Best New Restaurants 2012

Our food scene has never been more vibrant, and with global street eats, Scandinavian-inspired cuisine, and modern comfort food, it’s a thrilling time to be a foodie in the Mile High City. Book a table at one of these eight newcomers—and taste the future of Denver dining.

Pizzeria Locale

Trend: Pizza Napoletana

When Frasca Food and Wine’s Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson open a pizza joint, you can be sure the bar will be set almost unfairly high. But no one places higher expectations on Stuckey and Mackinnon-Patterson than they do: Frasca is a classic because of the attention to detail, from the kitchen to the dining room to the maître d’. Pizzeria Locale is no different. The 10,000-pound oven, constructed from Mount Vesuvius’ volcanic rock, was built by the famed Stefano Ferrara family in Italy and imported to Boulder. At 1,000 degrees, it takes less than two minutes to turn out pies with charred crusts topped with simple collections of pure ingredients. The classic margherita—crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, fresh basil—is sublime; the more modern mais (corn, crème fraîche, prosciutto cotto, and mozzarella di bufala) equally so. But it takes more than an oven to make a good pizza. Chef Jordan Wallace spent months learning the craft from pizzaiolos in Naples, and many more months perfecting a dough recipe that would perform at altitude. Proof of a job well done comes in the form of the patrons who fill the small space nearly every minute the doors are open. Bonus: Stop by for Aperitivo Hour (4:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily) for prices on food and drink that range from 50 cents to $8. 1730 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-3003, pizzerialocale.com

■ Opened: January 2011

■ Order this: Polpettine, pepperoni e tonno, pizza diavola