Turns out, you can learn a lot about the mindset it takes to make a perfect pizza by hand-crafting custom Harley-Davidsons.
Mikey Loco has worked in motorcycle garages for years, making a name for himself and the intricate, obsessive builds that come out of his North Long Beach shop, Dirtbags California.
“If I’m 90 percent done with a build, I’m going to tear it down and redo it to my standards and then present it,” he said in an interview about his process a few years ago. “I want to be No. 1 at everything I do. So I take it to the next notch, take my time, make it perfect.”
That ethos is also behind the swirled marble floors, motorcycle headlights that illuminate the dining area, and fanatically tested pizza dough at his new restaurant: Dirty Pepperoni.
Loco said he hand-picked each part of the design.
“The bikes that I build are very, very attention to detail. So this is what we’re bringing here,” he said.
Since their soft opening on Oct. 20, Dirty Pepperoni and its staff have been working to “feed the city” with their specialty pizzas and sandwiches served out of a spot on the ground floor of the historic Broadlind Hotel building in downtown Long Beach.
The jump from custom fenders and pipes to pizza wasn’t all that odd for Loco, who previously worked in the bar industry. The opportunity arose from a conversation with his chef friend Lev Kim, who, for the past 12 years, had been testing recipes for what he hoped was the perfect pizza.
“I just felt like Lev was our secret weapon,” Loco said.
Kim filled notebooks with notes as he worked out details such as the best way to prepare the dough, what spices to use to season the oven and how thick to cut the vegetables so they’ll cook perfectly.
“This is the result of hard work, passion [and] patience,” Kim said. “I think people appreciate this effort that we put in every day in the morning before opening, preparing everything fresh.”
In the couple of weeks before opening, the team tested so many pizzas to make sure they got everything right that Loco said he probably gained 10 pounds. They particularly focused on their signature pie.
“Being called Dirty Pepperoni, we had to dial in on our pepperoni,” Loco said.
After testing dozens of pepperonis, the team found a special blend of beef and pork that has a lower percentage of fat, ensuring their pizzas are not overly greasy. It also has a bit of sugar to crisp up the edges.
It’s now a top seller, along with their Chef’s Special, which has a white garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, bacon, fresh oregano, ocean clams, fresh garlic and parmesan cheese. Pizzas at Dirty Pepperoni range from $18.99 for a medium cheese pizza to $39.39 for a large Chef’s Special.
Based on the response they’ve seen in the first week alone, Loco is confident Dirty Pepperoni will be a success.
“We’re having a great time, and the place is going to do well,” Loco said.
He said Dirty Pepperoni will have its grand opening sometime next month. They’re just waiting for their liquor license and a few custom booths that will have real motorcycles built into them to round out the space.
After that, Loco will turn his focus to another passion, his youth program called Dirtbags Academy. It helps local young people explore career paths through mentorship, hands-on skill-building opportunities and community projects.
The next cohort at Dirtbags Academy will have the opportunity to work at Dirty Pepperoni to gain experience in the restaurant industry.
“I can work with them and put them in areas where they can learn. And then the sky’s the limit for them to go wherever they want,” Loco said.
Dirty Pepperoni, 149 Linden Ave., is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.