Looking for Valentine’s Day ideas? Listen to Episode 8 of SLM‘s Arch Eats podcast, where hosts George Mahe and Cheryl Baehr discuss their picks for the most romantic restaurants in town. Listen and follow Arch Eats on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available.
Editor’s Note: We updated last year’s article with current information and availability for 2024. If we missed a place offering heart-shaped pizzas, email us at [email protected] and we’ll add it to the list.
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Are heart-shaped pizzas still popular for Valentine’s Day? —Jason R., St. Louis
First, a heart-shaped anything is popular for Valentine’s Day. Second, pizza is always popular. So, the answer is yes.
Traditionally, many couples celebrate the “holiday” on a weekend night, which means February 14 may devolve into another ho-hum evening at home with the kids. One way to smear a smile onto everybody’s face is with a heart-shaped pizza or two from a local pizzeria. (Generally, the places with thin, premade crusts are more likely to participate in the festivities. Just cut a cardboard template and cut the crust accordingly. Trying to cut a hand-rolled or hand-tossed pizza dough into a heart shape is problematic, labor-intensive, and often produces a less-than-desired result.)
Here’s what we found around town for 2024:
- Casa Don Alfonso: Throughout February, guests can choose from four types of Heart-Shaped Pizza-Making Kits (priced from $28 to $38) to make at home: Margherita, Parma Ham, Nduja, and Quattro Formaggi. Each kit includes dough, house-made sauce, cheese, toppings, and directions for assembly, as well as retro valentines. Reserve kits at least three hours prior to pick-up by calling 314-719-1496, as early as 9 a.m. for a noon pickup.
- Fortel’s Pizza Den: The mom-and-pop pizzeria will make a 16-inch, heart-shaped pizza on any day, for any occasion, just for the asking.
- GIO Modern Italian: At the restaurant formerly known as Vito’s in the Valley, guests can order a 10-inch heart-shaped pie from February 9 – 14 for dine-in, pickup, or delivery. A gluten-free crust is also available. In addition, GIO offers a take-and-bake kit for kids to make their own heart-shaped pizza at home.
- Happy Joes Pizza & Ice Cream: The St. Louis outpost (located in St. Peters) is offering heart-shaped pizzas with any flavors and toppings from the Happy Joe’s menu, including the Taco Joe, the Happy Joe’s Special, the Super Max, BLT, and Bacon Chicken Ranch. The pizzas are available for dine-in, online, or through the App through February 14.
- Imo’s Pizza: From February 8 – 14, a 14-inch, 2-topping heart-shaped pizza will be offered for $17.99. Heart-shaped pizzas can also be made part of a Square Deal Meal or a Great Tastes of St. Louis meal. (Note that Imo’s gets requests for heart-shaped pizzas all year long–for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc.–and most stores usually accommodate.)
- Jet’s Pizza: You can “flavorize” the crust six different ways. The chain offers heart-shaped pan pizzas on February 14 only, along with heart-shaped Jet’s Bread and Cinnamon Stix.
- Joanie’s To-Go: The heart-shaped 16-inch, single-topping pizza is only available February 14.
- Mama’s on The Hill: The 14-inch, heart-shaped St. Louis–style pizza is only available February 14. (The restaurant’s legendary toasted ravioli—where the dish was supposedly invented—is available everyday.)
- Pi Pizzeria: In the Central West End, any large, thin crust pizza can be made heart-shaped for dine-in or carryout on February 14.
- Pizzarelli’s Pizzeria: Options abound at the Ellisville pizzeria, where you can dine-in, carry-out, or have a 14-, 16-, or 18-inch pizza delivered in thin- or New York-style crust on February 14 “or the day before or the day after,” according to a staffer.
When discussing heart-shaped pizzas, a manager at long-time local favorite Farotto’s was brutally honest. “If you ask and we’re not terribly busy,” he said, “we’ll do our best, but I’ve seen some pretty sad heart-shaped artistic interpretations over the years.”
As far as we know, no local pizzeria has picked up on a promotion from San Antonio–based Urban Bricks Kitchen: a “Roast Your Ex” special that includes a burnt pizza in the shape of a heart, delivered with a custom message.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!
You may also enjoy:
- A Valentine’s Day guide to St. Louis restaurants
- The top romantic and cozy restaurants in St. Louis
- Listen now: ‘Arch Eats’ Episode 8: The Love Connection
Follow George on X, Instagram, his Arch Eats podcast, or send him an “Ask George” email at [email protected]. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe, sign up for the newsletters, or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
