Pizzeria Lui opened on July 21 under first-time restaurant owner Zach Parini, a chef and baker who has lived in Denver for the past eight years and most recently worked at the Grateful Bread Company. Perini grew up in Michigan and has worked at fine-dining restaurants in Seattle and Chicago that specialized in what he calls "tweezer food."
The smoky aroma wafting over this corner of Lakewood comes from an Acunto wood-burning oven from Naples, Italy, which runs at about 900 degrees Fahrenheit and cooks pizzas faster than Parini can make them. The menu consists of several red-sauce pies and an equal number of "white" pies that come either unsauced or with a light layer of pesto. Those and a few craft beers, ciders and wines make up the entire menu — which is a good thing, because Pizzeria Lui is a one-man show for the moment. Parini acts as pizzaiola, cashier and server at the counter-service eatery, which sports only about twenty or so seats inside.
Prices range from $12 to $15 for the house specials, all of which are built on a fourteen-inch crust with a slightly thicker bone than the standard Neapolitan. Parini says he wants the bigger pizzas to differentiate his restaurant from other Neapolitan practitioners; his pies are easily shareable between two people.
![](https://media2.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/9316608/pizzeria-lui-01.jpg?cb=1694470716)
Pizzeria Lui chef/owner Zach Parini gets ready to load a pie into his wood-burning oven.
Mark Antonation
Once the neighborhood catches on that there's something new on West Mississippi, Parini plans to add a fenced-in beer garden in the back and a rooftop garden up top, where he'll grow herbs and vegetables to supplement his seasonal menu for next year's growing season. While the area doesn't seem particularly well-suited for a hip, modern concept, diners with long memories might recall that Maria Empanada got its start just across the street before moving to its current location at 1298 South Broadway. After the Argentinian cafe moved, Mayan Manjar Yucateco briefly served excellent specialties from the Yucutan before Alameda Burrito took over.
Pizzeria Lui is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, stays open an hour later on Friday and Saturday, and is closed on Monday.
![](https://media2.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/9316610/pizzeria-lui-03.jpg?cb=1694470716)
The "Lawn Boy" pizza with arugula, tomatoes, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, artichoke, garlic and pesto.
Mark Antonation