Inizio Pizza’s new Dilworth location opens today

The original location opened to rave reviews last year in south Charlotte and now fans closer to center city will have easier access to their signature Neapolitan-style pies.

Inizio will anchor a new development near Ed’s Tavern on Park Road that will also house new locations for Not Just Coffee, Yoga One and Green Brothers Juice.

Owner Grant Arons is obsessed with perfecting authentic Italian pizza, which means he and his team work with imported ingredients and follow traditional preparation standards.

Inizio pizzas are made with imported 00 Polselli flour, San Marzano tomatoes, high quality olive oil and buffalo mozzarella.

They bake in about 90 seconds in imported wood-burning ovens that reach temperatures of about 1000 degrees.

The end product is a soft, foldable pie with charred “leopard” spots and chewy crust.

Pizzas come in two sizes (12 or 16 inches) and range in price from $12 – $22.

Arons and his crew let me try my hand at their craft and I can confirm it’s not as easy as they make it look.

Things were looking up at the prep table where I meticulously arranged my basil and cheese in a flower shape like a total suck up.

But then all hell broke loose once I got it in the oven. It’s a fast-paced, precise art where seconds and inches make a major impact on your final product.

Mine was a little too close for a little too long and came out a bit on the blackened side. Better luck next time.

Here’s a look at some of the traditional and specialty pizzas on the menu at Inizio:

The menu is simple with a heavy focus on pizza, but they also serve salads, gelato and homemade cannoli.

Lemon is a new cannoli flavor on the Dilworth menu joining classic pistachio and chocolate chip.

Don’t watch the following video if you’re hungry.

You have been warned.

Inizio Pizza Dilworth is located at 2230 Park Road. It’s open Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m.