First Look: Boulder's Original Pizzeria Locale Is Now Pizzeria Alberico

What: Pizzeria Alberico

Where: 1730 Pearl Street, Boulder

When: Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

For more info: Visit pizzeriaalberico.com
What we saw: The bright and open dining room of the original location of Pizzeria Locale was buzzing with guests on a recent weekday. "I stopped by to see what's changed," remarked one man as he chatted with the host.

And there have been some big changes. The Frasca Hospitality Group debuted the first Pizzeria Locale in January 2011 in Boulder, next door to its award-winning fine-dining eatery, Frasca Food and Wine. In the summer of 2013, it opened a more fast-casual spin-off of the concept in Denver.

The new addition garnered comparisons to another Denver-born fast-casual eatery, Chipotle. And the similarities were no coincidence: Frasca had quietly partnered with Chipotle founder Steve Ells on the project. Since then, Pizzeria Locale has expanded; it now has five locations in metro Denver. But the Frasca group always maintained full ownership of the original.

In December, though, Pizzeria Locale Boulder announced that it would close at the end of 2022 for a refresh and rebrand. On February 20, it reopened as Pizzeria Alberico, after the maiden name of Frasca owner Bobby Stuckey's wife, Dannette. It was her family that originally brought the couple to Boulder, and this concept is an homage to them as well as Italy's capital city, Naples.


As Pizzeria Locale, this spot had always offered table service and a wine program, but the refreshed concept has an expanded beverage menu that includes cocktails, mocktails, amaro flights for dessert and, unsurprisingly, an impressive list of wines available both by the glass and the bottle. Stuckey is a master sommelier, after all, and Frasca has won multiple James Beard awards for its wine program.

The menu is split into several sections, starting with assaggi, or appetizers. Highlights include arancini ($2.50 each), crisp balls of saffron-hued rice filled with melted mozzarella; a spicy version made with 'nduja is also available for $3. A plate of prosciutto ($12), aged for eighteen months and sliced so thin it nearly melts in your mouth, is a must for charcuterie lovers, while the battered and fried maitake mushrooms ($14) have a hearty bite and get a boost of salty richness after a dunk in Caesar-like anchovy aioli.

The Caesar ($17), one of four salads on the menu, is a slight variation on the classic, made with grilled romaine and a light lemon anchovy vinaigrette. It's topped with mustard-seed breadcrumbs for added crunch and a generous dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano and shaved porcini-cured egg yolk.

The pizza options ($16-$24) are divided into rosse (red), bianche (white) and verde (green, pesto-based), and some of the pies will look familiar to Pizzeria Locale fans, though they come with upgraded twists. The Diavola, for example, is made with salami picante instead of pepperoni, and the popular Mais pie, topped with crème fraîche and corn, is topped with pancetta rather than ham; it crisps nicely in the wood-fired oven.
Staff favorites so far include the Acciughe Carciofi, with crème fraîche, anchovy (again!), artichokes, Pecorino, grilled lemon, parsley and chives; and the Broccolini Finocchiona, with a base of pesto made with broccolini and anchovy (yup, more ’chovies!), slices of fennel-specked finocchiona salami, thickly shaved pecorino and an entire ball of burrata in the middle. The dough is chewy (in a good way), with just the right amount of char. There are two kids' pizzas available, as well (cheese for $12 and pepperoni for $13).

Along with sorbet, gelato and cannoli, another familiar item from Locale makes an appearance on the dessert menu: the butterscotch budino ($9), which is as creamy and satisfying as ever, and especially indulgent when paired with an espresso served in a particularly cute, blue-hued Pizzeria Alberico cup and matching saucer.
What surprised us: Speaking of blue, the imported, handmade Italian pizza oven has been painted to match the new branding; it's now Naples blue. While one staffer joked that the team isn't sure how the maker of the oven would feel about its new look, the intention was to create a fun focal point on the kitchen side of the dining room, and it certainly accomplishes that.

Pops of blue can be found in everything from the staff's new tees and sweatshirts to the glassware, while on the bar side, a shelf hanging from the ceiling is now fully loaded with bright-red bottles of Campari. The interior walls have been redone to match the facade outside, and a divider that once ran behind the host stand has been removed, creating a much more airy feel inside (not to mention an easier space for staffers to move around in).

Each detail in the new space, from the wall decor to the service to the branded matchbooks, feels fully intentional and well thought out — but we'd expect nothing less, considering the caliber of the group behind this rebrand. Now, with its fresh new name and look, Pizzeria Alberico is well poised to enjoy another successful twelve years (at least) in Boulder.