RUTLAND – “I was always a fan of good food,” A1 Maykel said.
With a quarter century of experience in the food industry, he is showcasing that expertise in a mobile pizza business, Fired Up, which features a traditional Di Fiore oven from Italy.
“My parents were pioneers of the natural and organic industry, and we always ate well, as my mother is a phenomenal cook,” Maykel said. “You could always find me in the kitchen watching her make a countless variety of meals for us to eat.”
His journey to operating Fired Up started in Worcester, where he was born, and then shifted to West Boylston, where he spent his early years.
“We moved to Rutland when I was in elementary school. I spent three years at Naquag and ended up at St. John’s for high school.”
After graduating from Johnson and Wales in 2005, Maykel and his wife moved to Rutland, where they have lived ever since.
His first job was washing dishes at Tatnuck Country Club, and he never left the food industry.
“I worked my way all the way up from dishwashing to operating my own restaurant, EVO Dining, in Worcester,” said.
“I was mostly an on the job learner,” Maykel said of his early training.
“I learned a little something from every job I had and from some great chefs along the way.”
At Johnson and Wales, he said, he learned from more talented chefs and instructors.
“But knowledge came from more than just the chefs. You learn from everyone in this industry — dishwashers all the way up to general managers. I am very fortunate to have worked with so many great people over the years,” Maykel said.
“The staff would have to be the best part of the culinary world,” he said, describing the industry in which he grew up. “People with such passion and great personalities. Long hours, stressful environments — these people become like family.”
Over the years, he has had some highlights.
“I have two favorites when it comes to culinary experiences: Winning the 2013 Worcester’s Best Chef Competition and competing in the World Food Championships with some of the greatest chefs in the country,” he said.
As far as his favorite food?
“Gonna go with pizza as my favorite food,” he said. “Limitless possibilities and could literally eat it every day.”
His mobile pizza truck comes complete with a wood-fired oven.
“Operating a wood-fired pizza trailer has its challenges, but overall, it is a joy. Wood and time is everything. Good, dry, small split, seasoned hardwood is a must.
“When we built our home in Rutland, I kept all the hardwood from when our lot was cleared. I cut, split and stack all the wood we use myself. It’s a great way to exercise and spend some time outdoors.”
Unlike a gas or electric option, “cooking with wood requires planning. Our oven takes about four to five hours to get to temperature from dead cold. However, if you have run it the night before, it retains so much heat that you can get it back up to temperature within an hour the following day. The sweet spot temperature for our oven is about 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Another challenge in running a pizza trailer is proofing the dough. Dough has a life cycle. Cold and under-proofed dough is tough and chewy, where over-proofed dough is a nightmare to toss as it becomes sticky and tears easily. Planning how many doughs you’ll need to prepare can sometimes be a challenge,” Maykel said.
Fired Up offers 16 different pizzas, including a build-your-own option where customers can create whatever pizza they are craving with the listed ingredients.
The menu can be at www.firedup4pizza. com and on the Facebook page.
“I am also willing to customize our menu for private gigs if the customer has something specific in mind,” Maykel said, perhaps exponentially increasing the number of options.
Recognizing all the pizzas he has made over the years, Maykel was asked about his perfect pizza.
“That’s like asking which is my favorite child. I love them all,” he responded.
“But what makes it for me is the care and attention to the culinary art form that makes the pizza. A great crust, with great ingredients, cooked properly. You want to be able to taste everything. You want to taste the crust, the sauce, the cheese blend, the toppings.
“When all those things come together, that’s how I get Fired Up for Pizza.”
His mobile pizza venture opened in September.
“We were geared up and planning to open June 1, but due to delays in fabrication, we weren’t able to launch till the end of the food truck season. We’re still working on getting the trailer wrapped with our logos,” Maykel said. “Serrato Signs in Worcester is handling that, and I can tell you from working with their designer and everyone there that I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. It’s going to look amazing. They do such great work and are such great people.”
As for the response to his launch, “Feedback has been phenomenal so far,” he said.
Responses have varied, he added, but are overwhelmingly positive: “Amazing,” “Best pizza I’ve ever had,” “Oh, my God, so good.”
“It truly is a testament when people take the time out of their busy days to email us and let us know how much they enjoyed our product,” Maykel said. ”It truly means the world to us. We have also had such an amazing amount of support from local businesses and customers helping to get our name out there. Rutland truly is a wonderful community.”
Maykel said he is starting to get catering gigs.
“And we’ve picked up a few brewery gigs,” he said, adding it was tough since he started at the end of the season and most places are booked.
“However, everywhere we go, someone new loves our pizza and inquires about having us come out in the future. I think people really appreciate the product we are putting out and the care we put into our pizza,” Maykel said.
Fired Up Pizza has a calendar on the website with a Truck Schedule he updates with when and where he will be, and he posts on Facebook.
“I am hoping to have several regular spots in Central Mass. Seven Saws Brewery is a great venue, as well as the Milk Room,” he said of the Holden and Rutland breweries.
“We’d really like to focus on Rutland, Holden, Princeton, Barre and Spencer.”
But wherever he sets up, Maykel is focused on firing up the best pizza on wheels.
