The sight of that old brick oven sparked it all – the dream of opening a pizzeria. It reminded me of neighborhood spots, the kind with that perfect, comforting aroma of baking dough and melting cheese. There was just one catch: the oven I inherited was a coal-burning behemoth, out of action for years and in serious need of some TLC. But the vision of Mulberry Street Pizza was already taking shape.
First things first, the oven needed rescuing. I found a local kid to tackle the grime and called in a gas mechanic to fit gas jets. With the heart of the pizzeria getting a new lease of life, my attention turned to the menu. Being a self-confessed lover of all things delicious, and having sampled every pizza joint in town, I had a pretty good idea of what worked and what didn’t. I knew I wanted that thinly sliced cheese, inspired by Johnny’s Pizza – it just melts perfectly. And of course, the sauce had to be my mother’s marinara recipe, a flavor that felt like home. In 1987, Modern Pizzeria opened its doors, and it was everything I’d hoped for. This was it, my passion, my stride.
Both the pizzeria and my club were thriving, a testament to years of hard work. But the New York winters were getting old, and the West Coast sun was calling. A trip to see my old acting school friend, Giuseppe, in Beverly Hills, sealed the deal. He had his own successful hair salon there, and the California lifestyle was infectious. With a little nudge from Giuseppe, I sold up in New York and headed west, ready for a fresh start and a new chapter for Mulberry Street Pizza.
California felt like the perfect place for a new beginning, and incredibly, the ideal location for Mulberry Street Pizza practically fell into my lap – right across the street from Giuseppe’s salon! Every penny went into this new venture, but it was worth it. Living in this beautiful climate, doing what I love, bringing the taste of Mulberry Street Pizza to Beverly Hills – this was the dream realized.
