Meet the Chef: ALPINE PIZZA COMPANY

We sat down with Executive Chef/Owner Colby Lefebvre of Alpine Pizza Company in Vail, Colorado. For a true taste of the Rockies, a visit to Alpine Pizza Company is a must while exploring Vail. Known for its artisan-style pizzas, high-quality ingredients, and cozy mountain-town atmosphere, Alpine Pizza Company is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

Alpine Pizza Company in Vail, Colorado: Meet the Chef

Whether you’re refueling after a day on the slopes or enjoying a laid-back evening in Vail, this popular pizzeria delivers some of the best pizza in Vail with unforgettable flavor and alpine charm.

Tell us about what your morning routine looks like, and how you like to end your day?

My mornings start early—usually around 5:30 a.m. with a cup of black drip coffee. I’m a big fan of black coffee. During the week I’m usually the first one up in the house, so it’s quiet moment before the day gets going. I’ll catch up on our restaurant’s social media, emails, and check in on the accounts while watching the Golf Channel. I like getting to the restaurant before anyone else. There’s something about that quiet time in the kitchen before the crew arrives. I’ll write the prep lists, organize the day, and make sure everything is set up so when the team comes in, we can hit the ground running. Once the afternoon crew is in and up to speed on their assignments and our daily specials, my day usually shifts to the less glamorous side of running a restaurant—meetings, errands, and whatever else pops up that day. I try to fit in workout or some cardio before picking up my daughter from daycare around 5:00.

Evenings are the best part of my day. We get to slow down and just be a family, playing together, feeding her (she just started solids), and bathtime, which she absolutely loves. I usually end the night cooking dinner for my wife and cleaning up the kitchen. After a day in the restaurant, it’s nice to cook something simple at home. Then we’ll watch a little TV and call it a night before doing it all over again the next morning.

Do you have a favorite chef that you look up to and what advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

Right now, my favorite chef is David Chang. I’ve always admired his drive to keep pushing forward and his willingness to think outside the box. I’ve also been an avid listener of his podcast since it started. Hearing him talk openly about the highs and lows of running restaurants has helped me through some tough moments in both the restaurant world and life.

It’s reassuring to know that even at the highest level, being a professional chef and restaurant owner can feel as challenging and lonely as it sometimes does. One thing he talks about that really resonates with me is that you don’t have to be the best cook in the room—you need grit and the determination to keep learning. That mindset has stuck with me.

For aspiring chefs, my biggest advice is to stay curious and keep learning. Work in different kitchens, learn the fundamentals, and don’t be afraid to put yourself in uncomfortable situations where you can grow. This industry rewards people who show up every day, work hard, and keep pushing to get better.

Do you have any awards or achievements you’d like to mention?

One of the things I’m most proud of personally was being named “Vail Valley Young Professional of the Year” in 2022. That recognition meant a lot to me because it reflects the work of building something meaningful in the community. For the restaurant, we’ve been fortunate to receive some great recognition as well. We were named “Best Pizza in the Rocky Mountains” by the Denver Gazette, and USA Today recognized us as one of the top Detroit-style pizza spots in Colorado.

Closer to home, we’ve also been honored to be included in the Vail Daily’s “Best of Vail Valley” every year since we opened. But beyond awards, building a restaurant that supports the local community and gives back—whether that’s through local events or donating to nonprofits—is about as rewarding as it gets.

What do you typically cook at home?

Honestly, I still spend a lot of time working on pizza at home. I enjoy experimenting with different dough variations—playing with hydration levels, fermentation temperatures, and fermentation times. It’s something I genuinely love tinkering with, and a lot of those little experiments eventually make their way into ideas for the restaurant. Being a new dad has also changed the way I cook at home.

These days I’m focused on making meals that are delicious, quick, and balanced while creating as little clean up as possible. When you’re juggling dinner and a baby at the same time, efficiency becomes pretty important. In a funny way, that mindset has actually helped me improve how we operate in the restaurant. Cooking at home has pushed me to simplify processes and think about efficiency while still holding a really high standard for quality.

What’s a food trend that you’re loving right now and why?

One trend I’m really excited about right now is the way pizza is starting to breakout of the “cheap food” category. For a long time, pizza was seen the same way people used to think about pasta—something inexpensive and simple. But just like Italian food eventually did, pizza is starting to break that mold. Consumers are beginning to understand that while you can get a cheap pizza from a large chain like Domino’s, there’s a whole other level to the craft.

From the quality of ingredients to the fermentation of the dough and the depth of knowledge that serious pizza makers bring to it, it can be a much more thoughtful and refined food than people might expect. I also think the slice shop is having a real resurgence, especially at the higher levels. Some of these places are turning out incredible pizza, and the format lets people try multiple styles or flavors in one visit. The lines outside a lot of these slice shops show just how much people are embracing that experience again.

What’s the strangest food combination you’ve ever tried? And did you like it?

I don’t know if this counts as a food combination exactly, but the strangest thing I’ve ever eaten was shrimp bisque soft serve ice cream. Years ago, I worked at a restaurant where we had a soft serve machine that we used for frozen drinks. One day an employee accidentally poured shrimp bisque into the machine instead of the drink mix. Nobody noticed until it was already spinning. Curiosity got the best of us, so we tried it—and honestly, it was pretty damn good. It never made it onto the menu, but the staff definitely ate a fair amount of it that day.

What drink do you enjoy most?

For non-alcoholic drinks, it’s a close race between black coffee, a cortado, diet Dr. Pepper, or just plain sparkling water. My mornings almost always start with black coffee, it’s simple, strong, and part of my daily routine. If I’m somewhere that makes good espresso, I’ll usually go for a cortado. I like how balanced it is and how it lets the coffee really shine. During the day I’ll often reach for sparkling water. My favorite is LaCroix, the plain one. I love the size of the bubbles and how crisp it feels. And every once in a while, a cold diet Dr. Pepper just hits the spot. When it comes to alcohol, my heart is near and dear to a very dirty martini. It’s usually my drink of choice when there’s something worth celebrating.

Have you ever cooked for a celebrity? Do you have a story to tell?

I haven’t ever directly cooked for a celebrity myself, but we’ve had quite a few stop into Alpine Pizza over the years. Being in Vail, you never really know who might walk through the door. Ree Drummond has come in when she’s visiting Vail, and Pookie Puckett has stopped by as well. We also see a lot of professional athletes since Vail is a world-class destination for orthopedic surgery and recovery. One regular who stops in from time to time is Super Bowl champion Linval Joseph and his family. If he’s not in town when they come by, he’ll usually FaceTime in just to say hello. Moments like that are always pretty fun for the team.

What’s your Instagram so readers can follow you?

Follow Alpine Pizza Company on Instagram at @alpinepizzacompany.

Why should readers visit Alpine Pizza Company in Vail, Colorado?

People should visit because Alpine Pizza was built out of a real obsession with pizza. I’ve spent years working on dough—experimenting with hydration, fermentation times, and ingredients—trying to make Detroit-style pizza that’s simple but really dialed in. We’re also just steps away from the slopes, so we get a great mix of locals and visitors coming through the door. It’s always fun seeing ski boots next to work boots in line. We don’t have a traditional dining room, but what we do have is an open kitchen.

When people come in to order they can see everything happening, the dough being stretched, pizzas being built, and the ovens going. I’ve always liked that transparency. There’s nothing hidden and people get to see the process behind what they’re eating. Most people grab their pizza and take it with them, but when the weather’s nice people will sit outside on the benches and picnic tables and eat right there. It has a really casual, laid-back feel to it, which fits Vail pretty well. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to make pizza that people get excited about. something worth grabbing after a long day on the mountain.

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