During busy seasons, the wait for a table at the dinner hour at Giampietro in Breckenridge may be as long as two hours.
Those in a hurry seek out another eatery, but most give the hostess a cell number and stroll the surrounding shops while they wait for the call.
Service is exceptionally fast and friendly, but all 10 or so tables stuffed in the tiny space are in high demand.
The pizzeria has won “best pizza” awards in Summit County for several years, and during the lunch hour, customers stop in, order at the counter and walk away with a huge New York-style slice for about $3.
But I’m partial to pasta – in particular, the penne arrabiata ($8.75), which is not on the menu but listed on the daily specials blackboard.
Luckily, every time I visit, the dish is available. The penne is coated with a creamy-thick, spicy red sauce spiked with chunks of ham and onions. If you order this dish, don’t let anyone taste it. I’ve watched countless patrons give up half their lunch to companions.
Arrabiata means “angry” in Italian, but the sauce isn’t blatantly hot: It suggestively and pleasantly tingles your tongue with blended flavors, but doesn’t make you want to reach for the water glass.
Baked ziti is cheesy-gooey and bubbly hot. It used to be my favorite dish until the arrabiata stole my heart.
Manicotti – a large, stuffed pasta tube – is another customer favorite. One recent special of the evening ($8.75) was filled with chunks of white chicken and a nicely seasoned ricotta-spinach mix. Two large tubes were covered with thick marinara that was fresh and robust.
In the “I bet you can’t eat all this” category, you’ll find the restaurant’s calzones. Tunnels of filled dough are shaped into giant doughnuts and served on huge plates with a bowl of red sauce holding down the middle. You could feed a small country with this or one hungry male teenager.
Build your own from a variety of pizza toppings – including pepperoni, Italian sausage, meatball, black olive, mushroom, garlic, tomato, pineapple – for about $10.
Salads ($3.50 to $4.75) are good-sized and can be a meal starter or a small lunch. Appetizers include spinach-artichoke dip ($7.25), bruschetta pomodoro ($4.75 and wonderfully crunchy with fresh tomatoes), and steamed mussels ($7.50).
Other seafood dishes are spaghetti with shrimp and pesto ($12.95) and fettucini alfredo with shrimp ($13.25).
For dessert, try the mini cannoli for $2.70. The shells are a crispy accompaniment to the just-sugary-enough ricotta filling.
Staff writer Cynthia Pasquale can be reached at 303-820-1722 or cpasquale@denverpost.com
Giampietro
Pizzeria and pasta|100 N. Main St., Breckenridge; 970-453-3838 |$6.50 to $25 (Sicilian deep dish pizza
with everything)|Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Most credit cards.
Front burner: Great food served quickly in a friendly atmosphere.
Back burner: The bathrooms are outside and the pre-meal bread could be fresher. Did I mention the bathrooms are outside and need a key?
