Everyone Around the Table

There aren’t that many places where the sound of a child having a fit blend in with the overall din of a place… except perhaps at a

football game, by the side of the road at rush hour or at The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits, which made its Colorado debut at Belmar in Lakewood.  Now this is nothing against The Rock. It’s just to say that it’s a noisy place, what with the fairly loud rock ‘n roll playing, the raucous conversations going on and the kids well, being kids.  It’s all turned into magnified surround-sound by the floor-to-ceiling hard surfaces, cool though they may be!

The Rock already has locations in Washington State, Oregon and Canada. They hope to open three locations in Colorado in the next year or so.  Seems like an odd collection of locations but what do I know. The premise behind The Rock is to blend a love of rock ‘n roll with good food and drink.  That explains the gritty, heavy, brick and iron atmosphere with rock ‘n roll artwork everywhere.  It was all I could do not to break out into an air guitar solo as soon as I walked in.

The menu is varied and creative both in names and combinations.  You can eat as heavy or as light as you want from salads to meat-laden pizza.  We dined there within days of the opening and witnessed both eager-to-please service and a few mishaps like a forgotten entrée.  Overall though, The Rock is a welcome option for family dining as well as a place to meet friends for a beer and a bite.

Here are the highlights and lowlights from our visit:

Appetizer– Being wing freaks, we had to try Rocks Wings. Plump and meaty, they had an odd doughy-ness and sweetness that were disappointing.

Salad – Both the Garden Salad with its variety of veggies and the Caesar with oven-baked croutons were fresh, crispy and had dressings that didn’t overwhelm their greens.

Pizza – The pepperoni-lovers at our table were perfectly happy with the “Classic Rock” with plenty of pepperoni and mozzarella. We also loved “Flirtin’ with Disaster” with hot Italian sausage, Andouille sausage and caramelized onions. Whatever the toppings, The Rock’s pizza crust is delicious, crispy and chewy with the right amount of tug.

Pasta – Although a work of art, the colorful ravioli in a pesto cream sauce in “Elvis Sighting” was lackluster.  Our resident alfredo fan proclaimed the “White Room” typical-tasting yet really creamy.  We couldn’t get enough of the “Can’t Get Enough”. We kept passing it around the table again and again, snatching another forkful, much to the dismay of the daughter who ordered it. Deceptively simple, it was a creamy red sauce with chili flakes, ground hot sausage and meatballs on fat fettuccine noodles.  Although those ingredients sound simple enough, somehow the combination became something fantastic – seriously one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in a long time!

Prices hover between $9 and $12 for most entrees.  Kids’ meals are a good deal ranging from $2.49-$4.49 including a drink. There’s a good variety for them including salad which I’m so glad to see a restaurant offer. There are several variations of pasta, a peanut butter and jelly pizza, chicken and burger.  You can also get a kid-size smoothy for just a little more.

Give The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits a try for the food, the atmosphere, the conversations it will start about which Rolling Stones album was best and because your child can pitch a fit and they’ll just blend right in.  Rock on!

The Rock, Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits, 7399 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, CO. Open daily from 11:30am – midnight.  303-454-3282. http://therockwfp.com/.