Over time, us gluten-free diners have learned to lower our expectations. Appetizer? Probably not. Entrée? There’s always a salad. Dessert? That’s cute.
Going out to eat with friends should be simple. Pick a restaurant, order something delicious and enjoy the company. When you eat gluten-free, though, there’s often an extra step: the interrogation. Nothing makes you feel more like a fun dinner companion than playing 20 Questions with the server before anyone has even ordered a drink. Do you have a gluten-free menu? Is the fryer shared? Do you use the same cutter? How is the dough prepared? Is there flour everywhere?
The investigation usually starts long before I even get to the restaurant. As soon as friends suggest somewhere new, I’m pulling up the menu, looking for the little “GF” symbol and checking the “Find Me Gluten Free” app to read about others’ experiences. Does “gluten-free options” mean an actual selection of food, or one lonely, flavorless menu item?
Anyone who eats gluten-free knows that gluten-free food often really, really tastes like gluten-free food. We’ve come a long way, but sometimes I’m left wondering if the packaging might have had more flavor. And don’t even get me started on gluten-free bread. If you know, you know.
Gluten-free and delicious don’t always show up to the same party. At VIA 313 in Centennial, not only did they both show up—they brought appetizers and dessert.
VIA 313’s gluten-free pizza isn’t another thin, boring cauliflower crust masquerading as pizza. It’s Detroit-style—thick, cheesy, crispy-edged, and completely satisfying. I’d challenge someone who doesn’t normally eat gluten-free to try it. If it didn’t arrive with a special gluten-free marker, I’m not sure you’d ever know.
Apparently, I’m not alone in this theory. VIA 313 has been voted Best Gluten-Free Pizza by USA TODAY readers. You want to know what really gets me excited? I can eat every course. Here, gluten-free diners have multiple options for appetizers, pizza and, yes, dessert. Being able to consider an entire meal without piecing together menu modifications is a surprisingly big deal.
And so is sharing food again. So much of the restaurant experience is communal: ordering appetizers for the table, stealing a bite from someone else’s plate, and convincing each other that there’s still room for dessert. Dietary restrictions can quietly take you out of those moments.
Of course, the “gluten free” label is only half of the equation. Cross-contact matters, particularly for people who need to avoid gluten for medical reasons. It’s why those 20 Questions aren’t just about being picky.
Something can be made with gluten-free ingredients but still come into contact with gluten during preparation through hands, utensils, plates or other parts of a busy kitchen. And consequences can be catastrophic.
When I spoke with Bret McFate, General Manager of VIA 313’s Centennial location, I learned that their process starts first thing in the morning. The gluten-free dough is the first to be made each day, when the kitchen is at its cleanest and there is the least amount of flour in the air.
Once service begins, that attention shifts accordingly. When a gluten-free order comes through, employees change their gloves and use designated gluten-free cutters and spatulas. When the pizza is ready to be served, it’s placed on a fresh, clean plate and finished with a gluten-free marker, giving both the staff and guest a visual confirmation that they have the right order.
That level of care isn’t limited to gluten. VIA 313 can also accommodate other dietary needs, including dairy-free and vegan diners, with designated procedures and tools for different orders. That can make choosing a restaurant a whole lot easier when a group has more than one dietary restriction to consider. For those of us with dietary restrictions, this kind of thoughtfulness transforms our experience. You can spend less time worrying about what’s happening behind the scenes and more time enjoying dinner with the people sitting across from you.
Instead of feeling like the difficult person at the table, you get to just go out to dinner. And eat pizza. Really good pizza. With an appetizer. And dessert. Definitely get dessert.