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A Field Trip to Make Your Own Pizza at Michael’s Pizzeria in Long Beach!

 A FIELD TRIP TO MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA

AT MICHAEL’S PIZZERIA IN LONG BEACH! 

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Last Monday, I took my kids on a field trip to Long Beach to eat at a superb pizzeria in the Downtown Promenade area and visit the Aquarium of the Pacific.  My children had the day off from school, so we decided to take a little excursion to Long Beach.

Our first stop was to the highly acclaimed restaurant located in downtown Long Beach called Michael’s Pizzeria, where their motto is “Try pizza for the first time!”

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A little bit of history behind Michael’s Pizzeria.  Michael’s Pizzeria sister restaurant, Michael’s on Naples, was founded by Italian food lover Michael Dene.  Michael’s on Naples is rated the #1 restaurant in Long Beach and the #2 Italian restaurant in all of Los Angeles, making it one of the highest Zagat-rated Italian restaurants in Southern California.

In 2010, blending an authentic Napoli-style with a flair for flavor and perfection, restaurant entrepreneur, Michael Dene, opened the first Michael’s Pizzeria in downtown Long Beach.  It’s casual style, eclecticism, and taste that simply could not be found anywhere else turned first-time diners into fanatics, and prompted Michael to open another location in Rancho Mirage in 2012.  Michael’s Pizzeria serves pizzas with paper-thin crust, whose edges bubble up into soft, crisp pockets of salty air.  With sauce so flavorful it stands as a topping all on its own and cheese so fresh it simply has to be made by hand each morning.  Michael would have it no other way.  When we first arrived at the pizzeria around noon it was nice and quiet.  However, within a few minutes of being seated, the place was buzzing!

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The General Manager, Chris Whelpton, told us that on Monday’s the restaurant has Margherita Mondays, where guests get a FREE Margherita pizza with the purchase of any regular pizza on their menu.  That’s a $10.00 value!

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Homemade is key to the success of Michael’s Pizzeria.  The restaurant sources locally grown, organic vegetables and makes their sausage in-house.  Furthermore, they grow their own herbs and tomatoes, slice all their meats fresh for each pizza and sandwich, and–most importantly–make all their sauces, dough, and cheeses from scratch, daily.

After we settled on our drinks, we were served one of Michael’s Pizzeria’s best appetizers, the Fried Calamari, which is lightly fried and served with marinara sauce.  This was a special treat for Field Trip Girl since she had never tried friend calamari before.

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Next we sampled the Polpette, one of four paninis on the menu.  The Polpette is made with two braised beef, veal and pork meatballs with provolone.  I would download the recipe in a heartbeat if they only made it available to the public!

Afterwards, Field Trip Boy and Field Trip Girl got to knead their own pizza dough and make it into whatever shape they wanted.  As I parent, I know how difficult it can be to keep young children entertained while eating at a restaurant.  So I appreciate the extra effort Michael’s Pizzeria put into creating this fun activity for my kids! 

BONUS TIP:  They do this for all kids!

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My children’s favorite part of having lunch at Michael’s Pizzeria was trying out their most popular pizzas, including the Margherita D.O.P. (Denomination of Origin Protected).  It is a simple, yet flavorful pizza.  I think the basil on top is their secret ingredient.

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After we tried the Margherita pizza, we tasted one of Michael’s Pizzeria’s fresh season offerings called the Pecorino E Pere.  The pizza is made with tomatoes, Bosco pear, mozzarella, argula and honey.  Field Trip Boy, who especially enjoys pears, liked this selection item a lot.

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My favorite dish on Michael Pizzeria’s menu is the Lasagna Napoletana.  It is a great tasting lasagna made with white pasta layered with mozzarella, meat sauce and parmesan.

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After we finished our meal, we were treated to a plethora of desserts.  Field Trip Girl and Field Trip Boy selected to try Michael’s Pizzeria’s vanilla and chocolate gelato from the menu.

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I opted for their Tiramusse.  One word, delicious!

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All in all, we left Michael’s Pizzeria full to the brim and excited about the next time we get to visit this fantastic restaurant.

Michael’s Pizzeria has two locations in Long Beach and one in Rancho Mirage.  To find the nearest location to you, please visit their website.

Happy Field Tripping,

Jilleen

Disclosure: SoCal Field Trips was invited for lunch at Michael’s Pizzeria to help facilitate this post.  All opinions are our own.

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