One of the City's Best Pizzerias Is Ready to Debut Its New Brick-and-Mortar

In 2022, longtime industry pro Jake Rothey launched his first solo venture, the PZA, a pizzeria that operated out of the kitchen connected to Tight End on East Colfax Avenue. The East Coast-style pies were a hit, landing the PZA a place in our ultimate guide to the city's best pizza. But last April, the PZA went on pause as Rothey turned his attention toward finding a space of his own.

Now the PZA is ready for its comeback, and I got a taste at a test run ahead of its official opening at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 9. The business's new home at 644 Santa Fe Drive has been a pizzeria before; it was home to Belemonti's from 2009 to 2015 and was most recently the brick-and-mortar outpost of food truck Amore Pizza.

The space is small, though there are a few tables in front of the ordering counter for those who want to dine in. One part of the appeal is that Rothey can keep things simple and operate with a small staff while he handles the cooking. "I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew," he explains.
The menu includes ten pies such as the basic Cheesy-E ($14 for a regular, $22 for a large) and Margherita ($15 for a regular, $23 for a large) as well as a line of specialty pizzas priced at $17 for a regular and $26 for a large. Standouts include the Piggy Smalls, with pepperoni, bacon and chorizo; the B.I.G. Island, with bacon, jalapeño and pineapple jam instead of the typical pineapple chunks; and the Dillmatic, a pie with pickle slices and ranch that started as a special at the PZA's previous home but proved to be so popular that it's now a staple.

"The way I do the dough is a little more old-world, like Neapolitan, but the execution, the vibe, is definitely East Coast," Rothey notes. The result is an impressively light yet chewy crust that holds up well whether topped simply or loaded up with more ingredients. The PZA's red sauce is bright and tangy, with just enough garlic punch, while the housemade ranch on the pickle pie is an herby treat.
Overall, the pies were even better than I remembered — a feeling that was shared by others at the sneak peek. Brendan Taylor is a local glass artist (@bmftglassarts) who makes pizza-inspired pieces as part of his own "imaginary pizzeria." He became a PZA regular when it was at Tight End and became friends with Rothey over their shared passion. After months without a fix, Taylor was excited for his first taste of the new PZA, and it didn't disappoint. "Goddamn," he said as he took a bite. "It's nice when you've been waiting for something and it actually follows through."
The PZA's menu also includes wings ($14 for one pound), available in classic Buffalo or Cajun dry rub, plus a lineup of sandwiches on bread made from that light and chewy pizza dough. Priced at $14, they're a great value and come in varieties such as the Bourdain, with mortadella, provolone, mayo and Dijon, or the PBR (Not Beer), with pancetta, burrata, arugula and balsamic.

A whole ball of burrata is also loaded on the house salad ($10) which comes with arugula, onion, kalamata olives and tomatoes. Rounding out the offerings are a Caesar salad and cheese bread (both also $10), plus lemon ricotta cheesecake for dessert ($6/slice). Pies can be made vegan by substituting edamame "ricotta."
The location is just south of where the Santa Fe First Friday art walks take place, so Rothey is hoping to become a go-to for that crowd. He also plans to offer delivery via DoorDash, but encourages customers to order directly from his website instead of the app.

To start, the PZA will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. "We'll see how the neighborhood reacts and how this evolves," Rothey says. Based on my first taste, I'd expect the PZA to quickly become a go-to for anyone in the area craving a high-quality pizza at a very fair price.