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Rustico
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Eater's Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Pizza

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Rustico
| Photo: Facebook

For many who have gluten sensitivity, celiac disease or wheat allergies, one of the things they miss the most is pizza. Fortunately many more restaurants are accommodating those who cannot eat foods with gluten in them.

The pizza crusts include a variety of non-wheat grains and thickeners to try and recreate the satisfying chewy and crispy textures of standard pizzas. Many restaurants order their dough from an outside suppliers like Still Riding Pizza, rather than making them in the restaurant where cross contamination with wheat can be an issue.

For those who are most sensitive to wheat products or gluten, it may still be worth consulting with a server regarding potential cross contamination and gluten-containing toppings. Many restaurants now use special pans, different prep areas and/or different ovens to help people with wheat allergies, but some of the foods may still be in close proximity to wheat products.
—Jamie Liu

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Comet Ping Pong

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Gluten free pizzas are available at Comet for an additional $5 available with toppings like broccoli rabe, smoky mushrooms, roasted pork, and potato.
Ingredients: bean, rice, and tapioca flours; xanthan gum; egg; sugar; and cider vinegar

District of Pi

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District of Pi might be better known for its deep dish pies, but it offers gluten-free thin crusts upon request. Pick from a hefty list of toppings to finish it.
Ingredients: rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, egg whites, olive oil, and vegetable oil

Fuel Pizza

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Fuel Pizza features the most unique grains in its gluten-free crust, including teff, which many might know better for its use in injera bread. Choose from the 35 different toppings (except the meatballs), including ricotta, sausage, artichokes, and spinach. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: tapioca, sorghum, amaranth, and teff

Ledo Pizza

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Ledo Pizza is one of the area's classic pizzas. With its gluten-free pizza menu, it notes that not all of its toppings are produced in a gluten-free kitchen, and those individuals with severe wheat or gluten allergies should avoid them. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: Rice flour, potato starch, olive oil, evaporated cane juice, and tapioca flour

Lost Dog Cafe

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Local chain Lost Dog Cafe meets the needs of Virginia celiacs with its gluten-free pizzas. For an extra $4 for an individual or an extra $6 for a small, choose from a number of white or red sauce-based pizza options. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: bean flour, rice flour and tapioca flour

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

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Mellow Mushroom focuses on reducing cross contamination with wheat products. For gluten-free orders, the kitchen staff "will wash hands, put on fresh gloves and a fresh apron, use gluten-free dedicated utensils and ingredients", prep in a separate area, and cook the pizza on a screen to prevent contact with the pizza stone.
Ingredients: tapioca, sorghum, amaranth, teff, potato and tapioca starch, flax seed, guar gum

Menomalé Pizza Napoletana

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For an extra $5, Menomale offers a gluten-free option. Choose from classics like the margherita, or the less conventional aragosta with lobster, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
Ingredients: bean, rice, and tapioca flours; xanthan gum; egg; sugar; and cider vinegar

Open City

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Open City makes its own gluten-free pizza dough. Choose from toppings include the rosemary duck with fontina, ricotta, and caramelized onions; or pulled BBQ chicken with smoked gouda and scallions.Ingredients: chickpea, corn, and rice flours

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza

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A bit smaller than the usual Pete's pizza, the 12" gluten free pie is $14 and offers a wide range of toppings including the classic white clam. And for those not interested in ordering pizza, they can order a corn-based, gluten-free pasta dish.
Ingredients: tapioca starch, chickpea flour, rice flour, olive oil

Pizzeria Paradiso

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For an extra $2 per pizza, Pizzeria Paradiso offers a gluten free 8" pizza, which is made in the same kitchen as its standard pizzas. Pair it with one of the gluten-free beer options for the classic pizza and beer experience.
Ingredients: chickpea, tapioca, buckwheat, sorghum, fava and rice flour, potato starch, and xanthan gum

Rustico

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At Rustico, the gluten-free chickpea crusts are cooked in a different oven from the standard pizzas, and the dough is made in a separate area of the kitchen. Look for unique toppings like duck confit, cracklings, brie and grilled onions on one, and garlic shrimp with fontina, tomato confit, and tarragon butter on another. Multiple locations.Ingredients: chickpea flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and gelatin

Rustik Tavern

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Shrimp, chorizo and lamb pizzas are available on a gluten-free crust at Rustik Tavern fresh from its wood-fired oven.
Ingredients: rice flour and potato starch

Urbana's chef Ethan McKee crafted a gluten-free crust available for an extra $2 per pie. Choose from a basic margherita, the funghi (mushrooms, fontina, thyme, and truffle oil), or quattro stagioni (fresh tomato, parma cotto ham, artichoke, olives, mushrooms, basil, and mozzarella). The ingredients are stored separately and the pies are baked on a special perforated pan so they doesn't come in contact with surfaces that may have wheat flour.
Ingredients: rice flour, soy flour, eggs

Though not prepared in a gluten-free environment, for the less sensitive zpizza offers a large variety of gluten-free pizzas with gluten-free toppings. Choose from options like the Mexican (avocado, red and green onion, salsa, mozzarella, cilantro, lime chicken, sour cream), hand and pineapple, and pepperoni. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: Rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, potato flakes, olive oil, sugar, and seasonings

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Comet Ping Pong

Gluten free pizzas are available at Comet for an additional $5 available with toppings like broccoli rabe, smoky mushrooms, roasted pork, and potato.
Ingredients: bean, rice, and tapioca flours; xanthan gum; egg; sugar; and cider vinegar

District of Pi

District of Pi might be better known for its deep dish pies, but it offers gluten-free thin crusts upon request. Pick from a hefty list of toppings to finish it.
Ingredients: rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, egg whites, olive oil, and vegetable oil

Fuel Pizza

Fuel Pizza features the most unique grains in its gluten-free crust, including teff, which many might know better for its use in injera bread. Choose from the 35 different toppings (except the meatballs), including ricotta, sausage, artichokes, and spinach. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: tapioca, sorghum, amaranth, and teff

Ledo Pizza

Ledo Pizza is one of the area's classic pizzas. With its gluten-free pizza menu, it notes that not all of its toppings are produced in a gluten-free kitchen, and those individuals with severe wheat or gluten allergies should avoid them. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: Rice flour, potato starch, olive oil, evaporated cane juice, and tapioca flour

Lost Dog Cafe

Local chain Lost Dog Cafe meets the needs of Virginia celiacs with its gluten-free pizzas. For an extra $4 for an individual or an extra $6 for a small, choose from a number of white or red sauce-based pizza options. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: bean flour, rice flour and tapioca flour

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

Mellow Mushroom focuses on reducing cross contamination with wheat products. For gluten-free orders, the kitchen staff "will wash hands, put on fresh gloves and a fresh apron, use gluten-free dedicated utensils and ingredients", prep in a separate area, and cook the pizza on a screen to prevent contact with the pizza stone.
Ingredients: tapioca, sorghum, amaranth, teff, potato and tapioca starch, flax seed, guar gum

Menomalé Pizza Napoletana

For an extra $5, Menomale offers a gluten-free option. Choose from classics like the margherita, or the less conventional aragosta with lobster, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
Ingredients: bean, rice, and tapioca flours; xanthan gum; egg; sugar; and cider vinegar

Open City

Open City makes its own gluten-free pizza dough. Choose from toppings include the rosemary duck with fontina, ricotta, and caramelized onions; or pulled BBQ chicken with smoked gouda and scallions.Ingredients: chickpea, corn, and rice flours

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza

A bit smaller than the usual Pete's pizza, the 12" gluten free pie is $14 and offers a wide range of toppings including the classic white clam. And for those not interested in ordering pizza, they can order a corn-based, gluten-free pasta dish.
Ingredients: tapioca starch, chickpea flour, rice flour, olive oil

Pizzeria Paradiso

For an extra $2 per pizza, Pizzeria Paradiso offers a gluten free 8" pizza, which is made in the same kitchen as its standard pizzas. Pair it with one of the gluten-free beer options for the classic pizza and beer experience.
Ingredients: chickpea, tapioca, buckwheat, sorghum, fava and rice flour, potato starch, and xanthan gum

Rustico

At Rustico, the gluten-free chickpea crusts are cooked in a different oven from the standard pizzas, and the dough is made in a separate area of the kitchen. Look for unique toppings like duck confit, cracklings, brie and grilled onions on one, and garlic shrimp with fontina, tomato confit, and tarragon butter on another. Multiple locations.Ingredients: chickpea flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and gelatin

Rustik Tavern

Shrimp, chorizo and lamb pizzas are available on a gluten-free crust at Rustik Tavern fresh from its wood-fired oven.
Ingredients: rice flour and potato starch

Urbana

Urbana's chef Ethan McKee crafted a gluten-free crust available for an extra $2 per pie. Choose from a basic margherita, the funghi (mushrooms, fontina, thyme, and truffle oil), or quattro stagioni (fresh tomato, parma cotto ham, artichoke, olives, mushrooms, basil, and mozzarella). The ingredients are stored separately and the pies are baked on a special perforated pan so they doesn't come in contact with surfaces that may have wheat flour.
Ingredients: rice flour, soy flour, eggs

zpizza

Though not prepared in a gluten-free environment, for the less sensitive zpizza offers a large variety of gluten-free pizzas with gluten-free toppings. Choose from options like the Mexican (avocado, red and green onion, salsa, mozzarella, cilantro, lime chicken, sour cream), hand and pineapple, and pepperoni. Multiple locations.
Ingredients: Rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, potato flakes, olive oil, sugar, and seasonings

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