Fortel's Pizza Den:
Mom and Pop Pizza Stands Test Of Time

As Stlpizzaguy's adventures drive him deeper into St. Louis County for lunch at the Fortel's Creve Coeur location on July 8, he tells his pizza confidants brother Evan and friend Matt Burke that Fortel's is in his top 10 list for sure, but really quite honestly it’s in his top three. Over the course of his life, Stlpizzaguy has consumed more than 100 of Fortel's pizzas. So it is possible that the repetition and regularity of pizza consumption at Fortel's has blinded his taste buds. But anyone with even a cursory knowledge about St. Louis pizza knows that Fortel's earns a rightful place in the top 10 list.

Stlpizzaguy giving the P of Approval with one of his favorite pizza brethren Matt Burke. Matt Burke's pizza claim to fame is for being a frequent diner of Pizza Hut Pizza. Growing up, his family ordered Pizza Hut at least 2-3 times every week for dinner. In high school we would have Pizza Hut EVERY Friday night when I visited to his house. Do not let looks deceive you, we finished both of these pizzas with a little help from my brother Evan.

As we order and eat a large and a medium pepperoni pizza, the taste is magical. With a liberal amount of tomato sauce and heavy amount of pepperoni, this pizza is a great greasy masterpiece. The taste of the crust is doughy, not a crispy cracker like crust so common with many St. Louis-style pizzas. 

"The pepperoni pizzas here are very greasy, which may turn some people off in this health-conscious age, but I still love it. Stlpizzaguy eats pizza for his sanity and pleasure, not for his health."

Fortel's Pizza was founded in 1981 by Bob and Jan Fortel. I first heard about them in the late 1990’s when Bob and Shelley Fortel appeared on KSDK Channel 5's “Show-Me St. Louis" showcasing a variety of pizzas. Bob Fortel was a pizza visionary, with his barbeque chicken pizza and other experiments with different pizza types way before it became trendy. My mother and I insisted on trying the pizza, so the entire family went to the Kirkwood location and have been regular customers of various Fortel's locations ever since. When I think of great pizza and where all my pizza memories are, most are found at Fortel's when my family went there on Sunday nights after church, after celebrating wins in high school baseball, after my law school graduation, or just to carry out.

The Pizza Details:

THE CHEESE: Mozzarella. You can tell the difference because it’s stringy when cutting off a piece, unlike Provel which can be cut perfectly.

SAUCE: A sweeter than normal tomato sauce that is always applied liberally to the dough.

CRUST: On the thick spectrum of thin-crust pizza. Doughy, not crispy, never overdone or overcooked.

Additionally, Fortel's uses fresh ingredients, fresh toppings, and their dough is made in the store every day. For thin-crust pizza, Fortel's and Imo’s are kings in St. Louis. If you like an alternative to the crispy, Provel cheese laden Imo’s, try the doughy, mozzarella cheese pizzas superbly made at Fortel's.