The Great NoCo Pizza Challenge: Faraci vs Fresh Italy
Shannon Howard | Dec 29, 2010 | Comments 14
NOCO fans, I hope you didn’t fill up on Christmas cookies…because you know what today is, don’t you? It’s the start of The Great NoCo Pizza Challenge!!!
Over the next four months, we’ll be visiting 22 independent local restaurants, all to find out who makes the very best pizza in North County. The restaurants have been notified, the brackets have been randomly selected, and now, folks, it’s time to eat!
Remember, you can vote without actually buying a pizza, but you’ll have so much more fun if you follow along and chow down! You’ll have one week to sample and vote on two pizzas, with a new round starting every Wednesday. So, are you ready? Here we go…
Round One kicks off with one of NoCo’s oldest pizza joints, Faraci Pizza, a Ferguson favorite since 1968. Personally, I wasn’t aware of Faraci until I moved to Ferguson in 1999, back when I was still anti-thin crust. But after hearing scores of people talk about how they make a special trip just to visit Faraci, or how they’re only in town one day and they absolutely must eat a Faraci pizza, I knew I had to try this place. And boy, am I glad I did!
Faraci makes one heck of a good pizza, with loads of toppings and a beautiful hand-tossed thin crust. The restaurant itself only seats 20, and its fluorescent lights don’t do much for atmosphere, so carry-out is king here. You can select your own toppings (including shrimp!) or choose from two specialty pizzas – the Veggie, with green pepper, tomato, mushroom, onion and black olive, or the Faraci, with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushroom and onion. Large single-topping pizzas start at $10.10.
Faraci Pizza – 520 S. Florissant Road, 63135, (314) 524-2675. Hours: open every day but Monday starting at 4pm
Going head to head with Faraci is a relative newcomer to the North County pizza scene, Fresh Italy, which first opened in Florissant in 1996. Back then, the restaurant just offered carry-out, but it has since doubled in size, and today you can enjoy fresh pizza (and pasta) in its cozy little dining room.
I have to admit, I’ve never tried Fresh Italy, but it received a number of nominations and glowing reviews, so I’m eager to check it out. The restaurant also has a very friendly hostess, unlike some of the other places I visited recently, so that’s always a plus.
At Fresh Italy, you can select your own toppings or choose from four specialty pizzas – Rick’s Favorite, with breaded chicken, cheese and garlic butter sauce, the Veggie, with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, mushroom and black olive, The Sizzling Hot Sicilian, with sausage, jalapenos, green pepper and onion, or the Vacationer’s Dream Delight, with ham and pineapple. Large single-topping pizzas start at $14.95.
Fresh Italy – 119 Florissant Oaks Plaza, 63031, (314) 830-0600. Hours: open every day but Monday starting at 11am
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Cast your vote! Round One voting ends Wednesday, January 5, at 11am…
Who has the better pizza?
- Fresh Italy (53%, 146 Votes)
- Faraci Pizza (47%, 132 Votes)
Total Voters: 277
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Filed Under: Food & Drink
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K
Both are good but fresh italy by far has more flavor and value. I don’t know what they do there but its special. Good job Fresh Italy.
Fresh Italy rocks on the pizza, you all need to stop in and try one! or two…..
Faraci’s all the way, this is a no brainier!
Fresh Italy is the bomb!
Why can’t I vote? Add one to Faraci’s for me. It’s my definite preference.
FARACI’S………Y E S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Faraci’s all the way. Fresh Italy is under new ownership and it is not the same.
The site would not let me vote Monday, Tuesday, or Today.
I’m really sorry to hear that, Dennis. If you already voted, the poll probably blocked you unless you cleared out your cookies. I’m actually unhappy with this poll plug-in myself so I’m installing a new one today. I hope it works better for Round Two. Thanks.
If anyone else has voting problems this time around, please email me at shannon@NOCOstl.com. As for Faraci, to be fair, we may need a wildcard round. I’ll have to think about that…
Dennis and Shannon, it is unfortunate you feel that Faraci pizza should have won the contest.
Fresh Italy is getting nothing but praise from the customers for the pizza.
Change is very difficult, and Dennis is correct it is totally different now.
Recipes the same, product improved, bigger servings, more toppings on pizza, pleasant music and mature staff makes for a new
Fresh Italy.
Change is not bad, it is healthy. It was time for the restaurant to have new energy, why do you think the restaurant was sold.
Unfortunately, Shannon, many disagreed with your test. That is why we are Americans.
P.S. Fresh Italy clients could not vote either due to the current system being used.
Come on round 2.
Sharon, I don’t see anything unfortunate with any of this. I tried two pizzas head-to-head and thought one was slightly better. On a different day, with different pizzas, who knows?
That’s why tasting the pizzas AT THE SAME TIME is the key to this challenge. It really is eye-opening.
I launched this contest to promote ALL of the great pizza we have available to us in North County, knowing all along there would different opinions. But that is part of the fun.
As it stands, Fresh Italy won the reader’s choice vote; Faraci won the editor’s choice. And by the way, I didn’t know anything about the ownership change nor have any opinion on that. This was my first visit to Fresh Italy.
For the record and with great respect for the current owners and customers of Faraci’s Pizza North. The Faraci’s Pizza in Ferguson, MO. was sold by us in @ 1998 and has not been owned or operated by any member of the Faraci Family since. And we have no affiliation or control over it’s doing business. So any accolades good or bad should not reflect on the Faraci’s Pizza in West St. Louis County that is Owned And Operated by The Faraci Family. Again I write this with respect to all who read it. Thank-You
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