Oct. 14, 2019

Breadico-inspired pizza returns today with the opening of Pizza di Paolo.

The restaurant at 2300 S. Minnesota Ave. will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Owners Dennis and Linda Napolitano, the parents of Breadico founder David Napolitano, held a test run Saturday night. Dennis and Linda were there with David, his siblings, other family members and staff, hand-tossing pizza, making salads and serving drinks.

Dennis Napolitano built the wood-fired oven and did much of the build-out work for the space, which is between Caribou Coffee and Ramen Fuji.

There is seating at booths and tables, and there’s a jukebox next to a stack of wood for the oven.

In addition to crafting the menu for his parents, David Napolitano created the colorful Italian-inspired posters that fill the walls.

While you can get more basic pizzas such as the Willie Pepperoni and the Supremo with sausage, mushroom, green pepper, black olive, spinach, mozzarella and red sauce, there are gourmet offerings such as the Santa Lucia with onion, apple, pancetta, pine nuts, arugula, maple syrup and bel paese, which is an Italian soft cheese. The Pepinelle has potato, olive oil, garlic, onion, oregano, parmesan and fontina, a semi-soft cheese.

The pizzas come in 12- and 16-inch sizes, and the restaurant plans to have a few choices by the slice too.

There’s wine by the glass or bottle. Tap offerings include prosecco and Peroni, an Italian beer. There’s also Coors Light and a rotating choice from local breweries.

For dessert, the menu offers ice cream or profiteroles, a cream puff and ice cream that are topped with hot fudge and cherry.