Editor’s Note: This feature originally appeared in EAT Magazine, now available on newsstands.
It’s hard to imagine Vail without Vendetta’s on Bridge Street. The local’s favorite pizza place, Italian restaurant and major contributor to the town’s culture for more than 40 years stays strong in providing a place for everyone from lacrosse teams to ski patrol to gather and enjoy a slice – or something else off the menu featuring everything you’d expect at a classic family-owned Italian-leaning restaurant.
“We really pride ourselves on being a local spot for people to go,” General Manager Jen Riddle said.
Saltimbocca: pan fried chicken, prosciutto and sage with mashed potatoes and asparagus.
Prosciutto e Melon – melon prosciutto honey mustard balsamic glaze basil add burrataDominique Taylor/EAT Magazine
With two bars – including a pizza bar to watch the magic happen – a spacious patio as well as a downstairs area for private parties, Vendetta’s is an approachable place that can strike FOMO when walking by, simply by looking into the restaurant from Bridge Street through its large slider windows.
Vendetta’s unique taste comes from everything being made in-house, Executive Chef Michael “Panda” Garcia’s commitment to consistency and a line of pizza chefs that crank out made-to-order pizzas every day.
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“These guys, it’s all day, non-stop,” Riddle said of the pizza professionals. “Turn and burn, turn and burn. We go through a lot of dough.” (Not literally “burn” the pizza, of course.)
Knights Move pizza with sausage, pepperoncini, pineapple and basil. Dominique Taylor/EAT Magazine
And for Riddle, who grew up at Vendetta’s with her dad as an owner, she still enjoys a slice pretty regularly. She likes to create her own, which is always a fun option, but Vendetta’s specialty pizzas and slices come with fresh ingredients, fun names and a variety of sizes.
The Popeye’s Passion – named after her father John “Popeye” Brennen – comes with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion, green peppers and black olives; and the Snow Pig showcases pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon.
On top of the go-to pizza, Vendetta’s dinner menu has pastas, like the summertime shrimp scampi; fresh greens, including a summer salad with mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, caramelized peach, cucumber, goat cheese, pistachio and lemon vinaigrette; and entrees that feature a New York strip, breaded chicken breast, grilled salmon and other proteins.
Scampi spaghetti with shrimp, garlic, lemon, white wine, cream, chili flakes and parsley.Dominique Taylor/EAT Magazine
The Bar Snacks menu is sometimes enough, with homemade meatballs, calamari, wings, garlic bread and everything to be expected to complement a pizza menu. Lunchtime brings more options with sandwiches, spaghettis, soups, seafood and other filling foods perfect for a refuel.
Lunch specials are announced daily, drinks of the week rotate and beer and wine specials can be expected. Locals and visitors alike congregate around the bars during major sporting events. And Vendetta’s continues to be a long-lasting pizza-driven movement of Vail.
Prosciutto e Melon appetizer with cantaloupe, prosciutto, honey-mustard-balsamic glaze and basil.Dominique Taylor/EAT Magazine
Although when Vendetta’s opened in 1983 in the downstairs-only space that has since expanded, it originally went by a different name, but was soon changed to Vendetta’s. And today, Vendetta’s shirts and hats from Vail are recognized when worn all over the country as a reminder of what has been a heartbeat of this town.
“It’s really nice to still have this local spot to go to in Vail, and that’s kind of what we live for,” Riddle said.
Dining and Cooking