It’s an Imo’s Pizza thing: Missouri, make gooey Provel the official state cheese | Opinion
This is probably the cheesiest column I’ve written. But bear with me Kansas Citians. State Rep. Adam Schwadron wants to designate Provel as the official cheese of Missouri.
Folks, I’m on board with the St. Charles Republican’s proposal. Have you tried this smoky, velvety blend of provolone, Swiss and cheddar? If not, you should.
I’m obsessed with how this creamy cheese melts on St. Louis-style pizza served at four pizza parlors in the Kansas City-area.
I was born and raised in St. Louis and grew up loving this regional delicacy, which originated in my hometown. Here, piping hot Provel-topped pie can be found at Imo’s Pizza in Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park; Leo’s Pizza in Gladstone; Waldo Pizza in the Waldo area and Columbus Park’s Moretina’s Caddy Shack. (Did I miss any other places? Let me know.)
Missourians I spoke with during a recent visit to Imo’s location at 4200 Rainbow Blvd. agree with me: Provel cheese is the bomb.
“It’s delicious,” Lee’s Summit’s Corey Wheeler said. At least once a month, he makes a trip from eastern Jackson County to the eatery’s location on Rainbow, he told me.
I thought: I need to up my game. My visits aren’t as frequent.
On a cold January day, I feasted on an 8-inch sausage and pepperoni pizza with bacon and red onions. The toppings sit on a cracker-style, wafer thin crust cut into squares — that’s St. Louis-style pizza.
As part of Imo’s daily lunch special, the small pizza was served with a garden salad. I requested an extra side of ranch dressing. Naturally, the salad was topped with Provel. Bon appetit.
Schwadron’s measure, Missouri House Bill 2189, has been read twice on the House floor. Too bad the bill hasn’t been assigned to a committee yet.
“I think they should go for it,” Wheeler said of the proposed designation.
In the Show-Me State, we have official symbols for birds (the eastern bluebird), animals (the mule), exercise (jumping jacks) and instruments (the fiddle), among other token emblems.
Why not designate an official cheese? My vote is for Provel.
At one point, lawmakers wanted the Chiefs anointed the official football team of Missouri, a proposal that went nowhere. I’m OK with that inaction. The Chiefs belong to Kansas City.
Schwadron is a candidate in the GOP’s August primary for secretary of state. I reached out to him via email asking the motivation behind H.B. 2189, but he didn’t reply.
People love or hate the divisive topping
In a recent story from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Schwadron remarked: “Everyone has their own taste, but what cheese is more Missouri than Provel?” Exactly!
Schwadron’s bill reads: “Provel cheese, a combination of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheese that is prominent in St. Louis cuisine, is selected for and shall be known as the official cheese for the state of Missouri.”
While Provel cheese has a rich history in the St. Louis area, Imo’s Pizza is a divisive issue in Kansas City.
Based on my experience living here since 2007, Kansas Citians either love Provel-topped Imo’s or hate it. The chain has locations here, both on the Kansas side of the state line.
As Nichole Carpenter, Imo’s director of marketing, told me last week: “What’s more fun than a conversation about cheese?”
Count Steve Gabb of Independence among those Missourians who enjoy Provel and Imo’s Pizza. During my visit, I asked Gabb his thoughts on Provel as the state’s official cheese.
“That’s legit,” he said. “I think they started it in St. Louis. Maybe they’ll build some more Imo’s around Kansas City.” Count me in.
One legitimate knock against Provel: The blend isn’t considered real cheese. Neither are Velveeta, American slices sold by popular brands such as Kraft, and others.
Because its recipe doesn’t meet the definition of cheese in the Code of Federal Regulations, regulators label Provel as a “process cheese.”
Yes, there are more serious issues to address at the state capitol in Jefferson City. But infighting in the Senate shouldn’t preclude lawmakers in the House from taking action on this bill.
Legislators, designate Provel as the big cheese in Missouri.
