Leading up to its opening this fall, our blog, “The Core,” will feature a series of inside looks at the people, plans and passion that will make Core 450 a unique dining experience and neighborhood gathering place.

To refer to the new centerpiece of Core 450’s culinary operation and open kitchen as just a “pizza oven” would be like calling the Mona Lisa just a “painting.”

Tipping the scales at 6,500 pounds, the EarthStone Model 160 weighs slightly more than an African Forest Elephant. At 190,000 BTUs pushing temps toward 1,000 degrees, it can cook a pizza in three to five minutes.

More than seven feet in diameter, it can hold up to 20, 8-inch pizzas, 13, 12-inch pizzas or even a handful of “Man vs. Food” size pies.

When asked about the types of pizzas he envisions going into, and quickly out from, the oven in a few months, Core 450 Owner Matthew Jennings answers in one word: endless.

Asked to expound, he’s more than happy to, and certainly prepared.

“We’ll rotate pizzas by seasonality and the fresh ingredients that are available,” Jennings says. “I see wood-fired Carolina fig and prosciutto pizza topped with local goat cheese, BBQ chicken pizza with chicken roasted in the EarthStone, white pizza with house crafted ricotta and mozzarella, and so many more varieties.”

Jennings says he is just as excited about the oven’s seafood roasting capabilities as he is its pizza prowess. 

“There will definitely be whole fish wood-fired like citrus-stuffed red snapper, local rainbow trout, Carolina black sea bass, and cedar plank salmon, as well as mussels Provençal and garlic and white wine scented clams,” Jennings adds.

The EarthStone – transported by truck all the way from Glendale, Calif. and installed by an industrial construction crane – is fueled by natural gas accented with real hard wood. 

And speaking of lumber, Warden has developed a cult-like following at Cherokee Valley for his entrees smoked with local, all-natural peach wood. 

Jennings says just about every food group will be well-represented in the oven, from locally raised poultry and farm-fresh vegetables to artisan breads and even desserts, such as wood-fired cookies in a skillet with house-churned vanilla bean ice cream and dark chocolate ganache accented with a salted caramel sauce. 

“Our team is so excited about the endless possibilities with this awesome piece of equipment,” Jennings says. “With a pizza oven, you want something tried and true that has its roots going back to the origin of the food. We can’t wait to get in the kitchen and start playing with all the fun tools we have been blessed with.”

And we can’t wait to sample it all.