Jay Felton wraps smoked meat in pizza dough for a unique and tasty sandwich!
How long have you had your pop-up, Oso Smoke & Dough?
When my wife, Amber, and I moved back to Atlanta in 2024, I started working as chef de cuisine at Miller Union, but I knew I was going to open a restaurant. I was already working on the dough. In 2025, Nancy Qarmout, director of the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, got in touch and said, “Let’s try this out.” For the last year, I’ve been transitioning out of Miller Union and into Oso full time. In March 2026, I took on the Grant Park Farmers Market.
How did you develop an interest in pizza dough?
I’ve always loved Mellow Mushroom, and I opened one in Flagstaff, Arizona, while attending Northern Arizona University. Then I realized I wanted to be a chef. My true loves are pizza dough and barbecue. Barbecue legend Aaron Franklin wrote about Texas-style barbecue, and that drew me in. And I’ve been surrounded by bakers since meeting my wife, who is a pastry chef. One day, I saw an Instagram post from Chef Evan Funke where he made la mortazza, and it gave me the idea for pizza sandwiches. I smoke all the meat myself, portion it and freeze it immediately until it’s ready for the market.
So is your signature sandwich, the osito, actually a sandwich or a pizza?
It’s a barbecue pizza dough sandwich. I put meat into the dough and bake it, then I put everything else inside. If it’s breakfast, it’s just egg and cheese, sometimes meat. Lunch sandwiches are different. I have one with barbecue chicken, mozzarella, bread-and-butter pickles and marinated kale.
What’s on the horizon for your business?
Besides selling ositos at the farmers markets, I’m launching catering. And I’m going to be offering holiday smoked meats: turkey breast, whole brisket, whole pastrami and my signature oso ham made from smoked pork shoulder.
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PHOTO: Erik Meadows
STORY: Denise K. James
