Sazza Restaurant - A Delicious, Earth-Friendly Find

Being a foodie, and the husband of a natural foods chef in Denver, Colorado, I am never at a loss for new and interesting locales on the restaurant scene that offer more than just a tasty meal. Foodies don't just like to eat - we like to dine. And that's as true for a light snack or lunch as it is for a five-course meal. So, I was thrilled to discover a tasty destination for pizza today that also appealed to my green and progressive sensibilities, and I found it in an unexpected place, the Cherry Hills Market Place on Orchard in Greenwood Village. After my daughter and I picked up a brush at Sally's Beauty supplies, we wandered over to The Wooden Table, a higher end nouveau Italian restaurant I've been meaning to try. And, next door we discovered:

Sazza Restaurant - Pizza, Salads [Mostly] Organic

The sign caught my eye, as it did my daughter, who is a pizza fanatic. I thought we might pop in for a slice, and instead sat down for a nice snack in a most interesting of "fast casual" style restaurant. The ordering is done at counter service, though the man behind the counter was as pleasant as any maitre' d, discussing the menu with my daughter and me, and then complimenting her on her choice of an 8-inch, whole grain pizza with red sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, and pepperoni. The rest of the menu is variations on pizza and an array of salads, the name "sazza" coming from a combination of pizza and salad. As we checked out the decor, I became more intrigued by the message of sustainability, and the goal of "mostly organic." The wood-fired style and thin crust reminded me of the St. Louis style dear to my heart, and the flavors were fresh and original.

Everywhere you look at SAZZA
There's Earth-Friendly thinking:

We source from sustainable and local growers and suppliers  Our ingredients are certified organic, and when they can't be they are pure and natural Our Togo containers, utensils, cups, lids, and straws are compostable and made from renewable resources   We recycle the glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper we use to minimize our landfill contribution  In former lives, our patio furniture was soda bottles, and our dining room tables were manufacturing remnants  The glasses you sip from are recycled wine bottles  Our mismatched silverware? It's donated from our customer's kitchen drawers  Our mismatched employee shirts? Also donated for reuse by our customers  We continually strive to do more  We'll keep you posted...

Sazza is the brainchild of Jeff Rogoff, who developed his plan for a better pizza joint while studying at the DU (University of Denver).  He and his wife Jenni Hayes opened Sazza in 2006 with an eye for organic, clean eating and a sustainable business model. To that end, they developed an urban garden in Denver to give back to the Earth and the community, and provide as much fresh produce for their restaurant as possible. And it's no surprise where they found inspiration for this model, as being students in Denver opened their minds to the potential of all natural fast casual when Chipotle first opened while they were students. While it's not clear that Rogoff and Hayes are on their way to millionaire status like Chipotle founder Steve Ells, it is nice to see a high quality pizza place contributing to the same theme.

Check out Sazza. You won't be disappointed.