How About a Pizza Party on Wheels?

Pizza doesn’t get more personal than this. "Rolling in Dough” is a mobile pizza party that’s posting up in yards from Riverhead to Orient, Montauk to Manhattan, and even upstate. This is the real deal. It’s fresh, handcrafted artisan pizza that brings out the true flavor of the North Fork.

"Rolling in Dough” is the brainchild of Greenport entrepreneur Matt Michel. Word has traveled fast about this fully renovated, fire-engine red, 1943 International Harvester convert. You’ve probably seen it cruising on Route 48, parked in a winery field, or smelled a fresh pie sizzling on the streets of Greenport.

Michel takes his portable pizza parlor, “Rolling in Dough", wherever your party is. It’s everywhere from the beach, to the vineyard, rehearsal diners, and weddings. The onboard wood-fired brick over turns out mouth-watering personal pies topped with the freshest local produce and goat cheese. You can choose from more than 18 different toppings from mozzarella and pepperoni, to exotic sounding combinations out of the “Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles” movies. Michel says his customer’s favorite pie is mashed potato, bacon and caramelized onion. No matter which pie you create, they are all complimented by beverages from the milky-headed Duck Porter at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, to the soon to be released fruity-nosed Sauvignon Blanc Jamesport Vineyards.

Michel’s seen his business triple from the first into his second season. Now, headed into his third season, Michel says so far it’s been a great learning experience on the business end as well as the culinary side. Looking forward, he’s thinking of slowly expanding into other parts of the state. He tells me he’s also toying with the idea of turning “Rolling in Dough” into a full restaurant operation.

For the motor-heads, here's a little more on the "Rolling in Dough" International Harvester. The 1940’s truck was fully restored by Wheeler's Garage in Southold. Ted's Auto Body in Peconic is responsible for the eye-snatching red paint job. The truck has a full refrigeration system complete with a freezer. So after your pizza, you can enjoy fresh gelato. There’s also an onboard cappuccino machine. It brews the finest beans from Aldo's artisan coffee shop in Greenport Village.

There’s a pretty interesting story about the onboard oven. The Valoriani pizza oven was shipped over all the way from Florence, Italy. It’s a pretty expensive acquisition but it’s worth it. "I make the best pizza in the world, well, aside from Florence, Italy." Michel told me. The oven has a lot to do with giving the pizza crust its flavor. Michel starts the fire hours before getting to your party, so when he pulls up, the coals are red-hot ready to cook with, and the smell of pizza fills the air. The pizza party on wheels is also equipped with speakers so you don’t need to worry about tunes. Guests love how the truck is able to transform from a farm truck into a standalone brick oven pizzeria. "We always get a wow when we climb up on the roof attach the chimney and have a roaring fire in a matter of minutes," says Michel.

This month “Rolling in Dough” is catering a party ON the South Ferry. “Part of the reason I chose to start the pizza truck is that it is mobile. Each event is a new Experience,” Michel said. So if you’re planning an outdoor Spring party for kids young or old, and want to really impress your guests, you might want to think about “Rolling in Dough.” I mean who doesn’t like pizza! You can all check out “Rolling in Dough” at Corey Creek Vineyard every Tuesday from 5 to 9 along with wines tasti8ng and live music. For scheduling, pricing, and more information on “Rolling in Dough” check out www.rollingindoughpizza.com.