Go Now: Pizzeria Locale

You’ve likely heard the buzz about Pizzeria Locale, the creators of Frasca Food and Wine‘s addition to the Boulder pizza scene. If you haven’t been yet, here’s what you have to look forward to.

Like many local pizza spots, Locale is inspired by Napoli, Italy. But here, in true Frasca form, every detail has been thought through. The oven—the first of its kind in Colorado—was hand-constructed by the Ferrara family in Campagna; chef Jordan Wallace spent several months in Napoli apprenticing under pizzaiolos (pizza chefs) to learn the nuances of the trade; ingredients are imported; and even the gelato canisters are straight from the homeland (at a price of $300 a piece).

The menu is just as spot-on. Pizzas are stretched to exactly 11-and-a-half inches, and they come whole (as in, you cut them yourself, Napoli-style). And while we’d heard from some that the crusts were soggy, ours was perfectly charred and chewy.

Start with the marechiaro salad with chunks of tuna, shell beans (I would have liked a few more), capers, and slivered olives tossed in a delicate lemon dressing. And don’t miss the polpettine: tiny veal meatballs bathed in tangy walnut pesto. Pizza purists will go for the margherita with buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil, but I can’t pass on the mais. This nontraditional—and decadent—pie arrives topped with crème fraîche, sweet corn kernels, prosciutto cotto, and buffalo mozzarella. It’s as rich as it sounds, but perfect for splitting.

1730 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-3003