Pizza, Yum! Charlie Medina (right) has been working as Backcountry Pizza’s assistant manager for over eight months, fostering the perfect pizzeria atmosphere with a sports bar attitude. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BACKCOUNTRY PIZZA[/caption]
There are many different types of pizza, all with varying degrees of cheese to sauce to dough ratios…not to mention “classic” versions that are without cheese, and even ones without sauce. There are pizzas that are thin, some that are deep; there are round ones, square ones, others that are “personal” sized and those that are “party” sized. There are different pizzas from different regions all across the country and all over the world.
Pizza can be made at home, can be microwaved or baked in a traditional oven, or one could go out and find a pizza chain restaurant or a modern, trendy trattoria. But arguably the best pizza comes from old-fashioned New York City-style pizzerias.
A pizzeria is built around the pizza oven; everything else, like seating, is an afterthought. You may expect to find two, maybe three people working at a pizzeria at any time, regardless of the time of day or day of the week. There’s always a television or radio that’s on inside a pizzeria, broadcasting sports of some kind.
You can sit at a table covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth, await for your name to get shouted across the tiny dining room, take advantage of complimentary parmesan, oregano, and red pepper flakes that are within gigantic glass shakers, and eat a slice of pizza the size of your whole head.
Backcountry Pizza in Nederland not only perfectly encapsulates the true vibe of a classic East Coast pizzeria, but strengthens that vibe by infusing a little “sports bar”-style attitude. As soon as you enter the restaurant a full bar with a tantalizing and eclectic selection of Colorado favorites is right in front of you. And though the smell of pizza dough is forever in the air, Backcountry Pizza also serves some of the best chicken wings in the Peak to Peak region.
“I’ve got Damnation, I’ve got the Happy Hops,” Charlie Medina worked the bar and shouted over Led Zeppelin, explaining to The Mountain-Ear all of the Russian River Brewing Company beers currently on tap at Backcountry. “I’ve got Pliny the Elder AND the younger. Last Sunday when we tapped those things it was a madhouse in here.” Medina, who has been with Backcountry Pizza for three years and has been an assistant manager for eight months, noted that the popularity and exclusivity of the famous triple IPA Pliny the Younger that is released once a year causes quite a fervor.
Backcountry’s menu includes a litany of options for building customizable pizzas, as well as offers an exciting selection of specialty pizzas, such as the customer-favorite MT. Hawaiian, which features ham, pineapple, and jalapeños. In addition to pizzeria menu staples like mozzarella sticks and garlic bread, Backcountry also serves barroom favorites like BBQ and Buffalo-style chicken wings, loaded tater tots, and chicken fingers with fries.
Most recently Backcountry has expanded its menu with some new specials that have already proven incredibly popular, including a caprese salad with basil, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella topped with a balsamic vinaigrette; oven roasted brussel sprouts; and new dessert options including cannolis and fried cheesecake.
“Those were mine and Liz’s idea,” Medina said, giving a shoutout to Backcountry’s kitchen manager Liz Bradshaw. “We sat down with a chef who showed us a bunch of cool (stuff), and we came up with a handful of new exciting things.”
Backcountry Pizza moved into Caribou Village Shopping Center at 20 Lakeview Drive, Unit 212, around 2003. Ever since Backcountry first opened its doors it has remained dedicated to nourishing the hometown pizzeria feeling and attitude in Nederland, providing locals and tourists with that perfect take-out option as well as with a place to recoup and renourish after a day spent skiing or hiking.
Though Backcountry has experienced more than its fair share of staffing woes, Medina and Backcountry General Manager Tim Dumke have made continuous efforts to assure that their customers always have an enjoyable experience.
“It’s a real issue and it’s across the board,” Medina said, referring to the staffing problems that mountain towns often suffer from. “I’ve never had such a problem like this, and I’ve been working in these type of places since I was 18 years old.”
Medina also mentioned how his core dedicated staff work overtime to provide great food as expediently as possible, and always at a fair price.
“There’s Starla and Logan who work the bar, and Olivia and Carlos in the kitchen are just rock stars!”
The recent additions to their menu isn’t all that Bradshaw and Medina have planned. There are special events and other tantalizing promotions in the works, as the Backcountry team is always looking for great ways to expand what they can offer to their customers.
“We’re gonna have garlic knots and cinnamon knots and Liz makes this really awesome glaze to dip them into,” Medina said excitedly. “We’ve been stepping back a little recently and letting everything just run for a bit, but calzones and stromboli are definitely some menu items we want to work on.”
With their dedication to the craft, ensuring perfection in their sauces and their commitment to providing an authentic pizzeria atmosphere expertly merged with that of a classic sports bar, pizza lovers, beer aficionados, and sports fanatics alike will all feel at home at Backcountry Pizza.
Backcountry Pizza, located at 20 Lakeview Plaza, Unit 212 is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m to 10 p.m. and on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information go to their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/backcountryned. To order, call 303-258-0176.
Sponsored by the Town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
