Tucked behind a series hyperlink fence and a decades-old storefront sits one among Denver’s latest, most promising pizza eating places.
Enzo’s on Colfax took over the outdated Enzo’s Finish house, 3424 E. Colfax Ave, a couple of months in the past. The latter had closed in June 2024 after 28 years on the block, with proprietor Charlie Puma saying he was involved in regards to the potential results of the East Colfax bus speedy transit development challenge, which was approaching from the west.
“Charlie wished to promote the recipes to me, however that’s not likely my M.O.,” stated Enzo’s on Colfax proprietor Robert Cherenzia, who’s at the moment the one worker. “For 28 years the man had an ideal go of it, and an ideal following. However we’re right here to do a greater product than what was right here. Which I notice is saying quite a bit.”
Talks to take over the enterprise began final 12 months, with Cherenzia having simply come from a improvement firm that launched a number of Smoothie King franchises. He managed Wheat Ridge’s West twenty ninth Restaurant and Bar, and previously owned a bakery in Park Metropolis, Utah, having skilled to make bagels in New York Metropolis in between all of it.
After researching various kinds of pizza on a household journey to Italy in August, he determined to serve New York-style slices at Enzo’s on Colfax — versus Enzo’s Finish’s thin-crust type — and extra uncommon toppings. The Cap, for instance, options two eggs, inexperienced onion and pecorino with herbs and olive oil ($19 for a 12″) whereas the Pig and Cow provides prosciutto, burrata, arugula, grated parmesan, and balsamic drizzle with olive oil and cracked pepper ($17 for a 12″ and $20 for a 16″).
“We have been consuming in Florence and so they introduced a pizza full of prosciutto and a giant ball of burrata,” Cherenzia stated. “It wasn’t sliced, and also you needed to simply dig in. It’s fairly onerous to beat that!”
Cherenzia stated Enzo’s Finish proprietor Puma would have most well-liked to retire the title Enzo’s alongside along with his unique restaurant — and Cherenzia agreed with him. However along with the truth that Cherenzia’s son is called Ezno, the constructing’s proprietor, Pete Siahamis, wished to proceed the Enzo’s title indirectly. That’s as a result of his PS Lounge bar shares a doorway with Enzo, and the 2 companies can service one another’s prospects that manner.
One in all Cherenzia’s largest upcoming challenges will probably be surviving the BRT challenge that had frightened Puma and has since closed down all however two lanes of the vast road in entrance of him, choking off Enzo’s parking and making it tough for patrons to search out him.
The pedestrian-heavy Bluebird District could also be his salvation, although, because the neighborhood’s mixture of bars, shops and music venues sends lots of foot site visitors previous the pizza joint. The unique Enzo’s Finish was one among three Bluebird District eating places that shuttered inside fast succession of one another final 12 months, together with Fox Run and Steve’s Snappin’ Canines. (All three now have new tenants.)
However Cherenzia is assured he’ll stand out — even in a neighborhood with loads of different pizza locations, together with Blue Pan’s Detroit-style pizza a couple of blocks south, and Fats Sully’s to the west. That’s at the same time as he hangs onto the red-and-white checkered tablecloths, well-seasoned Bakers Delight ovens, and different components of Ezno’s Finish.
“We’re smaller however extra high-end,” he stated. “And different pizza locations have their niches. … Competitors brings about a greater product and also you wish to earn folks’s enterprise by doing issues proper. For me, it’s going to be all in regards to the particulars.”
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