Pizza is such a staple in our American diet, especially those of the collegiate variety, that it arguably should have it's own food group on the nutrition pyramid. Nowhere is this more evident and pervasive than in the clustered business community around CSU. Students and locals alike have their world as their oyster in terms of selection from the myriad of different pizza shops, which all do things slightly different to make their own artistic impression upon the ubiquitous food of choice for so many.
Cosmo's Pizza is not a new venture. There are already a few other locations in Boulder that have, on their own credit, done well for themselves. Looking to expand, they opened up one more. Within then recent development of a business complex on the corner of Elizabeth and City Park, there they were - smack dab in the heart of pizza central! There already happens to be at least six other pizza shops within a stone throw of this location, but fortune favors the bold as they say. My curiosity compelled me to see how this restaurant would measure up to the more well established pizza shops that already call this neighborhood home.
I call them up and order a carryout. One medium pepperoni, bacon, jalapeno and pineapple pizza please ($15.00)! Oh yeah, and an order of bread sticks ($4.00)! He answers, "Ok, that'll be 20 to 35 minutes." Initially I thought, "Wow, there's a 15 minute window where I could potentially be waiting unnecessarily." So I clarify, "so it'll be ready in 30 minutes?" "Yes," he replies. Fair enough, I travel a short few blocks down the street to pick up my delicious pie.
I get to the counter and I notice about 5 guys in the kitchen that all seem to be student age and apparently having a good day at work. I ask, "When did you guys open?" "Oh, we just opened at 11am this morning," He says. I was nonplussed and even a little worried about what was inside my mystery box I was about to take home. After a careful scan of the restaurant, it appears that they do a lot of pizza-by-the-slice business because they had at least six or seven very large pizzas with enormous size slices ready for the walk-in business. They all looked appetizing enough and that helped diminish my initial pizza anxiety.
The moment of truth had arrived! There it was in all of it's carb-loaded glory - my fresh Cosmo made pizza! With a sigh, I gaze at the slightly undercooked mosaic of meat and cheese. The crust and cheese was not of the normal golden and brown color I'm used to seeing. The peppers and pineapple had no searing from the heat. this pie could've been cooked another 3-5 minutes. On to the breadsticks! I pull them out of the bag and to my disenchantment, they too were slightly undercooked. What's worse is that they were basically naked sticks of pizza dough, twisted with no seasoning or flavorful garlic-butter coating, cheese or other ingredient besides the dough. They seem to have been rushed because their sizes were inconsistent and the relative crispness of the dough was either good or nonexistent.
Overall, they seem like a decent place and it's clear that the crew needs a little more experience with cooking pizzas, but it was their first day open. The pizza itself was delicious, despite being slightly undercooked, but that could be because my ingredient choices were a medley of amazing flavors that sang a sweet symphony in my mouth. I have faith that they'll improve, but time and business will tell how well they make their mark in CSU's backyard. read more