A “famous hidden” pizza place in Miami Beach is making its way to Dallas.
Called Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza, the brand considers itself a modern, conceptual and trendy pizzeria, and has opened nine locations in the Sunshine State. It also has a few international locations – two in Madrid, Spain, and one in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mister O1 in Dallas is set for Turtle Creek Village, coming to 3838 Oak Lawn Ave in suite 175. The location was previously home to Haystack Burgers & Barley. Per a recent state project filing, work on the 2,694 square foot space is expected to start in May and be completed in July.
John LaBarge, former senior vice president of operations and franchise at Corner Bakery Café, is listed as franchise partner for the forthcoming Dallas pizzeria. He also has experience with restaurant company Brinker International. Requests for comment to LaBarge and the brand have not yet been returned.
Mister O1 comes from Renato Viola, a southern Italian chef who was apprenticing with Italy’s best pizza chefs at the age of 11 years old. He won several awards for his pizza-throwing skills in Italy and throughout Europe, eventually coming to Miami Beach under the O-1 Visa, a category for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement that has been recognized nationally or internationally. He opened the first Mister O1 location in 2014 with the intention of creating a revolutionary pizza joint that was truly extraordinary.
According to the brand’s website, quality and consistency are the hallmarks of Viola’s extraordinary pizzas. The crust for his artisanal pies are incredibly thin and flavorful, using a light dough that is made with finely ground, double-zero Italian flour. The dough is rested for at least 72 hours before being served. Most of the ingredients that are used are either imported from Italy or locally sourced.
Creations include the Star Luca, Star Michele, Star Beckham, and Star Carlos – personal-size, star-shaped pizzas that are filled with ricotta cheese and such toppings as bacon, fresh tomatoes, arugula, grilled eggplant, zucchini, and basil. There’s also a creation called Coffee Paolo – a pizza made with Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola blue cheese, natural honey, coffee, and spicy salami calabrese.
Calzones, salads, and a dessert pizza made with Nutella are also on the menu.
Drink-wise, a variety of wines from Italy can be ordered by glass or bottle, as well as coffee and other beverages.
Mister O1’s unique pizza creations have earned the brand something of a cult following in Miami Beach… and beyond. In 2021, Food and Wine magazine named it the “best pizza” in Florida. And now, Dallas will soon see what all the fuss is about.
