First Look: Noto Italian Restaurant in St. Peters

Noto Italian Restaurant, the new eatery from co-owners Wayne and Kendele Sieve, isn't just a bigger version of the pizza trailer they started three years ago – it’s something different entirely.

Officially going live just after New Year’s Day, Noto Italian Restaurant will offer pizza, house-made pasta, starters, a full bar and more.

The new restaurant is located at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters, the space that once housed J. Noto Bakery, which was owned by Kendele’s father.

Though the concept has expanded, pizza is still Noto’s main jam. “That’s the heartbeat of how this all started,” Kendele Sieve said.

The menu contains around 17 pizzas, from traditional Neopolitan pies like the marinara and the Bufalina to classics like ’nduja, eggplant and fungi. The Romano features San Marzano tomato and Pecorino Romano, while the Americano stars pepperoni, Calabrese pepper flake and Mike’s Hot Honey. Kendele said most of these ingredients are sourced from Italy, and some of the pies are fully Neapolitan compliant, meaning they meet the rigorous standards set by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples.

Starters include focaccia, Calabrese meatballs, fritte (fried dough balls with marinara) and fried calamari. The charcuterie plate highlights a 24-month-aged prosciutto di Parma imported from Italy.

Salads and soups are also on offer, like the Noto (essentially an Italian salad with artichokes, peppers and Parmesan Reggiano) and the pomodoro (tomato broth with bread dumplings).

Noto will also offer six house-made pastas. The Limone sees tagliatelle in a garlic-olive oil sauce with lemon and spinach, while the Cavatelli includes almond pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes. Noto’s prosciutto cotto ravioli are filled with with Calabrian sausage and swim in a cream sauce.

The bar program will satisfy those looking for classics like a Negroni, an Aperol spritz and a Campari fizz. House cocktails are available, too. The Sinatra contains gin, elderflower, red wine, lemon and egg white, while the Stallion is bourbon, honey and grapefruit. Noto offers around 15 wines (red, white and sparkling), as well as draft and bottled beers by Six Mile Bridge Beer, Birra Moretti and Anheuser-Busch.

When doors open, Noto will offer for dinner service Wednesday through Saturday; the Sieves plan to launch weekend brunch in February. Here’s a look at St. Peters’ newest Italian restaurant.

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.