All Entries in the "Classic Businesses" Category
Santa welcomes BIGFOOT #18 this Saturday
Ho ho ho! The 18th Bigfoot ever created will arrive with Santa this Saturday.
When it comes to monster trucks, there is no bigger name than the original, BIGFOOT. As you might remember from my NOCO article last summer, this ground-breaking custom automotive company got its start right here in NoCo, literally inventing a sport that’s now enjoyed by millions worldwide.
Since the mid-1970s, Bigfoot founder and innovative genius Bob Chandler has worked with his talented team to create 17 distinctive Bigfoot vehicles, each more refined than the last. And now, he’s about to bring some serious Christmas cheer to countless monster truck fans around the globe, as his latest creation, BIGFOOT #18, makes its debut this Saturday.
Boasting an all new body style, chassis and paint scheme, #18 is such a big deal for the folks at Bigfoot that they need Santa Claus himself to oversee the unveiling. This is major event in the monster truck world, and guess what North County? You have a front row seat!
So bring the kids by Bigfoot this Saturday, 10am-1pm, and see what all the fuss is about. You might even get to meet veteran Bigfoot driver and Guinness World Record holder Dan Runte, who’s pretty darn charming for a guy who crushes cars for a living!
Bigfoot 4×4 is located at Lindbergh and 270 off of Utz Lane in Hazelwood. Admission to this event is free.
Ruiz celebrates 45 years in Florissant on June 4
Florissant's Ruiz Mexican Restaurant will be hosting an anniversary party this Saturday, complete with a 7-piece mariachi band.
In 1966, long before most people in Florissant had even heard of Mexican food, much less tried it, Jose and Hortensia Ruiz took a big gamble by opening “La Cocina Mexicana.” It was just a small lunch counter in a tavern called Roy’s Place, and Jose initially kept his day job as an insurance salesman. But within six weeks, word got out to the new wave of Californian employees working at nearby McDonnell-Douglas and pretty soon the little restaurant had lines out the door.
Within six months, the La Cocina Mexicana name was scrapped for something easier to pronounce: Jose Ruiz (roo-ees), which was later shortened to just Ruiz. Around the same time, the restaurant also moved up the street to a new location, occupying one storefront in the same building where it now occupies six.
For the past 45 years, the Ruiz family has been serving up authentic Mexican dishes in a fun, festive atmosphere, welcoming scores of locals and even celebrities like Eric Clapton, Sean Connery and the Apollo astronauts. Now, the only fourth-generation Mexican restaurant in St. Louis is celebrating its success by hosting a huge anniversary party….and everyone is invited!
Scheduled for this Saturday, June 4, the event features a seven-piece mariachi band, the Dos Luna Tequila Girls and a handful of “revived” original recipes, including Chile con Queso and Tacos al Pastor.
In this 1970 photo, one of Ruiz' first waitresses, Gussie Maddox, wears a smart little gaucho vest sewed by Hortensia Ruiz.
And if 45 years in business is not impressive enough, according to Marissa Marshall, Jose and Hortensia’s daughter, Ruiz is not only one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in the metro area. It’s also responsible for bringing avocado and canned jalapeno to the St. Louis market.
“Really, it’s true,” she says. “In 1966, you could not find canned or fresh jalapenos or an avocado anywhere in St. Louis. My parents went to Chicago every few weeks to get this and all the other Mexican groceries, like corn tortillas, corn husks for tamales, menudo, banana peppers, masa harina…the list goes on. But I have to say, I really admire the dedication my folks had to sustain that kind of schedule for years.”
Amen to that. And a huge thank you to all the members of the trailblazing Ruiz family, who truly deserve to be honored this Saturday! Why not swing by and help them celebrate a genuine North County classic….
The Ruiz 45th Anniversary Party is June 4, 6:30 to 9:30pm, at 901 N. Lindbergh, 63031. For more info, visit the Ruiz website or Facebook page.
NoCo Pizza Challenge Round 13: Editor’s Choice
Who had the better pizza this week? Cork...
...or Nick & Elena's?
There have been many surprises during the Great NoCo Pizza Challenge, and Round Thirteen definitely kept ‘em coming. Nick & Elena’s was a heavy favorite this week, and sure enough, they surpassed Cork Wine Bar in the People’s Choice vote by a good 200 votes. But unlike many of the voters, I actually tried a pizza from both places (head-to-head), and I have to say…the disparity between the two was absolutely not this wide.
For an Italian restaurant that has been making pizza for 26 years, I expected Nick & Elena’s to knock my socks off. And for a wine bar that has been open 18 months, I expected a good pizza but nothing truly exceptional. Boy, was I wrong.
Since Cork only has two pizzas to choose from on its Winter menu, I had to go with the Veggie this week. Nick & Elena’s pizza was classic St. Louis-style, with provel, and weighed 2.3 pounds. Cork’s was “gourmet style,” with fontina cheese on an herb crust, and weighed 1.75 pounds.
Nick & Elena's on the left, Cork on the right
As far as St. Louis-style pizzas go, Nick & Elena’s makes a fantastic crust. Crispy on the edges but soft and pliable in the middle, it’s probably one of the best I’ve had. Sauce-wise, I wasn’t as bowled over. Expecting robust flavors and aromatic delights, instead I found the sauce to be hardly noticeable. But perhaps that’s because the canned black olives on my veggie pizza overpowered everything, creating a slightly metallic taste.
As for the cheese, Nick & Elena’s grates its provel very thin, leading some to believe that its sauce is actually cheese-based, but that’s not so. For me, the provel seemed a bit skimpy…to the point that some of the outer pieces had very little cheese on them.
By contrast, the Cork pizza was loaded with cheese, and because it was fontina (a centuries-old Italian variety), the flavor was especially bold. Unlike provel, fontina doesn’t bond the toppings to the crust, so I did have some “topping slide” going on, which always drives me nuts. But overall, a big thumbs up on this pizza.
Between the herb crust, the delicate sauce, the huge chunks of artichokes and fresh mushrooms, and the sprinkling of sage on top, I was hugely impressed by the rich palette of flavors. And yet, compared to the Nick & Elena’s pizza, it almost felt like apples and oranges.
Nick & Elena's is one of the few places in St. Louis where you'll find arancini - a fried, breaded rice ball stuffed with meat and peas.
If you like gourmet-style pizza, Cork would probably be your choice. If you like St. Louis-style pizza, it would probably be Nick & Elena’s. So…who gets my vote?
Honestly, I have a feeling that Nick & Elena’s pizza would be better with different toppings, and I definitely plan to give it another go. The restaurant’s house salad dressing is absolutely incredible, as are its old-world Italian rice balls known as arancini. Wow!
But on this head-to-head challenge, with these two particular pizzas, I apologize to all the Nick & Elena’s fans out there but I think I have to go with Cork. And no, it’s not because they’re a NOCO advertiser or because I’m friends with the owner. (Mike knows I’d tell him if his food was bad.) It’s because I’ve tasted 26 pizzas in 13 weeks, and well….I guess my bar is pretty darn high at this point.
Up next in Round 14: Deaver’s of Florissant vs. Pirrone’s of Florissant
The Great NoCo Pizza Challenge: BJ’s vs. Saullo’s
NOCO fans, it’s Round 12 in the Great NoCo Pizza Challenge, and I am very excited about this week’s match-up. Both of these restaurants are classic North County with a capital C…two hole-in-the-wall, character-filled, one-of-a-kind gems that you absolutely must check out.
If you’re looking for a slice of old-school NoCo, this is definitely it. In fact, this is a slice of classic St. Louis. Period. (Hint hint, local media.. .)
Open since 1955, this beloved tavern at the corner of Washington and St. Ferdinand has been a FloTown landmark for generations. Cramped and dark inside, with nearly every inch of wall surface covered by signs, posters and/or spent pull-tabs, BJ’s is what you might call a “dive bar.” And I say that with affection.
I remember wading through the smoke here as a kid, when my dad played corkball in the old cage that used to sit outside. I also remember coming here in college, playing video games, downing cheap beer, and marveling at the fact that BJ’s also sells fresh produce and giant chubs of bologna. Need an onion with your can of Stag? No problem.
You might also want to try the pizza. BJ’s makes their own crust and sauce, serving up bargain-priced, thin crust pizzas that many people rave about….and sometimes wait 30-40 minutes for. Toppings include shrimp, salami, bacon and jalapenos, with mozzarella as the cheese. And what’s really amazing is that you can get a SIX-topping large pizza for only $14.85!
Large single-toppings start at $8.60. Carry-out is ideal, especially for more than two people.
BJ’s – 184 Washington, 63031, (314) 837-7783. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30am-1:30am, Sunday 11am-12am
The story of Saullo’s Pizzeria in Spanish Lake is the story of North County pizza, and I’m honored to be able to tell it…
In 1955, Casternze “Stan” Saullo immigrated from Italy to St. Louis, landing a job at Ponticello’s restaurant. A young man in his early 30s, he worked in their kitchen for a while before deciding to branch out on his own, eventually opening three Saullo’s restaurants with his wife, Giacomina. There was one in Ferguson, one on Goodfellow in the city, and this small, simple location at Larimore and Bellefontaine, which is still going strong after 40+ years.
That’s incredible all by itself, but consider this: Stan Saullo also played a key role in helping other North County restaurants get their start. He was there when his cousin opened Angelo’s in Black Jack. Also when his other cousin opened Pirrone’s in Florissant. Stan even helped Faraci Pizza and Serra’s (a Maryland Heights favorite) get off the ground. And to this day, he still shares coffee and pie with Vito Ponticello every weekend.
Vito is 92. Stan is 87 and remains the primary chef at Saullo’s Pizzeria.
His daughter, Fran Benenati, mans the restaurant’s ever-ringing phone, jotting shorthand orders on scrap paper before passing them to her son, Vito, a college student. Fran’s husband, Jerry, also worked at Saullo’s for 30+ years, but after his death in 2003, Stan was left without a co-pilot.
Now, with his wife ailing from Alzheimer’s (and often taking up a familiar spot in the restaurant’s tiny dining room), he spends much of his day cooking and preparing, making almost everything from scratch….dough, sauce, Italian dressing. Stan even grinds his own meat. And of course, he makes pizza.
Saullo’s is known for its classic St. Louis style – thin crust with provel – and the toppings are pretty straightforward. Choose from tomato, bacon, green pepper, pepperoni, anchovy, olive, onion, sausage, hamburger, salami or mushroom. Large single-topping pizzas start at $12.
Go ahead. Try a pie from a master while you still can…
Saullo’s – 11046 Larimore, 63138, (314) 867-2550. Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 4-8pm, Friday & Saturday 4-9pm. Cash only.
UPDATE: After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Fran Benenati passed away on March 30. She will be deeply missed by generations of Saullo’s customers.
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Cast your vote! Round 12 voting ends Wednesday, March 23, at 11am…
Who has the better pizza?
- Saullo's (50%, 459 Votes)
- BJ's (50%, 453 Votes)
Total Voters: 909
Loading ...If you need a bracket, you’ll find a freshly updated one right here.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K