The best pizzerias and Italian restaurants in Saint-Louis from the STL 100 | Restaurants

Elmwood, pizza champ • Contemporary, Pizza, Sandwiches, Wings

Pizza Champ, which as a standalone restaurant only opened in January, does not technically qualify for this year’s STL 100. Pizza Champ as a concept, however, was launched in the summer of 2020, when Adam Altnether and Chris Kelling pitched it as the pandemic hub of their Maplewood Elmwood restaurant, one of the star newcomers of 2019. J Tried the pizza in August and could have guessed the duo had big plans for their pies. Altnether makes New York-style pizza with the ideal crust ratio of crisp to airy to chewy, with flavor (dough ferments for 48 hours) and Arctic char. Pizza Champ rounds out its menu with chicken sandwiches, salads, and wings, of which the Hot Buffalo version is serious business. Meanwhile, Elmwood has been on hiatus since early April while Altnether and Kelling focus on Pizza Champ’s debut. As a pizza incubator, Elmwood is emblematic of how restaurateurs have weathered the pandemic. As a showcase of Altnether’s cuisine and Kelling’s acumen, Elmwood is a restaurant to look forward to again.

Note: Pizza Champ opening month has been corrected.

📍 Where Elmwood, 2704 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood • More information 314-261-4708; elmwoodstl.com • Hours On break

📍 Where Pizza Champ, 2657 Lyle Ave, Maplewood • More information pizzachampstl.com • Hours 2pm-8pm Wednesday-Friday, 12pm-8pm Saturday-Sunday (closed Monday-Tuesday) • Pricing $-$$