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I’m very excited to add I Fall to Pizzas to the blog, a pizza pop-up that has turned into a mandatory stop every time I’m in the High Desert.
Husband and wife team, Mark and Misti Pendergrass, moved to Twentynine Palms in 2021 from Los Angeles. It all started at the erstwhile Out There Bar in Twentynine Palms, a place where Misti and Mark would hang out all the time. Misti thought it would be a cordial gesture to bring the owners a few slices. The ball started rolling soon after, when they were asked to bring pizza slices to customers.
Misti said to ShoutoutLA: “People expressed how good the pizza was, how much they loved the dough (which I’ve spent a lot of time on and continue to make adjustments depending on the season), so we decided to get serious, get our permits and become available for catering and public events.”
Mark and Misti officially started operating I Fall to Pizzas in 2022, and they’ve been nothing short of busy with pop-ups, caterings and collaborations! Since I discovered I Fall to Pizzas in October, they’ve been consistently doing weekly pop-ups, which is commendable! I was also shocked when I learned Mark and Misti are the father of four children. “We’re very busy!” said Mark the last time I saw him.
I Fall to Pizzas specializes in Neapolitan-style pizzas with a touch of country. From the logo to the pizza names, all of which are named after Mark and Misti’s favorite country artists: Patsy, Kitty, Dolly, Loretta, Valerie June, and Emmylou. Since they’re constantly adding twists to the menu, you’ll be bound to find a new special pizza! For schedule and hours, check out @IFalltoPizza’s Instagram stories.
Most of the time their pop-ups are held at Mas o Menos Bar in Joshua Tree. They also used to do morning pop-ups there, offering breakfast burritos and sandwiches. Mark said: “We haven’t done breakfast pop ups at Más o Menos for a little over a year. We make most their grab and go food though which is available daily (unless they’re crazy busy and sell out): breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, a sloppy Joe wrap, and an Italian sandwich.”
If you go to Mas o Menos in the morning, don’t forget to get a cup of coffee! In my opinion, it is undoubtedly the best coffee in the Morongo Basin.
Mark: “Next time you go by Mas o Menos for coffee, try our breakfast burrito! It’s our bestseller there! We may have sold more of those than pizzas this past year ha ha.”
In the interview, Misti mentioned that she had been making pizza since high school, but the pandemic was the time when she honed in on the process of making the dough and experimenting with different sauces.
Moving from LA to the High Desert full-time is a big adjustment. When I asked Mark what he liked about living in the High Desert versus living in LA, he emphasized the community aspect. At I Fall to Pizzas, regular customers become friends. Mark said that when they lived in the San Fernando Valley, they barely knew their neighbors.
Misti said to Shoutout LA: “We have such a supportive and loving community and we would not be here doing this without their help. We are extremely grateful to the community for the opportunity they’ve given us. Even if we’re super tired, it brightens our days to arrive at our next stop and see our customers and friends. I’ve never had a job where I received so many hugs in a shift. It’s truly wonderful!”
If it’s your first time, you can’t go wrong with the Patsy, a pepperoni pizza which completely blew me away. The highlights were the soft, flavorful crust and the stretchy mozzarella cheese that took this pizza to the next level. It had a delicate milky flavor with a subtle lactic tartness, providing a harmonious blend of flavors in every bite. It was so good! Of course, there’s nothing like a drizzle of hot honey to complement the smoky pepperonis. I relished every single bite!
When I asked Mark about their most popular pizza, he said: “Our Hot Duet is our most popular pizza. It has pepperoni, ‘Nduja sausage and hot honey.”
Photo: I Fall to Pizzas
God does this pizza look delicious!! The Patsy is basically the same as the Hot Duet minus the ‘Nduja sausage. This Italian sausage from the Italian region of Calabria, made with chilies, is known for its smooth and spreadable texture.
Mark said: “This pizza is actually not that spicy at all! The hot honey we put on it is more sweet than hot. The sausage isn’t too spicy either.”
Regarding vegan pizzas, he said: “We always offer vegan options!”
With so many amazing pizzas on the menu, you may be wondering what are Mark and Misti’s favorites. I asked Mark about it.
“My personal favorite is one that Misti created for me after I got obsessed with dates. It’s a special that we offer sometimes called the K.D., named after artist/musician k.d. lang. It’s got dates, blue cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, pickled red onions, a garlic oil base, mozzarella, and finished with a balsamic reduction drizzle.”
“We don’t offer this pizza regularly, so if you see it on one of our upcoming Specials menus, you owe it to yourself to open your mind and give it a try!”
“Misti’s favorite is our Emmylou plus prosciutto. Our Emmylou is our white pie: mozzarella and roasted garlic oil base, spinach, roasted red pepper, and artichokes. This pizza is almost always on our menu now.”
By specializing in pizza only, Mark and Misti ensure to give each pizza TLC (tender loving care). Although they’ve already mastered the foundations of the pizza (dough and sauce), they always strive to make the best pizzas by sourcing high-quality ingredients, which is paramount to the overall eating experience.
It goes without saying that prepping the pizza is not a one-dimensional process, it’s a balancing act. Besides the ingredients, the type of oven also plays a big role in making a standout pizza. For this, Mark and Misti use the brand Ooni, which was voted by Food & Wine magazine the best pizza oven on the market!
Misti said: “We got to where we are with lots and lots of hours of hard work — from workshopping items and ingredients, to booking back-to-back events sometimes. We try really hard to make a high quality, tasty product that we would like to eat ourselves.”
Since Mas o Menos has limited indoor seating space, I’ve always had to wear my exceptionally warm winter coat to eat on the patio. With warm weather upon us, I’m very excited to have an al fresco dining experience while it’s still daylight!
Lastly, make sure you show up as early as you can or else they might be sold out!
Even though I Fall to Pizzas is a relatively new business, it has quickly turned into a cornerstone of the High Desert community. I can’t wait to continue seeing their growth!
I Fall to Pizzas: Website and Instagram
What do you think?