The Supremo | The Snacklebox

We all have ‘em: Mom’s chicken soup on a cold, December day or that unbelievable burger and fries from your favorite dive bar in college. Foods like these are so much more than sustenance, they’re little sensory time capsules that deliver you, immediately and without asking, back to a special time and place. Whether it’s the safety and comfort of home or the freedom and revelry of our first years away, with a taste of these familiar foods we aren’t just reminded of the feelings, we get to experience them all over again. 

Here, deep in a magical canyon all but locked away from the outside world, we’re likely bearing witness to our latest Proustian moment. With each bite, a simple pizza shared among friends becomes so much more as our tastebuds hardwire a network for vivid recollection. I, for one, cannot wait to taste this pie again sometime down the line so my mind is flooded with memories of this place, these people, and this absolutely unreal adventure.

While it’s true that there’s no such thing as bad pizza, there are some really good ones out there, and Chef Spencer’s Supremo sits near the top of that latter category. In few other places will you find such a well-executed classic. Each ingredient is asked to do some serious heavy lifting and the result is truly greater than the sum of its parts (even though the parts are pretty damn fantastic in their own right). So next time you find yourself in charge of dinner for you and your friends, take The Supremo for a spin. I guarantee you will not regret it! 

Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed organic San Marzano tomatoes
• 12g extra virgin olive oil
• 9g garlic, microplaned
• 5g sea salt
• 2g crushed red chili flakes

*Combine all ingredients, whisk together until well combined. Keep cool until ready to use.

Supremo Ingredients  

• 300g portion of your favorite pizza dough 
• Simple tomato sauce (2 ounces per pie) 
• High-quality Italian sausage, broken up and sauteed 3-4 minutes 
• Fresh oyster mushrooms, broken up and sauteed 2-3 minutes
• Pepperoncinis, drained and sliced 
• Castelvetrano olives, sliced
• Low-moisture, fresh mozzarella 
• Sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Pizza Assembly & Cook

*Cooking a Neapolitan pizza is an inherently tricky and nuanced process. Follow along the video for an in-depth overview of Chef Spencer’s elite tricks and tips.

1. Preheat pizza oven to 750 degrees
2. Break up sausage, brown in skillet then set aside
3. Break up mushrooms, lightly salt, brown in skillet then set aside
4. Stretch and shape dough
5. Start with sauce then continue layering toppings to your heart’s content
6. Place pizza in the oven for roughly four minutes. Rotate periodically to avoid scorching the crust!
7. Behold, The Supremo! 

Chef Bio

Chef Spencer White grew up in Colorado and found his footing in the kitchens of Denver. Long, chaotic nights at places like The Populist, Lower48, and Luca d’Italia taught him how to cook with precision, hustle, and just the right amount of defiance. But at some point, the grind wasn’t enough, so he bought a one-way ticket and started walking.

Backpacking through Europe, White chased more than postcard views—he sought flavor, culture, and that elusive feeling of something real. He cooked in hostels, traded dishes for stories, and soaked in everything from Neapolitan street food to the refined austerity of Nordic fine dining. But it was at a little kitchen called Bror in Copenhagen where things shifted. There, he learned how to be bold without shouting. No smoke, no mirrors—just honest food that hit you straight in the chest.

Upon his return to Denver, White teamed up with Alex Figura, a fellow Lower48 alum, and rolled the dice on Dio Mio—part punk-rock pasta bar, part altar to handmade food. Their shared success eventually led them to join forces with entrepreneurial guru Lulu Claire and create Mama + Papa’s Hospitality Group: a collection of concepts built on grit, instinct, and a shared belief that good food doesn’t need a white tablecloth.

White was never one to chase awards but they found him anyway. Zagat named him one of their ‘30 Under 30’ rising stars, and in 2017, 5280 Magazine called him one of Denver’s best. More recently, his work earned a nod from the Michelin Guide, an acknowledgment that what he and his team are building in Denver has a place on the global culinary map.

Today, White cooks with guts, not gimmicks. His food is grounded in classical technique but driven by experience—from Denver to Denmark, from the line to the Michelin shortlists. His food tells the story of a chef who’s earned every ounce of praise—and never stopped pushing.