Getting overly excited about eating at Mister O1 doesn’t require much effort. After all, this eatery, which has multiple locations across Florida, has made a name for itself thanks to its thin, crispy and Neapolitan-style pizzas.
Italian Chef Renato Viola, the mastermind behind Mister O1, captured hungry pizza lovers’ hearts when he opened the first Miami Beach location in 2014. Using only the freshest and finest ingredients, Viola devised memorable creations like the Claudio (tomato sauce, fresh burrata Stracciatella cheese, white truffle, oil and basil) and the unique Coffee Paolo (tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola blue cheese, natural honey, coffee and spicy salami calabrese).
But pizza is not Viola’s only endeavor. The chef is also a basketball fan, especially of Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro, who, it turns out, is a Mister O1 aficionado, too.
This mutual admiration resulted in a collaboration benefiting both Viola and Herro’s supporters: a new pizza aptly named “The Star Boy Wonder.” Sales proceeds go toward The T. Herro Foundation, which, according to a press release, focuses on “creating impactful experiences through initiatives that promote physical play, wellness and creativity by providing resources and opportunity to the youth.”
Viola, 42, who named his restaurant after getting a Visa O1 for his artistic skills as a pizza chef, says this special collaboration features Herro’s love of fresh burrata cheese.
“The Star Boy Wonder is a spin on the Star Luca [ricotta cheese and tomato sauce], but then fresh burrata, natural honey and black pepper are added,” he says.
Viola, who didn’t expect collaborations when he first started Mister O1, says that as a father, he loves the idea of supporting Herro’s foundation. “I have been incredibly lucky to have created amazing relationships within the Miami community that I hope are the start for future collaborations.”
The “Star Boy Wonder” pizza will be available for dine-in and takeout orders at the Boca Raton, Aventura, Brickell, Coconut Grove, South Beach and Wynwood locations through Aug. 14.
For more information, visit mistero1.com.
Photo courtesy of Mister O1
Tyler Herro (left) and Chef Renato Viola (right)