The first times I was a customer of Michaelangelo's was from 1988 through 1992. This was Monterey…read morePark and my introduction to fast food/restaurant pizza since I was 9 to 10 years old. I remember the Addams Family pinball table, the original Turtles arcade, King of the Monsters, Baseball Stars, the octagonal shape bar counter adjacent to the open pizza kitchen, the wall mirror tiles with yellow veins over the red leather booths and the RGB TV projector showing Raiders games on the walls. I remember the slices, pepperoni when I was that kid, the tomato sauce was thicker, chunkier.
After Mikey's closed and moved I figured it was over, the end of an era forever. I learned of a Michaelangelo's in San Dimas through casual research in 2019, there is a Michael Angelo's somewhere in California but it wasn't until after the pandemic that I learned through more research the San Dimas and Monterey Park locations were/are the same place.
I returned for the first time in 34 years May of '26. I ordered a medium meat lovers pizza to see what would happen. The dark red walls, the multiple flat screens and the modern arcade decor are a far cry from the 80's and early 90's. Still, they provide a welcome atmosphere of familiarity. The nostalgia builds all over again.
The recipe felt so familiar and delicious to me but more than that. Michaelangelo's pizza tasted like memories. I tried the Michaelangelo's special in June. The Supreme pizza that you don't appreciate as a kid but only as an adult. The almost sourdough taste to the crust, the olive oil or canola oil flavor to the vegetables and cheese. I requested and got an extra layer of marinara sauce at no extra charge. It was sweet, tangy, I do miss the thick, chunky texture the sauce used to be on those slices but, as most of us old timers say, that was a long time ago.
Based upon my three recent visits to Mikey's, because I am not in their 5 mile radius and I can only visit once a month, Michaelangelo's Pizza 1985 gets a solid from me.
Do not order ahead of time except for catering. Walk in to order and visit as late as 7 to 7:30pm as they'll still keep those ovens on.
Forget Domino's, bland. Forget Pizza Hut, it's spicy sponge. Forget Little Caesars, the cheese is Chef Boyardee. Chuck E. Cheese, WTF is that?! Forget Round Table, Shakeys and Straw Hat, their pizzas are the typical pay grade above DiGiornos but Michaelangelo's pizza tastes like memories, absolute bloody good memories.
And nothing, I mean nothing has literally replaced the empty space that Michaelangelo's left behind in Monterey Park near East Los Angeles College longer than a few months. All those businesses failed and continue to fail.
When I go there, it's not just the great pizza but the 80's and early 90's trip through time in TV and video games.
That's what Michaelangelo's means to me.
