Denver gets a lot of ink for being an active town. We’re always outdoors, hiking, biking, camping, fishing. …
But we’re rarely recognized for the pastime we excel at more than any other: Kicking back and hanging out.
The rest of the world could learn something from Denver about the psychologically restorative powers of killing a couple of hours with good friends, a hot pizza and a few glasses of beer or wine.
Denver is well equipped for the pursuit of hanging out. We have a wealth of neighborhood pizza hangouts: Pasquini’s, Angelo’s, Carl’s, Lechuga’s, _____ (insert your favorite here).
Lucky LoDo dwellers live in walking distance of two of the city’s best: The self-proclaimed “Granddaddy of LoDo,” the Wazee Supper Club on Wazee Street, and the thoroughly modern Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana just across the river on Platte Street.
These two pizza joints have very little in common, at first glance. One seems like a blast from the past; one is decidedly new-school.
But at their cores they exist for the same purpose: Hanging out and eating pizza.
When you first wander into the cavernous Wazee Supper Club, with its black-and-white tiled floors and massive wooden bar, you’ll assume the place has its roots in the Pleistocene era.
There must be stories in these walls. Surely Molly Brown’s livery staff drank here on days off. Maybe Howlin’ Wolf once played an impromptu “Wang Dang Doodle” here on the way through town. And isn’t that Jack Kerouac’s imprint on that barstool?
Well, no. The Wazee Supper Club opened just over 30 years ago, making it much younger than Denver’s more senior pizza taverns like the Bonnie Brae and the Edgewater Inn.
But no matter. The Wazee Supper Club, however old it is (or isn’t), is a bona fide Denver classic.
First up, cold beer. Choose your poison from the roster of local, national and imported brews, about 13 bucks a pitcher.
Next, something deep-fried. Onion rings, say, or mozzarella sticks. They’re fine, but they’re really just there to keep you busy (and soak up the beer) while you wait for your pie.
Aside: If you’re not up for pizza, Wazee produces a serviceable burger on a nicely buttered roll. Skip the sandwiches, except the Philly cheese steak, a sloppy, lovely mess.
Wazee’s pizza is described on the menu as “the best pizza in the civilized world.” Actually, it’s not the best in the civilized world (I checked), but it was very good on three visits. Hot, well-sauced, and just crispy enough on the bottom.
The crust wasn’t thin, but also wasn’t thick. It was somewhere in the middle. But – and this is where Wazee’s pie stands apart – it was cooked through. Too many pies come out of the oven too soon, doughy and gummy, but the folks at Wazee know not to rush your order.
Besides, you’re not in a rush anyway. You’re busy hanging out.
My favorite pie was the meat lovers’, with pepperoni, sausage, ham and Canadian bacon. My friend Michael, a longtime Wazee regular, goes for the vegetarian special, with mushrooms, black olives, green peppers and onions.
None of the toppings at Wazee are unique or fancy. Even the list of “gourmet” toppings includes decidedly un-gourmet choices like bacon and chicken breast.
But that’s fine with me. Because if the Wazee started selling pizza with imported prosciutto and Kalamata olives, I’d take it as the seventh sign and resign myself to the rapture.
Which is not to say I don’t have a taste for pizza with imported prosciutto and Kalamata olives every now and then, not to mention San Marzano tomatoes and Haystack Mountain feta cheese and Polidori bacon.
So it’s a good thing that Denver, like Longmont, Lafayette, and Boulder, has a branch of Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana.
You could have a beer at the airy, cleanly designed, big-windowed, loftlike Proto’s, probably something fancy like a Peroni or a Moretti Amber. But a better choice would be wine.
The constantly changing roster features interesting reds and whites by the glass – recent options have included a soft but upstanding Antica Masseria del Sigillo Primitivo from Puglia, Italy, and a buttery Herding Cats chenin blanc-
chardonnay blend from South Africa.
Salads feel like afterthoughts on Proto’s menu, neither inventive nor innovatively executed. Most are little more than leaves in a bowl (usually Romaine) with some stuff on top. The Caesar salad had a pleasant flavor and delectable anchovy filets, but I all but broke a tooth on the accompanying tough-as-concrete “crouton.” My advice: Skip the salad and wait for your pizza.
It’ll be worth the wait.
Proto’s signature super-thin crusts, crispy and light, come topped with a host of thoughtful toppings. Pizza control freaks can create their own, but the folks back there in Proto’s expansive open kitchen already have conceived a few pre-fab combos worth biting into.
One sublime pie stands out, the Margherita D.O.C.G., a simple, graphic presentation of three pristine ingredients: rich imported tomatoes, fresh housemade mozzarella, and six green teardrop leaves of basil. It is a clear, exquisite arrangement of basic, beautiful elements, a case study in lucid cooking.
Other pies to choose: The savory Roman, with olives, capers, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella. The decadent Goombah, topped with a heap of prosciutto. The over-the-top Traffic Jam, a kitchen-sink version with sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, mushrooms.
Less successful combos were the Low Rider (made with a honey tomato chipotle sauce that belongs in a suite of chicken-wing dips, not on a pizza) and the White Pie, little more than cheese-topped toast.
Bottom line: Proto’s clearly has superior food to Wazee, because they use superior ingredients. But the Wazee’s pies go down just fine, and a meal there can be a heckuva good time.
And while the two places couldn’t be more different, both provide an excellent outlet for Denverites of all generations and tastes to do what they do best of all: Kick back and hang out.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
Wazee Supper Club
Pizza
1600 15th St. (at Wazee), 303-623-9518
**|Very Good
Atmosphere: Classic LoDo tavern with black and white tiled floors, high ceilings and a prominent bar.
Service: Friendly and competent, if not buttoned up.
Wine: Affordable, but sad wine list. Have beer instead.
Plates: Small plates, $4.95 to $6.95. Pizzas $6.25-$19.95 and up.
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday. Noon to midnight Sunday.
Details: All major credit cards accepted. No reservations needed. Good for large groups and families. Good luck parking.
Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana
Pizza
2401 15th St. (enter on Platte Street), 720-855-9400
** 1/2
Very Good, Great
Atmosphere: Bright, loftlike space with exposed ventilation and exposed kitchen. Large bar area, patio out front.
Service: Affable and knowledgeable about the menu. Too busy to smother you.
Wine: Small but tight wine offerings, with about a dozen each of whites and reds by the glass. Cocktails, too, but skip the Prototini.
Plates: Salads $4.99- $9.99. Pizza $5.99- $19.99.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. every day.
Details: All major credit cards accepted. Reservations not needed for small groups, but be prepared to wait at peak hours. Street parking.
Three visits.
Our star system:
****: Exceptional.
***: Great.
**: Very good.
*: Good.
No stars: Needs work.
