Newcomer Noto Pizza Stakes Their Claim to Pizza Greatness

Wins a spot in the St. Charles County Top 5!

*Special note from Stlpizzaguy
If this post helps get people's minds off the current state of panic in our world, even if just for a second, then I am doing my job. If it inspires you to go get some pizza and support local businesses then I am really doing my job. As Stlpizzaguy has been saying since 2016: "More people eating better pizza makes the world a better place."

Stlpizzaguy gives Noto Pizza the "P" of Approval

Krista Fox, the originator of the "P" of Approval gives her endorsement too!

Noto Pizza is both a newcomer and an oldcomer. For more than 20 years, J. Noto was a bakery in St. Peters. As a pizza place, Noto opened in January 2020 and fills a much needed void for Neapolitan-style pizza. Located almost exactly where Highway 364 meets 94, I fully believe they are in a thriving area with thousands of hungry bellies lining up to be filled with pizza made the way it is in Italy.

Stlpizzaguy got his reservations two days in advance, and guests without a reservation were waiting for nearly an hour. He was curious how his sister and brother-in-law would react to trying  Neapolitan-style for the first time, and because we live in the land of the cracker-thin crust and Provel cheese.

As I was excitedly ordering my pizza the waitress asked me, "Cut or uncut?" I looked with confusion at the rest of my guests. I don't know if I've ever eaten a pizza uncut. Well uncut is the proper way to eat Neapolitan-style pizza. My wife who is far more cultured than I insisted that Stlpizzaguy order it uncut to get the authentic experience. I hesitated at first, but then conceded. For the first time in history, all four people at my table ordered an uncut 11-inch pizza.

CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY OF NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

Neapolitan-style pizza is named after the city of Naples, Italy and is considered the most original and authentic style of pizza. Neapolitan-style pizza became famous in 1889 after Italian Queen Margherita visited Naples and enjoyed a pizza pie topped with white mozzarella cheese, red tomatoes and green basil. Coincidentally, these are the colors of the Italian flag. Queen Margherita and Italians alike enjoyed this style of pizza for more than fifty years before pizza grew in popularity in the United States after World War II. 

Neapolitan pizza in general does not center on the toppings but focuses on the specially sourced ingredients and the interplay of the dough, sauce, and olive oil. When tasting Neapolitan pizza for the first time, some people are caught off guard by the somewhat soupy center of the pizza, and that the middle isn't crisp.

The unique domed pizza oven for Neapolitan pizza is critical for success. At Noto, its oven cooks pizzas at almost 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, enabling Noto to cook pizza in 90 seconds or less. Most ovens like the one below cost more than $15,000.

Noto's oven, where the magic happens.

From top left to right: Palla (Meatball) pizza, Amatriciana Pizza, Bianca Pizza, Fungi (Mushroom) Pizza

THE PIZZA DETAILS:

THE CRUST: The crust is the main component of Neapolitan-style Pizza. Noto's does a 36-hour fermentation of their dough. Most regular pizza places only have their dough ferment for a fraction of that time. Because of the longer fermentation period, I noticed the fluffy, soft crust, and greater flavor to the dough. As I mentioned earlier, Neapolitan pizza is best served uncut so the ingredients and cheese do not fall off. We were given gold colored steak knives to help cut the pizza.

The CHEESE: Neapolitan-style pizzas are not overly cheesy, but the cheese they use is high-quality buffalo mozzarella cheese.

THE SAUCE: Noto uses a sauce of hand-crushed San Marzano plum tomatoes. Authentic San Marzano tomatoes come to the U.S. in a can and will have an official DOP (Designation of Protected Origin). The tomatoes are known for their sweet flavor, bright red color, and low acidity. As you can see from the photo of the meatball pizza, the tomato sauce is bright.

THE TOPPINGS: Most of Noto's meat is freshly imported from Italy. The meatballs on my pizza were sparsely placed in my pizza, like little mountains of meaty goodness.

FINAL WORDS:

It's not too often I get a pizza revelation from on high, but Noto's made me feel that way. Their pizza is gourmet, very well-made, and comforting. Prior to visiting Noto, I felt like Neapolitan pizza places may not appeal to all people or audiences and I am now wrong. With 16 pizzas to choose from, I am proud to give this place the "P" of Approval and give them a coveted spot in the St. Charles top 5. The fact that myself, along with people who have never tried Neapolitan-style pizza all loved it and want to come back really makes me think that this pizza place can go places.

MORE INFO:
Noto Pizza is open Wednesday-Saturday 4 p.m.- 9p.m. for pizza. No carryout. 

Located at : 5105 Westwood Drive Saint Peters, MO 63304

Noto Pizza is owned and operated by Kendele Noto Sieve and Wayne Sieve. Together, the couple has visited Italy more than five times, and have done extensive pizza research over there. Noto started off as a food truck in 2017.

If you are interested in more details of Neapolitan style pizza, please see my Randolfi's post, where I covered Neapolitan more in depth: Randolfi.