Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza in Lake Mary shines with signature star-shaped pies

Renato Viola's visa became our discover card into his world of pizza.

The O-1 visa granted to him by the United States government for his "extraordinary ability" was well justified — I mean the man does with pizza dough what Curly Neal did with a basketball. But being crowned a world champion for tossing pie rounds every which way isn't all that makes him extraordinary. Viola also makes a perfetto pizza, as evidenced by the prestigious competitions he's won, none more important than the Giropizza d'Europa in 2005. It put the talented 24-year-old on the proverbial map, and around the map he went, baking at private events across Italy and elsewhere. 

When Viola opened Visa-O1 Extraordinary Pizza in Miami Beach 10 years ago, the Southern Italian was introduced to the litigious spirit of America. Seemed the credit card company wasn't all too pleased with the name, so he changed it to Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza and the sharks were kept at bay.

One thing that didn't change: Viola's pizza recipe. You'd think a pizzaiolo from Agropoli, a town about 60 miles south of Naples, would be a staunch proponent of the Neapolitan style, but no. Viola's pizzas are delicate, thin-crust wonders — kind of like a cross between Neapolitan and Roman-style pizza. The dough is crafted from finely ground "00" flour and undergoes a 72- to 96-hour ferment, before being fired in electric Cuppone ovens at 600 degrees Fahrenheit for five or so minutes. The result is a crust that's crisp yet pliable, not one that crackles and breaks.

In the kitchen of Mister O1's Lake Mary outpost, I counted 10 workers dressed in white tending to the hundreds of pizzas they churn out every day, embellishing each with toppings trad and mod. But what sets Viola's creations apart from others, indeed what makes them "extraordinary," are the star-shaped pizzas.

Triangular-shaped, ricotta-filled pockets form an eight-pointed crust adding another textural dimension to the 13-inch rounds. In the case of the Star Luca ($18.99), a burning sun of tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami calabrese and threads of basil form a heavenly bake. It floats in the same crusty constellation as the Claudio ($18.99), streaked with comet trails of creamy burrata stracciatella and white truffle oil. Some eat it with a fork and knife; we resorted to the fold-and-scarf technique. "I like to add some spicy olive oil into the ricotta pockets," one of the servers says to me, and, as everyone knows, I'm game for a little heat. (Now, Mister O1 sells its own branded bottles of spicy olive oil ($15.99) and white truffle oil ($17.99), but don't fall for their products and their lofty prices — just keep your feet on the ground and spend your money on their 'zas.)

For the ricotta- or octagram-averse, the Maria ($18.99) presents refreshing bites of arugula topped with tomatoes and prosciutto di Parma. There's no skimping on the salty folds of ham, either, nor the shaved mozzarella or Italian parmesan, for that matter. For a saucier mouthful, the Bella Margherita ($15.99) feels like an instant classic. It looks the part, too, with its globs of fior di latte partially veiled by fresh basil leaves. It's clear the importance Mister O1 places on ingredients and if that oft-used restaurant slogan "taste the difference" rings true, it's here.

Many of the pizzas, BTW, are named after Viola's close friends and OG customers. I don't personally know Alessandra, but the red-sauced Alessandra Jalapeño ($16.99) with its racy pepper rings, mushrooms and avocado slivers is a pie I'd share with its namesake any day. But my favorite has to be the Coffee Paolo ($18.99). Raw honey and a dusting of ground coffee go toe-to-toe with rich gorgonzola and spicy salami Calabrese. Put a star-struck emoji next to this one, 'cuz it's out of this world. Evidently Viola dreamed of the ingredients in his sleep. When he woke up, he went straight to his pizzeria and made the sweet and savory original.

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photo by Rob Bartlett

I will say the Nutella and banana calzone ($13.99) damn near sent me to dreamland. We were eating the weighty dessert outside (the weather was nice), but the filling kept squirting out and onto the sidewalk after every bite. We had no choice but to chew into them while leaning over a bed of jasmine, butts out. "You're leaking chocolate on the grass!" said an excited child, pointing to the Nutella-covered grass. "Yeah kid, please don't lick it."

Mister O1's Lake Mary location sits in the former Peach Valley Café space in Heathrow. It's the pizzeria's 17th location; Mister O1 has grown into an international chain with outlets from Dallas to Riyadh. No doubt success breeds growth, as there are rumors of another pizzeria opening at The Fountains at Bay Hill in Dr. Phillips. Hey, when Mister O1 can bake dough and rake it in, it's got to be sweet music to Viola's ears.