Kids in the Kitchen at Pizza Carlo, Copper Mountain Resort

"Absoulute must do"

If you are going to be eating dinner at Copper Mountain on a weeknight, Kids in the Kitchen Pizza Carlo is an absolute must do.

At 4:00pm, our family arrived at Pizza Carlo and the kids were outfitted in white chef’s aprons and chef’s hats. The restaurant even took the time to write both of my kids’ names on their hats and decorate them. Then the kids were invited to follow the chef into the kitchen for a tour. The first stop was right in front of the oven where the rules of the kitchen were explained – no touching! After that we were led past the salad preparation center, cold storage, and the giant mixer. Next, there was a brief discussion about how dough is made followed by a stop at the sink for hand washing.  The chef then headed the group back up front to the pizza dough press and over to the pizza topping bar. The kids headed around to the outside of the kitchen to take their places on barstools in front of their pizza dough.

First the chef handed each kid a spoon and a great big bowl of sauce to spread on the dough. Next up were the toppings. A large bowl of cheese was the first topping passed to the kids and they carefully dropped handfuls of cheese onto the pizza and of course asked for more cheese. The chef then asked the kids what other toppings they wanted on their family pizza. Given that my kids’ only eat cheese on their pizza, they had a blast naming toppings for the rest of the family and piling them on. I carefully carved out a portion of the pizza for just cheese (I wanted to make sure they would eat the pizza they created), and once they thought their masterpiece was complete, the chef lifted it off the counter and into the oven it went. While the pizza was cooking, the kids were sent over to the table where they were met with a large family size bowl of salad, a basket of yummy breadsticks, and sodas for everyone. When the pizza was ready, it was brought to the table and “presented” to the kids. The pizza was fantastic and the crust was amazing. After everyone was done with the pizza, the kids were invited back to the pizza bar to create their dessert pizza. They were presented with a baked pizza crust covered with butter and a cinnamon and sugar mixture and about six bowls full of sweets. Mommy was provided the can of whip cream and chocolate syrup. The two year old grabbed the bowl of M&M’s and decided these were his. The kids enjoyed devouring the toppings and even managed to get a couple of handfuls on the pizza.

Reservations are required for Kids in the Kitchen. The cost is just under $70 and this includes enough food for 3-4 adults and sodas for everyone. The cost was comparable to other restaurants at Copper Mountain but was by far the best dinner we ate.  Plus, it was the most fun. If you have the chance, this is one activity that I would most definitely not pass up.

*This review is based on a complimentary Kids in the Kitchen experience at Carlo’s Pizzeria at the Copper Mountain Resort. I received no other compensation and the owner did not express any requirements that I express a particular point of view.