U City Pizza

Pizza first appeared on a St. Louis menu in 1946 at Melrose Pizzeria in the Central West End. At that time, University City was the home of more than 35 percent of the St. Louis Jewish population and, not surprisingly, there was a plethora of Jewish bakeries and delicatessens throughout the community. But as pizzerias began popping up, pizza became a staple for U City residents – alongside bagels and pastrami.

In 1956, Julius Seitz began serving pizza at Olive and Midland in University City at Jule’s Pizza Palace. By 1959, his brother Frank had taken over and the name was changed to Frank's Pizzeria. And about a year later, Frank's sister Helen became a partner and the sign at 7303 Olive Street Road was changed to Frank & Helen's Pizzeria.

Of course, Frank & Helen's is not a Lost Table. The restaurant moved to 8111 Olive in 1967 and still serves pizza at that location to current and former U City residents.
 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec 2, 1956 Frank's Pizzeria Menu, circa 1960

Via’s Steak House had pizza on its menu at 8516 Olive in University City (two doors up from Nino's) from 1958 to 1965. However, while Vito Via and his sons, John and Rudy, would go on to write a Lost Tables story of their own, most of it was written in Olivette. Via's II opened at 9641 Olive in 1962 and would thrive at that location for 30 years.

Shawn and Alice Jacobs served pizza and beer at 6510 Delmar in the U City Loop from 1977 until 1996, and then up the street at 6691 Delmar until 2017. But those who mourn the loss of Cicero's do so as much for the lost entertainment as for the pizza.
 

Cicero’s, 6510 Delmar

U City residents have enjoyed pizza at other venues of significance over the years. They crossed the street into St. Louis City for pizza a Talayna's at 276 North Skinker and ordered countless pizzas from Imo's at 8437 Olive.

But there are two iconic U City pizzerias that will never be forgotten. As a former U City resident opined on social media:

As a U City kid in the '50s there were two monumentally important pizza places – Rinaldi's and Nino's – and to this day all else pales in comparison to those delicious memories.  –– Johnny Goldstein, 2019

Rinaldi's

Alfred J. Rinaldi was born in St. Louis on July 11, 1912. He grew up in the Tower Grove South area with his parents and two brothers. In 1935 he married Aureba Franklin, and by 1939 the Rinaldis were living at 4234 Humphrey, still in the Tower Grove South area.

Rinaldi worked for the Federal Engineering and Construction Company in 1941 and as an agent for The Prudential Insurance Company in 1951. In 1956, he decided to go into the restaurant business.

Rinaldi had never worked in a restaurant before opening one of his own.

I was a salesman. I had cooked at home, but that's all. Pizza was just getting popular in the '50s, and I decided that if other guys could bake it, so could my family and me. We all worked. My wife, Aureba, was usually in the kitchen, and our four sons did everything.

Michael Rinaldi Donald Rinaldi Jack Rinaldi Pat Rinaldi

Rinaldi opened his restaurant at 6644 Delmar, in the U City Loop, in a building that had previously housed the Spudnut doughnut shop and today is the home of Craft Alliance.
 

Rinaldi's Italian Foods, 6644 Delmar, 1965
Craft Alliance, 6644 Delmar, 2019

Rinaldi's restaurant was a success. Bob Goddard noted its popularity in his July 30, 1959 St. Louis Globe-Democrat column.

Al Rinaldi, popular host at Rinaldi’s Restaurant, 6644 Delmar, wants a name for a new room recently added to his establishment and will be giving out some prizes to winning entries.

Rinaldi's Dining Room, 6644 Delmar, 1963

In 1960, seeking to build on his success, Rinaldi opened a second restaurant at 700 North Skinker, which he called Alfredo's. But by September of 1961, the restaurant bearing his given name was for sale, and by May of 1962, Belvedere Joe’s had moved into the space.
 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 6, 1960 St. Louis Jewish Light, Sept 2, 1964

Ranaldi's pizza was St. Louis style – thin crust, cut into squares. In a January 14, 1990 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Rinaldi remarked, "Our customers said we had one of the best pizzas in town." Decades later, they felt the same way.

Pizzas with the crunchy corn meal bottom . . . I swear . . . the best pizza! ●●● Was at Rinaldi’s every week for a bacon and mushroom pizza. My all time favorite!!! ●●● By far the quintessential pizza. ●●● And yes, the pizza was the best in the history of the world.

Rinaldi's was also know for their Insalata Rinaldi and dressing.

Rinaldi's salad was still the best! I don't know what they did, but I never had a bad salad there. ●●● I loved the salads with the little square of cheese on top. So good. ●●● I could live forever on garlic bread & salad from there!

Customers raved about the ribeye steak sandwich on toasted garlic bread and the toasted ravioli, all served on tables with Chianti bottle candles and checkered tablecloths.
 

Rinaldi's Menu, 1950s
(click image to enlarge)

As the Jewish population moved westward from University City, so did Alfred Rinaldi. In 1969, he closed his restaurant in the U City Loop and reopened in Creve Coeur at 11611 Olive. He would serve pizza at that location until he retired in 1976.
 

St. Louis Jewish Light
March 26, 1969
Alfred Rinaldi
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan 14, 1990

Nino's

Anthony Carl Mercurio was born in St. Louis on October 20, 1918. By 1948, he was living at 8316 Richard Avenue in University City – two blocks north of Olive and three blocks east of Woodson – with his wife Marie and his two sons, John and Jack.

Mercurio's entree into the restaurant business may have been via his father-in-law, Jasper Sansone, who operated Sansone’s Spaghetti House at 1001 Cole Street from 1910 to 1965.

In any event, in 1956, when Bernhardt’s Paint & Hardware vacated the space at 8512 Olive Street Road – on the south side of Olive, just east of McKnight – Mercurio opened a restaurant within easy walking distance of his home.
 

8512 Olive Boulevard, 2012

In 1958, Mercuiro officially registered his restaurant with the State of Missouri as "Nino’s Pizzeria and Italian Foods." Unofficially, it was simply "Nino's."

Nino's had upholstered booths along its side walls and Formica tables in between. A Formica customer counter was at the rear of the restaurant for carry out orders. Carry out customers were instructed to:

Ask for NINO, Your order will be ready when you arrive . . .

When old enough, John and Jack Mercurio helped their father at the restaurant, along with Mercurio's brother-in-law, Sonny Sansone. While the restaurant was a family affair, teenagers were loath to be seen with their families at Nino's on weekends.

Nino's used a scissors to cut its thin crust, St. Louis style pizza into squares. There was only one size – medium. According to the menu, Nino's pizza was the finest in all St. Louis. Decades later, former customers agreed.

Does anyone make a pizza today that comes anywhere close to Nino's? ●●● 1st pizza! I remember watching them throwing the dough through the glass window. ●●● My hangout during my high school years. Best pizza in town, hands down. ●●● We got pizza from there all of the time. Very thin crust with the best cheese and sauce in the world. ●●● Nino's had a different almost cheddar type cheese and cut their pizza in squares. Distinctive. ●●● The best hamburger pizza ever!!

Nino's Italian salad was also a favorite. It contained chunks of salami and cheese, and had a single anchovy on top.
 

Nino's Pizzeria Menu, mid 1960s
(click image to enlarge)

In 1966, after ten years of serving pizza at 8512 Olive, Nino's moved three blocks east to 8220 Olive – still on the south side of the street, just west of 82nd Street and just east of Chaney's barbecue. And in 1969, Nino's served its last pizza in University City.
 

Nino's Pizzeria, 8220 Olive, 1968

In 1973, "Nino's Pizzeria" was sold to Tennessee Jed's International, which was owned by an investment group headed by Ben Fixman and Albert Goldstein. The same group had purchased Golden Fried Chicken Loaf from Mina Evans several years earlier.

In November of 1973, Nino's Pizzeria reopened in Creve Coeur in the Castillon Plaza, at the northwest corner of Olive and Fee Fee, occupying a former Tennessee Jed's location. Golden Fried Chicken Loaf had reopened a year earlier in the Olive Arcade Plaza at the northeast corner of Olive and Fee Fee.
 

St. Louis Jewish Light, Nov 7, 1973

In December of 1973, the new Nino's offered one free cheese pizza with the purchase of any two meat pizzas. In January of 1974, Nino's began offering two sizes of pizza, as opposed to Mercurio's medium size only. By 1980, Five Star Travel Agency occupied the space.

*     *     *     *     *

Anthony Mercurio died on Jan 31, 1995 at the age of 76. Alfred Rinaldi died on August 18, 1976 at the age of 84.

And to this day, all else pales in comparison to those delicious memories.


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