When Anthony and Kimberly Teeter first walked into Carelli’s Pizzeria, they weren’t looking for a business. They were on vacation. But what began as a trip to visit family quickly turned into a new chapter — not just for them but for the food culture of Craig.

After years of visiting, the Teeters decided to make Craig their home in 2020. A native of the Bronx, Anthony spent two decades as an NYPD officer, many times working in Italian neighborhoods filled with pizzerias and family restaurants.

Anthony worked as a teacher in the Moffat County School District from 2020 to 2022, forming powerful relationships with families as well as the community as a whole. In December 2022, they bought Carelli’s. Though it was a shared dream, the transition into ownership proved challenging for both of them. 

“There was a big learning curve with other people and it was very difficult,” Kimberly said. “There were a lot of people that wanted the old Carelli’s, and it wasn’t the old Carelli’s. It was, you know, ours and real good Italian food.”

They closed for three months beginning in June 2023 to regroup. During that time, they decided to give Carelli’s another shot. Anthony decided to return to New York and sought guidance and recipes from some of the world’s top dough masters and pizza makers.

“They gave me their advice and I built on that,” he said of the collaborations. “We all share with each other.”

The education paid off. 

The pizza Anthony makes today has received national acclaim, including 18th in the world at the 2024 International Pizza Challenge, hosted in Las Vegas, in the world’s best cheese slice competition in the plain cheese pizza category.

“I want to bring the New York Italian food that I grew up with, and the pizza to Craig, so they can experience real Italian food,” Anthony said. “Because what we know as Italian food is not what other people think about as Italian food.”

That dedication extends to ingredients, techniques and philosophy. 

The dough that Anthony now uses is fermented for three to four days, and the sauce is handmade with a blend of tomatoes, fresh herbs and a lot of love and care. They import bread and meats from New York. Anthony even makes his own mozzarella for special pies like the margherita.

“You don’t just open a can and throw it in there,” Anthony said. “Dough has to have certain gluten and fermentation and hydration. There’s a lot involved.”

He’s also joined the Galbani Pro Team, sponsored by the world-renowned Italian cheese brand, and now gets to work alongside chefs he once idolized. Their influence has made its way into Craig through Teeter, and so has their clientele.

“We built up a big Steamboat clientele that love our food and follow it,” said Anthony. “Even the Vail Valley comes up now. People drive three hours just to eat here.”

Despite being open only two days a week, the Teeters make over 200 pizzas by hand over the course of a weekend. Those two days of operation require three days of prep, most of which Anthony does himself.

“If I had another pizza maker — someone passionate and willing to partner — then maybe we could open for additional days,” Anthony said. “I don’t want it to lose its personal touch.”

Carelli’s also offers other authentic Italian dishes like shrimp scampi, penne a la vodka, chicken cutlets and lasagna.

But for the Teeters, it’s not about fame or profit. It’s about the food and connecting with people over a meal.

“We don’t get a salary or anything like that,” Anthony said. “As long as the restaurant covers itself, which it does, we are happy.”

A large cheese pizza is still a reasonable $19.95 and many other meals, with salad and bread, go for under $25. Many dishes come from recipes that were passed down from Anthony’s grandmother or obtained from Italian friends in the Bronx.

“We run this like an old Italian place,” he said. “We know every customer by name.”

And there’s no printed menu at Carelli’s.

“It’s very untraditional or unconventional,” Kimberly said. “They want to know the specials. This is what we can do and many people think it’s great.”

Even without a formal menu, or extended hours, Carelli’s has become a regional destination. Travelers from Aspen, Eagle County, Wyoming and even jet pilots passing through Hayden have made special detours just to grab a pie.

“We weren’t expecting this,” Kimberly said. “We have good people from Craig that have supported us through day one, but we didn’t really expect people to drive in from Vail.”

Even with a growing base of foodie-fans, the business has not been easy. 

With minimal staff, sometimes just the two of them and their college-age son, they juggle family, preparation and full-day shifts that often leave Anthony with carpal tunnel and sore joints from kneading dough by hand. They also receive help from Justylyn Alair, a Steamboat-based chef trained at Johnson & Wales University who also interned at the The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for five years.

For now, the Teeters are taking things one pizza at a time and are maintaining a focus on keeping the quality high, the atmosphere local and the love at the center of every dish.

“Somebody said to me, ‘You brought the Bronx to Craig,'” Anthony recalled. “And people in New York will never believe it unless they’ve had it. But when they come here, they realize.”

And if it’s up to the Teeters, Craig won’t just be a place known for coal, elk hunting and western roots.

It’ll be on the map for pizza, too.