Courtesy Chirco's Pizza
In an announcement fitting of spring, a time of rebirth, restaurateur Vito Chirco announced today that Chirco’s Pizza is slated to open in early May next to the shopping plaza that was once home to Chirco’s Italian Restaurant. The new pizzeria will be located at 14870 Clayton, the space that previously housed Pi 2 Go.
For the past two years, Chirco operated Chirco's Kitchen and Catering, hosting coursed, weekly pop-up dinners at Public School House in Cottleville, as well as catering on the side. Having repeatedly driven by the former Chirco’s location (now a fit-flavors location) and seeing the vacant Pi space, Chirco “got the itch. 'This is the business I was born to be in,'" he reasoned. “I felt like I was coming home.”
As the name implies, pizza will be the main menu item. The pies will have a thin, crispy crust and the same freshly made tomato sauce that was once so popular at Chirco’s Italian Restaurant, the family-owned eatery that closed in 2005, following a fire. A hand-tossed crust will be added as additional staffers are hired. “When we introduced hand-tossed crust at my dad’s pizzeria in Overland back in the day, a lot of the clientele still preferred the flat, super crispy one,” Chirco says, “so having both makes sense.” Chirco’s has a conveyor oven and a deck oven to properly cook the different styles.
“We want to differentiate ourselves,” Chirco adds. To that end, several cheeses will be available, including mozzarella, Provel, Monterey Jack, and a blend. “One of the best combinations is to use Provel atop the sauce, then add toppings and finish with mozz,” he says. “The Provel blends with the sauce, and the mozz melts over top.” Similarly, a collaborative barbecue pizza will use sauce from Adam’s Smokehouse, Provel cheese, shredded chicken, and then Jack cheese on top. Specialty pizzas, such as Baked Potato Pizza and Asian Fusion Pizza, are already in the works.
Courtesy Chirco's Pizza
Appetizers and salads (featuring the Chirco family's Italian dressing) will be offered, as well as pastas, including a “brick-size” seven-layer lasagna and baked penne with meatballs. Also on the menu: a s'mores/Nutella calzone, a signature dessert. "We were experimenting with it in pizza form, but all of that gooeyness worked better as a calzone," Chirco says.
Considering the restaurant's small footprint, Chirco plans to offer carryout and delivery-only service. Customers who order online through the restaurant's website (rather than an aggregator) not only gain rewards points but will also be charged a flat fee, Chirco says, “one that both the customer and the restaurant can live with."
