Latest News – July 27

Peak Pasta: Leadville’s Fine Dining Food Truck

by Brennan Ruegg, Leadville Today contributor

Peak Pasta at the corner of W. 4th St. & Harrison Ave. Photo: Brennan Ruegg/Leadville Today

Nary a noodle was offered in Leadville after Zichittella’s Italian Restaurant closed in 2013, unless picked up from Safeway and boiled on the stove at home. But that’s all changed now that Eric Laslow and his partner Sandy Nye have opened up Peak Pasta, a food truck serving fine Italian foods on the corner of 4th St. & historic Harrison Avenue. Open from 12 – 9 p.m. daily, and made with the help of family and years of fine dining experience, the dishes are refined and deceivingly simple from Puttanesca to Arrabiata.

Paek Pasta owner Eric Laslow has been cooking all his life, owned six highly successful restaurants, been endowed with accolades and shouldered with some of the biggest names in field. Popping up on lists such as America’s Best Restaurants, Restaurant of the Year in Portland OR, Top 25 Nightspots in the World by Conde´Nast Magazine, his accomplished passion for food has propelled him through life and luckily landed him in the City of the Clouds. After working as General Manager at Doc’s and Consultant for Periodic Brewing, Laslow was implored by all sides to get his own thing going. Something he and his daughter Celina had brainstormed through the years came back to him: start up a foodtruck.

Eric Laslow mans the Italian food truck. Photo: Brennan Ruegg/Leadville Today

Laslow’s response to the question Why Leadville? is as romantic as any Italian restauranteur’s: “Because I’m in love.” Laslow met Sandy, Software Engineer and resident of Lake County for fourteen years, in 2014, and the two have been inseparable since. Along with Celina, who’s grown up in the business “since she was four days old”, and cousin Lucas Ortiz all lending hands, it’s a full-on family affair.

With many directions to take from such a wealth of experience, Laslow finally decided on a simple and authentic carb-heavy cuisine, fit for a racer: Italian pasta.

Sandy Nye at the wheel on a summer evening. Photo: Brennan Ruegg/Leadville Today

With every intention to continue serving through the winter, and an ever-expanding ambition to create all that might be expected from brick-and-mortar dining, Laslow and Nye won’t be taking the truck on the road any time soon. So stop by and try, say Lamb Bolognese, reportedly actor Richard Gere’s pick on his recent visit to Peak Pasta.

Along with several pastas, they also serve subs and local ice cream and gelati. Check out their Facebook for a menu, give them a call at (719)398-1959, or stop by for buona mangiata.

Brennan Ruegg is spending the summer at Halfmoon Creek with Black Mamba.