There are Italians and then there are Neapolitans. The citizens of this city in Southern Italy lay claim to inventing pizza, and the area is also famous for its gelato, coffee and wine — while the nearby city of Sorrento is well known for its giant lemons. For centuries, distillers in the region have turned this bounty of citrus into a liqueur called limoncello. For those looking for a little slice of Naples along with their slice of pizza, Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria in the Ballpark neighbohood has the ticket.

Mark “Marco” Dym and his wife Kristy have owned and operated Marco’s for five years, and it's the only Colorado restaurant to have received certification from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Italy. The requirements of the certification mean that Marco’s uses all fresh, non-processed ingredients imported from the Naples or Campania region. The pies are made with type “00” flour (the highest quality naturally refined flour), fresh tomatoes from the San Marzano region and cheeses from the Italian countryside, along with fresh produce from Colorado. The pizza is then cooked in a wood-fired dome oven.

This freshness and authenticity can be found not only in the food, but also the drinks. If you want to pretend you’re in southern Italy for the afternoon, sip on a shot of Marco’s homemade lemoncello. Dym explains the recipe he uses isn’t quite as authentic as the pizza, because he uses vodka instead of grain alcohol and uncut lemon rinds without the white part, for more lemon flavor. He also uses a light housemade simple syrup, while restaurants in Italy favor a heavier syrup. This is because he wants to keep the spirit lower in alcohol, so it can be enjoyed all afternoon long. The limoncello is then aged for one or two months.

Kristy explains that limoncello is easy to make at home as well. The simple syrup is just water and sugar boiled together, and she suggests not cutting the lemon rinds because bits of juice will escape from each cut — a whole rind will impart more flavor. Another tip: make sure all the white part of the rind is removed, because that's the bitter part. Limoncello can be aged for as little as a few weeks, but she suggests waiting two months for best flavor.

Marco's house limoncello is also used in the signature Lemon Basil Drop Martini. Also made with lemon vodka, orange liqueur and a splash of lemonade topped with basil leaves, this sweet summer drink will make you think you’re sitting in the Piazzetta Marinari watching boats float through the marina, especially if you sip it on Marco’s private outdoor patio.

So if you want to escape to Naples for lunch hour, happy hour or maybe even all day, try a visit to Marco’s Pizzeria, or the second location in the Denver Tech Center. Happy hour runs from 3–6 PM, Sunday–Thursday and features $3 draft beers, $4 house wines and $5 cocktails (Ballpark, 2129 Larimer St., 303-296-7000; Inverness, 10111 Inverness Main St., Englewood, 303-790-9000).

Photos by Carrie Dow