One step into chef Jim Cohen’s new Pizzeria Da Lupo [2] and you know this is no ordinary pizza joint. Cohen, together with business partner Ken Wolf, has turned a tiny location in Boulder's Village shopping center [3] into a cozy hangout with an unpretentious, Italian-style dining room with warm woods, colorful tiles, and a crackling fire that radiates from the massive hand-built, wood-fire oven.

The pizzeria is a dream for the highly acclaimed Cohen, who returned to Colorado after successful runs at The Phoenician [4] in Scottsdale, Arizona and Terrazza [5] in Las Vegas. Many will remember the James Beard Foundation [6] nominee as executive chef of Denver’s Tante Louise and the Plum Tree Café (he also spent time cooking in Vail at The Wildflower [7] and Cucina Rustica [8]).

Now in Boulder, Cohen—who also chefs at The Empire Lounge and Restaurant [9] in Louisville—hopes to bring more flavor to the humble pizza by using top-notch ingredients, such as prosciutto di Parma, house-made cheeses, and his own “secret slow-rising dough.” For the most part, he succeeds. The slightly smoky crusts have yeasty overtones and a chewy bite, and come topped with goods like caramelized onions, bacon, and Scamorza cheese.

Cohen’s crew is still getting a handle on the 1,000-degree oven, however, and occasionally the pies are served with too much char and burnt toppings. But overall, there is a ton of potential in Cohen’s six signature pizzas, grilled panini, salads, and antipasti. Still, if he wants to compete with the nearby Pizzeria Basta [10]—not to mention the soon-to-open Pizzeria Locale [11]—he'll have to find consistency.

 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-396-6366