Virtuoso Pizzeria

Virtuoso Pizzeria is a family-run pizza shop on Maple Street in Benson, opened in May 2017 by David Losole. He grew up in the restaurant trade: his parents ran Lo Sole Mio, a South Omaha Italian restaurant that stayed open for roughly thirty years. In 2016 he trained at Tony Gemignani's International School of Pizza in San Francisco and earned pizzaiolo certification.

The dining room is small, with limited indoor seating, and a patio with umbrellas out back opens up in warm weather. His wife Brenda and their sons work in the shop too, which gives the place a neighborhood, hands-on feel. Pies bake in imported Italian Cuppone ovens, and slices are sold at the counter alongside whole pies.

The dough is made in-house from a poolish and cold-fermented for at least three days. The menu runs from plain and pepperoni slices to named signature pies such as the New Yorker, Fat Tony and Chicago Italian Beef, plus sandwiches, wagyu meatballs, cannoli and tiramisu. House giardiniera, Italian sausage and a lemon agave pesto turn up across the list.

It suits a casual pizza night, a quick slice before exploring Benson, or a takeout order for the rental. Hours are limited and Saturday service runs until the pizza is sold out, so go earlier in the day. There are no reservations, and the shop is open Wednesday through Saturday.

What to order

• The New Yorker – Italian sausage, pepperoni and fresh burrata
• Fat Tony – wagyu meatballs, pepperoni, lemon agave pesto, whipped ricotta
• Chicago Italian Beef pie – shaved beef, house giardiniera, whipped ricotta, with au jus
• Hot Honey – two kinds of pepperoni with a hot honey drizzle
• Midwest Best slice – wagyu beef, garlic, fresh mozzarella
• Vegan Peter – the veggie pie without cheese
• Spicy Meatball Sub – wagyu meatballs, Calabrian chili spread, marinara
• Pistachio Cannoli

View the full menu Opens Virtuoso Pizzeria’s official menu

Good to know

• Reservations are not accepted; indoor seating is limited.
• A patio with umbrellas is open out back in warmer months.
• Slices are available at the counter, and online ordering is offered on the website.
• Signature pies are whole pies only, with no half-and-half or topping swaps.