato, onion, and black olives), the Gyro (olive oil, lamb, Kalamata olives, onion, tomato, feta and cheese blend, and cucumber dill dressing; at lower left), and the Thai Chicken (spicy peanut sauce, cabbage, scallions, red pepper, carrots, and cilantro; at lower right). While the veggie’s soggy crust disappointed, the other two delivered, with the gyro disappearing almost immediately.
Other designer pizzas begging to be tried are the Cheeseburger in Paradise (ground beef, cheese, pickles, and relish sauce), Le Luxe Chevre (white sauce, spinach, goat cheese, caramelized onion, mushroom, bell peppers, garlic, and chicken), and the Escargot—the “ultimate slow food,” according to Rice—which is not on the online menu. Since all pizza orders should be called in ahead of time, you can check to see if the snails are available; if they are, order the pizza, and you’ll be in good company. Food Network star Michael Symon, acclaimed chef-owner of Cleveland’s Lola, tried it when in town filming Food Feuds, and left Rice with a signed menu, calling the pizza “fantastic.”
Red-L has plenty of other items if you’re not in the mood for pizza. You won’t go wrong with the chicken salad with its shredded rather than cubed meat, allowing for equal tastes of chicken, carrots, cranberries, and walnuts rather than giant bites of chicken only.
On another visit, we tried the gazpacho, chicken salad, cold Thai noodles, and Redel’s Famous Chopped Veggie Salad (at left). For our next visit, we’ve already chosen the Roasted Shredded Chicken Sandwich (melted cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce and green peppercorn aioli on sourdough) to try.
With Red-L’s organic and gourmet ingredients and prime real estate, it’s no surprise that a trip there isn’t cheap; designer pizzas range from $13-$19, depending on size and ingredients. Thanks to the near-overwhelming variety of choices, however, it’s an ideal destination for large families or groups with multiple tastes, from hotdogs and meatloaf to fennel and escargot.
Red-L Pizza 9769 Clayton Ladue 314-997-7070 redlpizza.com Mon -Sat: 11:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Sun: 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Photographs by Kevin A. Roberts
