Photos: Pizzeria Di Olinto opens in Centennial

By Lori Midson Mon., Jun. 25 2012 at 12:24 PM

Lori Midson

"It's my husband's fault," declares Terri Lack. "All of it."

Still, there could be worse things than getting the blame for your wife's infatuation with Italian food, to which Lack admits a serious addiction. "My husband comes from an Italian family, and when I first went to his parents' house, they served this huge bowl of pasta di Olinto, a 100-year-old family recipe, and I absolutely loved it," says Lack, who added it to her menu at Pizzeria di Olinto, a new restaurant in Centennial that pays homage to thin-crusted pizzas and pastas.

Lack, who started her career in the restaurant business by helping her husband open fast-food franchises, went on to manage an Olive Garden in Georgia, a gig that gave her the opportunity to go through the chain's culinary program, but Americanized Italian food, she learned, wasn't her passion. "I didn't want to make Italian-American food, so I started leafing through cookbooks and watching cooking shows about real Italian food," she says, adding that "around the same time, Neapolitan pizzas starting showing up everywhere, so I stated making my own yeast and dough, and that's when I decided I wanted to have my own restaurant."

Her menu, which includes starters, pizzas fired in a wood-burning oven flamed with hard oak, pastas, salads and desserts, one of which is a s'mores pizza, is complemented by an open kitchen, wine bar and urbanized dining room bedecked with wooden tables and shades of pewter. "I love to entertain, and we designed the space so that it's conducive to that," she says. "I have a passion for making people feel at home, and I've touched the table of every guest who's sat down in here since we opened a few weeks ago. I've never met a stranger."

I stopped by Pizzeria Di Olinto last week to take a trip through Lark's menu, the photos of which are on the following page.

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Pizzeria Di Olinto

12023 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, CO

Category: Restaurant

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Pizzeria Di Olinto

We Recommend

charlenegrelli

@Drake: stopped by yesterday. Owners had previously built their own WFO. This one uses a large format FB oven.They figured it out as mine was perfectly cooked. Great service as well. I will be back while I continue to plan my own build.

Pizzatracker

1 Like

Wonderful place to get in and out for lunch, or have a nice realxing dinner. An average of $3 cheaper than surrounding wood fire pizza restaurants. The food speaks for itself with the simplicity of the Itialian culture. Great atmosphere, where you can tell the owner has put much effort into the restaurant. Try it out once and you will be hooked!!

Tllack

Thank you! As we can't accommodate everyone we do try. We have been working on a lunch menu since we opened and now it is here. Quick, friendly service with great food for only $9 with drink (sodas, tea, lemonade). 11-2 Mon - Fri

DenverFoodie

Great food, owner watching over the place, the Olinto Pasta is amazing and served hot and fresh. I asked how they keep it fresh and they told me each item is prepared to order. Most places keep food in a warmer. none of that nonsense at Olintos. Bake the bread fresh and they make their own cheese for the pizza. Service friendly, good food, great low prices.great wine selection. who could ask for more in a neighborhood restaurant.

Foodiedenver

Service was not great, nervous & way to young wait & kitchen staff, the food was OK at best. There was no bartender for lunch & drinks were a bit slow to arrive, food was decent but way overpriced for what was being served. Expect to pay about $20 per person for lunch with a soda & a tip. Bread sticks at the table are for decoration only - after the 1st bite I was ready for a dentist appt. The food is hit & miss, some of it comes out to the table on time but, a few guests will be waiting for a while for their food as your friends stare at your plate arriving 10 -15 minutes b-4 theirs. Pizza comes out with slightly under-cooked crust or burned crust. Pasta is better depending on what you order, some is flavorful but some are very bland. With so many Italian eateries in Denver & the DTC area it's hard to see why one would choose Pizzeria Di Olinto over Maggiano's or Carraba's italian who offer similar prices but with much better service & better quality chefs in the kitchen. To a customer that means better food every time you order. As my guests & I left after lunch the general review was "lets go somewhere else next time for italian food"

Pizzeriadiolinto

It is a pleasure serving the Centennial Community! Brenda & Tom it was a pleasure serving you! We may not always get it right but it is truly our desire to serve great Napoli pizza and fresh artisan pizza! Come join us also for our Happy Hours Mon-Fri 3:30 to 6:30 Thanks again! Terri

Brenda and Tom

Amazingly terrific Napoli-style pizza - the best we have had since Pizzeria da Michele in Naples (which has been serving pizza since 1870). The crust is thin but fluffy with a lovely char on the bottom and delicious well-sourced ingredients on top. The "spundini" (fontina cheese melted in oven roasted proscuitto) was also stunning, as was the meatball appetizer and the fennel/orange salad. We'll be back OFTEN! The setting is sophisticated and cool, while also vibrant and welcoming. This place is far, far better than the usual strip mall fare.

Itisme1769

rusty eat your egg McMuffun and stay home

Drake Remoray

That is such a common problem. Pizza Republica in the landmark has the same problem. Marcos gets it right.

Rusty Shackleford

Suburban office park strip-mall (most notably, one that's chased off tenants for years)? Pass.

Loopz23

Those of us who work in the suburban office parks are happy to see new options.

monopod

Pizza oven isn't running hot enough; the pies are too pale on top with no charred spots (except the s'more pizza, but it looks like the burnt parts are mostly sugary toppings which will burn before anything else). Looks like a nice oven, hopefully they can get it up to temp.