By Flavor & The Menu
June 16, 2021

Carol DeNembo

There’s no marketing hyperbole in the description of Mountain Mike’s best-selling Crispy Curly Pepperoni Pizza. Each 20-in. round is covered from edge to edge with a pile of more than 200 slices of crispy, curly, mini pepperoni “cups.” It earns the “legendary” tag used in promotion of the pizza at the fast casual’s locations across California, Oregon, Nevada and Utah.

Pepperoni, tomato sauce, whole-milk mozzarella cheese and fresh-made dough are the prize foundations of a good pizza joint. What makes the Mountain Mike’s pepperoni pie distinct is the style and the sheer volume of the seasoned and cured pork and beef it uses to top its version of the classic. When cooked, “the premium pepperonis curl up to form crispy edges and delicious little teacups of heaven,” says Carol DeNembo, VP of Marketing. Indeed, pepperoni cups are having a moment, thanks to their Instagram-friendly allure—the shape of the meat holds richly rendered golden oil in the center, providing indulgent flavor with every bite. “Not only is it delicious, but it also brings back a sense of nostalgia,” DeNembo says.