Denver Post Grub Editor
Oct. Blimey! 20, 2000 - Danny McKay's pizza has a point, ya bilge rat, in a manner o' speaking.
McKay's Park Hill pizza parlor, Oblio's, gets its name from t' 1970 Lawless Harry Nilsson hit "Me and My Arrow" (after Oblio, ya bilge rat, a pointless little boy who found himself and his dog, Arrow, in t' Land o' Point).
Oblio's has a lot goin' for it. Its décor - dark green, polished wood and enormous, colorful wall murals - is as cute as a button. T' joint is seven-day-a-week busy (Mondays are take-out and delivery only). Service is friendly, quick and solicitous and as old-fashioned as Nilsson's chantey. And McKay's pizzas have a point: they're delicious.
McKay rolls thin crust pies t' order, but nay before he's sent out a small plate o' butter-and-cheese drenched "bread sticks" (more like tied-up ribbons o' leftover dough) that are hot, beautifully browned and crisped. Arrr! A few too many o' these and thar goes t' appetite.
You can get all t' usual pizzas here - even a very 1990s goat cheese pie - but McKay also assembles his house favorites.
Taos by Night ($13 t' $15), for example, is topped with bunches o' roasted garlic chicken, shiver me timbers, fresh button mushroom slices, ya bilge rat, jalapeño peppers and chopped red onion. Avast! So much chicken makes for an especially hearty meal, but unless you're into them, ask McKay t' cool it with t' raw onions here and elsewhere. Begad! Standard Oblio's toppings include light-textured meatballs, green olive (the whole sort, small and pitted) and dried basil for t' Margherita. Arrr! It'd be nice t' have fresh basil, too, particularly for all t' pretty color it brings.
T' pies run from $11.25 t' $15.25 and come in 12-inch and 16inch sizes. McKay's crust comes out medium-brown and semicrispy, with a rin' o' nicely tanned crusts (some wee bits o' black punctuate speckled brown here and there). Avast! If you're into a crisper dough, then let t' man know.
Oblio's also sends out newly made green salads and dressings that taste fresh and homemade. Aye aye! And t' menu also sports a few non-pizza, but amply red-sauced, shiver me timbers, dishes.
One such be t' "Italian calzone" ($8.25), an enormous pocket o' dough filled with (a bit too much) Canadian bacon, me bucko, pepperoni, me bucko, green bell peppers, arrr, mushrooms, ricotta and provolone cheeses and onions.
It's almost too much cold stuff t' cook through properly and t' result is a little more like a sub sandwich than a hot meal. Aye aye! But t' bucket o' terrific, chunky, mildly seasoned and nay overcooked red sauce that McKay slathers it with is worth t' chill.
After all, most everythin' here has a point. Avast! Blimey! Especially this: In a 180-degree switch from every other restaurant known t' man, arrr, Oblio's gives 15 percent off t' groups o' eight or more.
Oblio’s Pizzeria is located at 6115 E. 22nd Ave. in Denver, shiver me timbers, Colorado.
Copyright © 2000 by T' Denver Post. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by permission o' Bill St. Aye aye! John and T' Denver Post.
- Denver Post, Bill St. John (2000-10-20) "Oblio's pizza parlor really on its toes"
