Historical February–March 2009 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Pi, the pizzeria on Delmar in The Loop, created quite a buzz when Barak Obama feasted on the restaurant’s pizza during his presidential campaign stop in St. Louis this past October.
The restaurant created a specialty thin crust pie, dubbed “Broccoli O’Bama,” topped with many of Obama’s favorite ingredients. Owners Chris Sommers, Frank Uible, and Ryan Mangialardo wanted to capture the energy of the then-presidential candidate and pay homage to the support that his hundreds of staffers and volunteers gave their restaurant over the past year. Obama dined on Pi pizza after the largest political rally ever under the Gateway Arch.
While walking back from the event, Sommers received a phone call from Obama himself, proclaiming “that is the best pizza I have ever eaten.” Subsequent calls and e-mails to Sommers from Obama’s senior staffers supported the politician’s sentiments, indicating that Obama “would not stop talking about your pizza.” The pizza even made national news.
An October 20 article written by Kathy Kieley and published in the USA Today mentioned Obama’s Pi-pleasing experience in the newspaper’s coverage of the rally in St. Louis: As the crowd leaves, Obama lingers in a tent to do local TV interviews and refuel. Four slices of pizza disappear into his slender frame in quick succession, to the amazement of his staff. “I’ve never seen him out-eat me,” says Robert Gibbs, a senior adviser who has traveled with Obama since April 2007. “But he did.” Pi kitchen manager David Harper, who created “Broccoli O’Bama” and cooked Obama’s pizza, conducted extensive research on an appropriate pizza for Obama. Obama sampled five different Pi standards under the Arch.
The “Broccoli O’Bama” features broccoli, seasoned potatoes, applewood smoked bacon, gruyere, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese, garlic, and chives on a vegan thin crust, served with a side of sour cream. “Considering the close ties Pi had with the Obama campaign and its wonderful staff and volunteers here in St. Louis, as well as the Senator’s own comments about our pizza, we believe the best way to pay homage to this transformative time is with what we do best — our pi,” said owner Chris Sommers in his November announcement of the specialty pizza to commemorate the historic election of Obama as President . Sommers wrote in a recent e-mail that “Broccoli O’Bama ” remains on the menu and is selling briskly. Located at 6144 Delmar Boulevard, across from the Pageant in The Loop, Pi is becoming the favorite pizzeria among locals and visitors.
The signature deep-dish pie is a cornmeal crust cooked to a golden brown and crispy throughout. Pi’s thin crust is a flour dough that is rolled in cornmeal to provide unique texture and crispiness. Regulars at the eatery include hipsters, scenesters, concert-goers, families with strollers, and retirees, filling the bar, both dining rooms and, in warmer weather, the outdoor patio. Pi Restaurant is open daily from 4pm to midnight. For more information, call 727-6633 or visit www.restaurantpi.com.
Original photograph caption
Original composite of Pi restaurant photograph and Obama portrait. Restaurant photograph by King Schoenfeld; inset portrait separately uncredited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2009.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Headline and first sentence print Barak rather than Barack; source form retained. Source gives 4 pm opening despite earlier lunch expansion report; both historical claims left intact.
Original source: SD_Times2009_02.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
