Old Greg’s Pizza Pop-up is giving us all FOMO! Miami’s first naturally-leavened pizza caught everyone’s attention during the lockdown and the hype keeps growing. The pizza pop-up can barely keep up with demand—their piZZZA is selling out weeks in advance within minutes! But, don’t be discouraged and set a recurring alarm for Wednesday at 1:00pm EST when you can access pre-orders—available for pick-up only at the Miami Design District, 151 NE 41st Street Suite 217.
Have you ever eaten at Michael’s Genuine, Ghee, or El Bagel? It’s more than likely you tasted Chef Greg Tetzner's baking (he kneaded the dough at all of these cult-worthy favorites). He is the mastermind behind Old Greg's—for years after work, he would conduct experiments to create the perfect sourdough starter, the base of all Old Greg’s pies—all in efforts to launch his true passion: the perfect piZZZZAA!
What makes this pizza worth ordering weeks out? Jackie Richie—the social media guru behind the operation—describes their pizza as “a hug for your senses! Only the best ingredients go on the pizza. Some of the stars are local Floridian mushrooms, baby red onions, olive cured olives, and imported Sicilian oregano.”
Left: Veggie Supreme Pizza; Right: Shroom Pizza
Other than pizza, some of the mouth-watering items you can pick up are polenta-incrusted chicken wings (topped with pickled celery and blue cheese dressing) or Deez Knots (smothered in umami garlic-butter, parsley, cave-aged cheddar with garlic-butter hollandaise). While you wait for your pick-up on Kaido's open-air terrace (the current home of the pop-up), you can enjoy their booze-infused slushies, like their Mezcal Negroni or O.G Mezcal Margarita.
O.G. Roni Pizza
During lockdown, Greg started making pizzas out of his house, selling it to friends and family—amongst them, many chefs and restaurant influencers—and their Instagram rocketed to 5k Instagram followers in less than 30 days. “We were turning people away who wanted to order our pizza, and we definitely didn't want to do that,” said Jackie.
Then, synergy happened! Chef Brad Kilgore—who tried Old Greg’s pizza for his birthday—offered Kaido’s kitchen so Old Greg’s could expand production and satisfy all pizza lovers who were clattering for a pie. “What I saw was two hardworking, inspired people who made delicious pizza. I thought what would be better than combining powers and getting them into Kaido's professional kitchen,” said Brad, five-time James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist whose restaurants, Ember and Kaido, are staples in the Design District.
What’s next for Old Greg’s Pizza, Ember, and Kaido? Brad says, “Once guidelines have softened, we can’t wait to get them back up and running! Kaido will re-open our inside bar and Ama (the speakeasy) and we will offer our creative cocktails along with the Old Greg’s Pizza. Ember will have all new outdoor seating with a Martini Bar, umbrellas, live music, and collaborations with Madlab Creamery.”
Thanks to Brad, Old Greg's PiZZZZA productions are up, and you can snag a pie through their online platform and pick up in the Paradise Plaza. See you soon in the neighborhood!
