Pizza and Small Plates (But No Pasta) at Andrea Frizzi’s New Boulder Restaurant

Expanding his Italian influence across the Front Range, Andrea Frizzi — owner of RiNo’s upscale eatery, Il Posto — has decided to bring his more casual Vero Italian to Boulder.

By early 2018, Vero will transform Pizzeria Da Lupo at 2525 Arapaho Ave. In the meantime, Frizzi and his team have already set up shop there, firing Neapolitan-style pies and operating the space, owned by developer Ken Wolf, under the Da Lupo brand.

In the months ahead, the rustic strip mall pizzeria with an unobstructed view of the Flatirons will undergo a considerable remodel — repainting, replacing lighting, and eliminating the framed prints of Italian life and pop culture that crowd the walls.

The new design will be more contemporary and minimalist, comparable to that of the original Denver Central Market stall. Architectural designs are still in the works, but Frizzi says the overall look and feel of the full-service restaurant should evoke a traditional Italian trattoria.

High-top communal tables will rest alongside the windowed side of the dining room, and the bar will curve and extend toward the front of the restaurant to accommodate more guests. At the back of the space will sit a row of wooden bench booths, along with a mini-Italian grocer, showcasing retail items such as uncooked pastas, giardiniera, sauces, and more.

Without a hood or stove in the kitchen, Vero Boulder will not be able to serve pasta as its Denver sister location does. It will offer small Italian plates such as burrata, crudo, carpaccio, calamari, and, of course, its signature pies.

Before Frizzi was tapped to take over the Pizzeria Da Lupo location, Chef Matt Lackey was expected to revamp the restaurant. Lackey passed away in April.

While this will be the second Vero location to open, a third already is slated for the A Concourse in Denver International Airport, expected to open in 2018.