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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is St. Charles County's
exclusive direct-mailed community newspaper. |
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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine Restaurant Spotlight Archive |
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Stefanina's - A St. Charles County TraditionBy Mary Ann O'Toole Holley
"We were fortunate to have a father who was a pilot," said Stefanina's co-owner Glen Roderick, looking back to a time when the family scouted property from a birds-eye view. "We flew around to get a look at growth, and 25 years ago we could see that growth was heading west." So the family headed west to what was still Old Hwy. 40. Glen Roderick Sr. and his, wife Stefanina and son Glen Jr., opened the doors of their first restaurant. Customers proclaimed love at first bite. The restaurant named for the family matriarch, Stefanina Vitale Roderick, drew customers from near and far to sample the old family recipes the Sicilian immigrant brought to the table. Glenn Roderick Jr., who now operates the business with his brother-in-law Bill LaBeaume, said his mother carried her recipes in her heart and her passion as a provider on her sleeve. "We sat about 70 people at the old restaurant in O'Fallon Square, and customers were still waiting out the door," said Roderick. "I guess it was the good food, friendly service and family ownership that appealed to them" Now celebrating its Silver Anniversary at their Veteran's Memorial Parkway location, Stefanina's continues to serve the same great "Stefanina's Tradition" pizzas, pastas, salads, steaks and more - the same delicacies Mama Stefanina would dish out during those earlier days. In fact, the restaurant's very first customer, Ed Weindel of St. Charles, still frequents the restaurant. "Pizza is almost half of our business," said Roderick. "Pasta, salads and steaks are the other half." Their "awesome" almost paper-thin pizza crusts are rolled by the order, and St. Louis' popular provel cheese tops the meats and vegetables of choice. "We offer mozzarella cheese on request, but I can always tell when someone is from out of town," Roderick said. "The out-of-towners always ask for mozzarella." Pizzas range in price from about $10 for a 12-inch pie, and $18.75 for a 21-inch extra-large feast. There's barbecue chicken pizza made with seasoned chicken breast, provel cheese and red onions, and taco pizza, prepared with seasoned beef, onions and tomatoes, topped with tortilla chips, lettuce, black olives and cheddar. Stef's House salad ($5.25) is a big seller with lettuce, red onion, artichokes, pimientos, all marinated in their own homemade dressing, topped with croutons, green olives and provel cheese. There are many more, and the choices seem limitless. Their list of appetizers covers the gamut, from fried cheddar cheese balls with meat sauce or butter and cheese, toasted seafood ravioli adds an unusual touch, and there are calamari rings with marinara or cocktail sauce, chicken drummies, hot wings, clam strips and always the St. Louis traditional toasted ravioli ($2.95 for six or $4.95 for a dozen). Whether you are in the mood for Stefanina's Italian pastas or a nice saucy homemade meatball sandwich, if you think Stefanina's cannot please everyone in your party, you must not be looking at the right spot on the menu. For children, there is a special menu with goodies like peanut butter and jelly ($1.75), Grilled Cheese Sandwich with fries ($3.95) and hotdogs, hamburgers and a mini pizza. ($2.95 to $4.95) Steak and chicken dinners are special, served with soup or dinner salad, bread and butter and choice of potato, vegetable or pasta ($8.50 to $14.95 for Filet Mignon). Try the Italian Wedding soup, a marriage of chicken noodle and Italian meatballs. Roderick says he gets a lot of sales people coming in to hawk their new products, but he always turns them away. "We use all the best ingredients. It's how we've done business since the beginning and still do business that way," Roderick said. "I don't consider myself a good salesman. We just put out a product and it sells itself." Stefanina's Pizzeria and Restaurant is located at 8645 Veteran's Memorial Parkway in O'Fallon (near the intersection of Hwy. K). For delivery or carry out, call 636-272-3499 (272-STEF). Hours are Sunday, noon to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Other Stefanina's restaurants are located at Elm and Hwy. 370 in St. Charles and at Jungermann and McClay and St. Charles.
Stefanina's Pizzeria and Restaurant 8645 Veteran's Memorial Parkway (Near the intersection of Hwy. K) O'Fallon
Hours: Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For delivery or carry out, call 636-272-3499 (272-STEF). |
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When
Stefanina's Pizzeria and Restaurant first opened in O'Fallon 25 years
ago, there wasn't much more than two or three subdivisions, a K-Mart,
a Kroger and a couple of dining establishments in the city's hilly countryside
of farmland and woods.
