Sunday, March 27, 2011

Review of Flatbread Pizza's Gluten free pie

It makes me happy when restaurants offer gluten-free vegetarian options for hungry and allergic foodies like me.  Andrew and I got a coupon for a free pizza at Flatbreads.  Originally, we thought we were going to have to see if they would substitute one of their organic salads for the pizza.  Then, we discovered they carried a lovely gluten free variety.  I don't think I've ever been more excited for pizza.
Flatbread Company's regular pizza is pretty great --  made with 100% organic whole wheat crust and cooked to perfection in a wood-fired clay oven.  They support local farmers, use organic toppings, and have a stellar organic tomato sauce. Although I don't eat meat, they do use free-range chicken and nitrate-free pepperoni, which is pretty splendid. It's really fun to watch the pizza masters toss the pizza dough by hand and bake it in the oven while you wait. 

When we ordered our gluten-free pizza, I was impressed that the waiter asked us if we had a severe allergy, or if the gluten free pizza was just a preference.  This is so that they know how to handle the pizza, which  means they take extra precaution to prevent cross-contamination of gluten.  Since Andrew and I luckily can handle small bits of wheat flour, we told them to cook it along with the regular pizzas.  We got ours topped with olives, red onions, red peppers, and a combo of goat cheese and mozzarella -- their co-evolution pizza. 

We ordered it to go, and it warmed up my lap in its cardboard box on the ride home.  When we dug in, it was still warm.  The crust was delightfully crunchy, while the rest of the dough was more moist, which allowed it to soak up the flavors of the herbs and cheese.  Most gluten free doughs at restaurants tend to be akin to the cardboard box we carried the pie home in, but this dough had the right balance of softness without being too flimsy.  I think a gluten-eating person would enjoy this pizza just as much as Andrew and I did.  The pizza had a generous amount of cheese on it, but since I'm such a veggie-queen I would have enjoyed some extra vegetables.  I'm sure if I asked, they would add extra toppings for me next time. 

Flatbread Company has locations in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, and British Columbia.  If you go, expect to pay extra for the gluten free crust.  I'd say this feeds 1-2 people.  We ate it along with salads that we made at home.

Have you had good experiences eating out with allergies?