Tag Archives: pizza

My Favorite Frozen Pizza Crust

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Bacon and onion pizza.

Good gluten-free pizza is hard to come by.  Harder than cake, cookies, or even- dare I say it-bread.  I stumbled upon a fabulous gluten-free pizza in an Italian restaurant in Vienna, but since moving to Rochester, I haven’t found a pizza or frozen crust I’ve really enjoyed…until I found Silvana’s Arize.  I love this crust.  It is crispy, chewy, and doughy at the same time.  It doesn’t get soggy or soft under the pressure of the sauce, and it tastes good alone.  You can pile toppings on top and they won’t slide off after the pizza cools.  My husband says it best, this crust isn’t good gluten-free pizza crust, it’s just good pizza crust.

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My favorite pizza yet: light on the sauce, spicy, four cheese, tomato and brussel sprouts.

Silvana’s Arize is actually a spin-off company of Nick’s Deli and Pizza in Chili.  Silvana Bellone, an Italian immigrant living in Rochester, was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2003.  Shortly thereafter, her son and niece were diagnosed.  Determined to provide the same good quality Italian products she was used to making and eating, she developed and starting selling her bread products at the family’s restaurant: Nick’s Deli and Pizza in Chili.  Nick’s still makes gluten-free pizza and sandwiches to order, but you can also buy the products frozen at Nick’s and now select Wegmans (East Avenue carries the pizza crust).

Nick’s Gluten-Free Fish Fry August 16

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Nick’s already serves a variety of prepared gluten-free Italian dishes like meatballs, chicken parmesan, and pasta as well as sells gluten-free Italian breads.  Now, they plan on having a monthly gluten-free fish fry after a successful event in June.  The next fish fry is Thursday, August 16 from 5:00-8:00 pm.  Call ahead to make reservations and specify that you are attending the fish fry.

For more information on Nick’s gluten-free options: http://www.nicksdeliandpizza.com/Gluten.html

Gluten-Free on the Go in New York City

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In a culture where fast food dominates and a city where options for a quick bite are endless, gluten-free folks often find themselves left empty handed with empty bellies.

Last weekend after having consumed two $6 pint-sized margaritas at  Soft Spot in Williamsburg, I found myself hankering for something greasy, salty, and filling.  My friend Grant also had the same hankering, so he grabbed a couple slices from Vinnie’s Pizza and I sat with him, watching enviosly, as he devoured each piece.  What did I eat?  Some gummy lifesavers I had stashed in my purse.

It will be a while until gluten-free pizza will be so ubiquitous that I can also get my fix at 2 am.  Until then, us glutards are left with few options for late-night or on the go dining in New York City.

Without further ado, here is the GFATC list of best gluten-free on the go spots in New York City.

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Mozzarrelli’s: The Place to Grab a GF Slice

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Flash back to summer 2010.  Mozzarelli’s and I were acquaintances then, their frequent free pizza samples were the highlight on my 15 minute walk home from the subway.  The food was nothing special, in fact the only thing that set them apart from the other pizza joints littering 23rd street was a sign advertising gluten-free products.

Flash forward to November 2010 and my diagnosis.  That sign carried a whole new weight.  Mozzarelli’s was the first establishment I knew of in New York City that sold gluten-free products.  One day, when the fridge was empty and I was in need of a quick, inexpensive meal, I called Mozzarrelli’s to place an order for a pie.  Not only did they not deliver to my apartment even though the boundaries were less than a block away, their prices were outrageous.  I hung up the phone, swore that I’d never give them business, and never looked back.

Flash forward again to Tuesday.  I was on my way to my food writing course at the Institute of Culinary Education on 23rd street (more on that later) and needed a quick bite to eat -what better than a slice of pizza?  Even though it pained me slightly, I bit the bullet and bought a $4.95 slice of gluten-free artichoke and spinach pizza from Mozzarelli’s.  I was hoping to be transported back to the time before gluten-free when I tasted the most unusual but delicious combination of foods at Artichoke Pizza.  I wanted so much for this slice to be creamy garlicky goodness, but it fell seriously short.  Mozzarrelli’s artichoke and spinach pie looks like the famous 14th street midnight snack, but that’s where the similarities end.  My pizza was lukewarm and bland.  The only flavor that came through was the slight bitterness of the spinach and artichoke, which was overcooked. The cheese was a confusing mixture of mozzarella and mystery dairy product.  The only good thing about this pizza was the crust, was was in fact, great.  It was crisp on the edges and firm in the middle, without a trace of xanthan-gum’s trademark bitter aftertaste.  A great gluten-free crust is nothing to sneeze at.  Had the flavor and toppings been better on my slice, this pizza could have been magnificent.

Was I disappointed?  Yes.  Was it a bad experience?  No.  Mozzarelli’s is perfect for the gluten-free New Yorker who desperately misses being able to simply, grab a slice of pizza.  I am that New Yorker and if you are too, Mozzarelli’s is your pizza joint.  Heck,  I’ll probably even return to sample another mediocre  slice just for the novelty.

How about you?  Do you miss participating in the quintessential New York eating experience?  Would you eat mediocre pizza just to relive it?

Gluten Free in the FC

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FC stands for Fairfield County (in Connecticut).  Or at least it did when The OC was as big deal and we wanted to be like the show.

I’m from Fairfield County (although was born in New York) and am often there on weekends to visit my family.  This past weekend happened to be my sister’s 21st birthday and Alex and I made the trek on Metro North to Westport for her birthday dinner.  Maddy’s only restaurant requirement was that it had to be Italian, which is what I grew up eating due to my mom’s heritage, but is slightly more problematic now that I am gluten-free.  We lucked out.  We went to Rizzuto’s in Westport, a CT chain with two other locations.  If you want an allergy-friendly Italian restaurant in Connecticut, this is the place to go.  They ask you about food allergies when you make your reservation, and confirm them when you check in for dinner.

Rizzuto’s is in a location near the train station that has been occupied by several restaurants beforehand (when I lived there, it was John Harvard’s).  I have a feeling though, Rizzuto’s is going to last.  Their signature style is wood-fired Italian fare- their smoky flavors make it stand out from other Italian restaurants in Fairfield County.  Onto our dining experience.

Alex and I arrived first, and waited at the bar with drinks for the rest of the family to show up.  Despite not enjoying one myself, I am pretty sure they make a mean cocktail and the large bar area attracts a lot of older singles.  We were seated in the back of the main dining area with view of the ovens and kitchen.  It’s a large space, but the colors and woody decor make it feel pretty cozy.  When it came to ordering, there were a lot of preliminary questions about food allergies (I’m GF and my sister’s allergic to nuts) and the waiter was neither frazzled nor uninformed about the food.  He told us with confidence that there were no nuts in ANY dishes except for two desserts and that they had gluten-free pasta and pizza.  Jackpot.  It really makes a dining experience so much better when the service is knowledgable and accomodating.  Even with delicious food, poor food-allergy service can really taint a lovely dinner.

For appetizers, we ordered the antipasto plate which includes 2 meats, 2 cheeses, and 2 vegetables and Alex ordered the oysters.  The antipasto was a perfect amount of food for 5.  They scored points for having my favorite soft cheese, humboldt fog, which I only get to enjoy when it goes on sale at WF.  The veggies were marinated well and retained the smoky flavor from the wood-fire, which was good and not too strong and campfire like.  The oysters came from the Long Island Sound (holla) so you can also feel good about eating local.  According to Alex, they were awesome.

For dinner, I was torn.  Should I order the pasta or the pizza?  After Alex declared, “When was the last time you had pizza” I made up my mind.  Pizza it was.  Maddy ordered the gluten-free Rigatoni al Pollo (wood-grilled chicken, broccoli rabe, roasted tomatoes) so I could taste.  She’s the best.  Since gluten-free pizza becomes all about the crust, that was what I was most focused on and was most happy with.  It was a thick, bready crust that came from Sami’s Bakery (the waiter said it was based in San Franscisco, but I did some online research and found it in Tampa, hm).  Although I was sort of sad they didn’t make it themselves, it really was the best GF crust I’ve ever had (yes, better than Udi’s). For toppings, I went with goat cheese and vegetables.  It was a pretty dry pizza, not a lot of sauce, not too much cheese, but the crust made up for that.  When I ate the leftovers the next day, I added more cheese, and that helped.  At first, it was just okay, but Maddy asked for more “sauce” and they came with a large gravy bowl of tomato/wine/garlic sauce that raised the level of this dish to outstanding.  Their gluten-free pasta of choice was made from corn, as most restaurant GF pastas are, so it was not mushy like rice pasta can be.  Oh, and mom, Alex, and Lily said their food was really yummy too.  We left Rizzuto’s really full but really happy.  This will be out go-to special meal place from now on.

Here’s a good list of other gluten-free restaurants in Fairfield County.