Oh … Pizza? Yes, Please!
On a very rainy day last week (I know…which one?), I met Chef Mike Wisdom in person for the first time. If you know Chef Mike, you know he is the missing sunshine we all needed in our lives this past holiday weekend. Born in Norwood, MA with a relocation to Baltimore until age 12, Chef Mike came back to his Massachusetts roots settling in Middleborough, then worked in various locations until ultimately landing in and around Plymouth for the past 10 years.
After posting a few teaser Instagram stories and our “viral reel” (we should obviously eat pizza together more often!), I received so many DM’s and texts with shout outs like “my boy, Wisdom!” and “love this kid!” and “legendary chef”. There is an infectious energy, an obvious creativity, and a serious passion that exudes from him when talking about everything from his booming personal chef services, to pizza, to entrepreneurship.
I got the EXCLUSIVE drop, officially confirmed that very day, that Chef Mike will soon be the new Owner of The Edge (Plymouth, MA) where he is currently Executive Chef. As if The Edge could be any more delicious, any more “instagrammable”, and any more addictive than it already is under current Owner, Arron Capron, Chef Mike has big plans and we can’t wait to see how things evolve under his direction.
With plans to source specialty ingredients from local purveyors (get ready, Kevin McGuire…) and highlight seasonal ingredients (I will be first in line for the Street Corn Pizza dropping in July featuring fresh local corn), we are already teetering on the edge of of the absolute best Detroit-style pizza we have ever had here on Boston’s South Shore – about to dive head first into the next chapter for this local, beloved Main Street pizza shop (65 Main Street, Plymouth, to be exact).
“The Carmine” is one of the fan favorites here at The Edge. Named after Arron Capron’s great uncle, (also note that his grandmother, Rosie, is the woman in the “OH…PIZZA?” mural on the wall), it is layered with Italian meatballs, caramelized onions, San Marzano tomato sauce, ricotta, basil, Parmesan cheese, and of course, the shop’s signature Vermont white cheddar + whole milk mozzarella blend.
This special cheese blend is what creates that crispy, laced crown around the perimeter of the pie, affectionately known as “the edge”.
The hand-formed dollops of ricotta cheese give The Carmine a extra little cloud of creamy texture sitting just above the layers of “Italian Family Dinner” amazingness found in every bite. The tomato sauce is rich and tangy, the meatballs are very well seasoned, the caramelized onion adds a touch of sweetness and the fresh basil ties it altogether. It’s easy to see why The Carmine is among the most popular pizzas on the menu.
The “Mark Truffalo” is my personal favorite pizza at The Edge right now. It also happens to be Chef Mike’s favorite, too (twinning). Fun Fact: Chef Mike is a vegetarian. I love this for so many reasons but mostly because, in my heart, I am as well. 85% of my diet is plant-based but, I love trying all of the amazing menu items in the Clandestine Kitchen rotation as much as I love sampling and enjoying the creativity of other chefs that pour their love into respecting proteins and letting them shine.
Whether you are a plant-based diner or a hard-core carnivore, you will love the Mark Truffalo (plus, the name is genius). A garlic cream base topped with hearty, thin sliced mushrooms, ricotta, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and the perfect amount of truffle oil (and, of course, the house cheese blend) all comes together in a “wow” combination of earthy, robust flavor and a lingering desire to share it with all of your friends (which I did, and they unanimously agree that this is one delicious pizza).
The pizzas at The Edge are made for sharing and it is suggested to order 1 per person in order to collectively sample as many of the creative combinations as possible. You can customize your pizza, do a fun half-and-half with anything on the menu, and plan to dine-in or, as the majority of The Edge customers do, order easily online to grab and hit the beach, the boat, the couch, or the family dinner table.
The thickness of the pizza looks mammoth but is also deceptively light and airy. I am not sure I could finish a whole pie myself (no, I know I could definitely not) but that’s what take-out boxes are for and why pizza was invented – to be enjoyed as much, or more, later that night or the following morning.
So, one per person it is!
Chef Mike also has a very successful Private Chef Services endeavor that he has been cultivating for many years all over the country. His pop ups have a ‘secret underground” air about them but are very accessible if you know the right “bat signal” to shine (or the right IG account to DM for access). Hint: Chef Mike’s Instagram @_cookwithwisdom is the account to follow for the latest pop ups and culinary events.
Coming in July, Mike will be popping up at a Hellbent Booking (@hellbent_booking) hardcore show at the Fall River VFW featuring metal and hardcore bands, hosted by Ross Mariani (guitarist for Cooked Alive (@cooked_alive)).
Later in the month, Mike pops up at “Castle” (@castleworldwide), a new pop up venue located in East Freetown, MA, & curated by David Young (drummer for Moon Room (@davidyoungii, @moonroomma)). Chef Mike’s “Castle” menu will be served while local bands play, vinyl records are sold, and a curated Farmer’s Market showcases local produce and products. Clint, owner of Vinyl Lunatic Records (Plymouth, MA) will be there with an awesome selection of records (Clint popped in to say “hi” while I was enjoying my Mark Truffalo, as a matter of fact) and YOU just might be able to score a clandestine invite simply by DM-ing Chef Mike at the Instagram account mentioned above.
Just as I was telling myself that Chef Mike just might be the most interesting Chef I have met recently, he mentioned that he knows Nick, Erin, and Chef Brandon of Su Casa, and now I also think he might be the coolest Chef around, too. If you have been following Nosh & Found at all, you know my love for Su Casa and Chef Brandon’s creativity and super laid back and interesting personality (read the full Su Casa blog post HERE). It was really cool to listen to Chef Mike give the utmost respect to, and show an incredible amount of admiration for, Chef Brandon and his steadfast approach to farm-to-table cooking (stating that Chef Brandon was out foraging for ingredients long before it became trendy and popular). This just cemented my realization that Chef Mike really IS the coolest Chef and a true industry brother I will share a pizza with any day.
If you are already a loyal customer, or if you are now planning your very first visit, head to The Edge for incredible Detroit-style pizza and definitely try the “Carmine” and the “Mark Truffalo” among the other super-fun and mouth-watering creations on the menu. The “Dub Pep” is also popular as is the brand new “Buffalo Mac”.
Chef Mike will continue to add to the depth of the menu over time and will introduce us to some flavor combinations only he could dream up. He loves translating beloved restaurant dishes into pizzas and his creative mind comes up with some insane combinations. I really hope the Watermelon Pizza becomes a reality this summer because there is nothing Chef Mike loves more than changing a diner’s mind about classic culinary debates such as fruit on pizza. Fresh seasonal watermelon, honey balsamic reduction, crumbled feta, arugula and toasted coconut sounds wild and I am 100% here for it.
As we finished off our slices of “Mark Trufflo” I heard Chef Mike whisper “Man, I need to put a grain bowl on this menu” and you know I would be 100% here for that too!
