Charitable Work: In addition, George Eder is involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Glendale. He helps with fundraising and recently took the ashes of four people who passed away from Leukemia to Mount Everest to spread their ashes.
George Eder opened his first Pizza Republica 10 years ago simply wanting to share his family recipes with his soon-to-be guests. Now, Eder owns three locations including the Pizza Republica inside Glendale’s CitySet. Pizza Republica opened last year taking over the space formerly occupied by Silvi’s Kitchen.
“It started from very simple beginnings of wanting to do mom and grandma’s recipes and didn’t really intend on it being three restaurants out of the gate,” said George Eder, Executive Chef and Owner of Pizza Republica. “My grandma made her stuffed shells only once a year on Christmas Eve and I wanted people to enjoy them every day if they wanted to.” Now, guests can order “Nona’s Famous Stuffed Shells” right off the menu at all three locations.
The pizzas at Pizza Republica are all made from scratch including the dough and cheese. “Everything we do is from scratch,” said Eder. “We do all of our own dressings and bread and we have made all of our own cheese for the pizzas since opening 10 years ago. We are up to over 600,000 pounds now with all of our locations (Glendale, downtown Denver, and Greenwood Village).”
Authentic Neapolitan pizz
Brick Oven: The Neapolitan-style pizzas at Pizza Republica are cooked in a wood fired brick oven at over 1000° that crisps the crust with a charbroiled smoky flavor, perfectly melts the handmade mozzarella, and allows the aromas of their fresh ingredients to shine through before they become overcooked. This is the true art of the Pizzaiolo: each pizza is an individual piece of art for all to enjoy.
as must be made with certain ingredients, like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte (fresh mozzarella from cow’s milk).
According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of Caputo 00 flour, fresh yeast, sea salt and water; nothing else. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low speed mixer and, after the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand to achieve a thin crust and a soft chewy cornicione. The pizza must be baked for 90 seconds in a 1000° F wood fired oven. When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant.
“Our Neapolitan pizza is just like being in Italy, without having to get on a plane,” said Eder. “Our motto is our guests and our people come first so we try to take care of both. If you want to serve family recipes, you should make it a bigger family. That is what my mom and grandma would want.”
Eder has extended his family by joining the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce and getting involved right away. “The Chamber knows the neighborhood and the whole reason to be part of the Chamber is to be part of the neighborhood,” said Eder. “That’s how you get to know the market and the people. I love their [The Chamber’s] insight on what the area is going to do and what it has done and how I fit into it.”
In addition to pizza, Pizza Republica offers organic salads, rustic Italian entrees, and an extensive all Italian wine list. They offer Heirloom Tomatoe Garganelli, Wood-Fired Flatbreads. Save room for dessert, which just got better with the addition of Chocolate Nutella Ravioli, Limoncello Cheesecake and Flourless Chocolate Torte.
Pizza Republica is located within Glendale CitySet at 686 S. Colorado Blvd. Their $9 lunch special is available 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The special includes a margherita pizza and a small salad. Brunch starts every Sunday on June 3, 2018. For more information, visit pizzarepublica.com or call 720-389-7660.