Putting Airport in the same sentence with best and worst gluten free pizza might seem a bit silly. The reality is that we spend a lot of time on the road. Between BeachStreetNews, CruToys and the ArtSurf Documentary project, I am in the airport eating at least once a week.
This week was no exception and for some reason I was craving pizza. When I talk about the best and worst gluten free airport pizza, I have to start with a warning.
I have a pizza oven at home.
So yes, I have slightly higher standards than most people when it comes to a gluten free crust. Some time ago I did a video where I tested several gluten free pizza dough recipes. One came out good but I had to cheat and let it rise even though the directions said not too. Maybe I need to test again.
Passing through the DFW airport in Dallas, I decided to try Wolfgang Pucks gluten free mushroom pizza. It wasn’t anything like any other gluten free pizza I have ever tried. Quite frankly it was good enough to order even if I could eat regular pizza. Wolfgang Pucks gets the BeachSteetNews best of the beach even if they are in Dallas for that pizza.
The dough wasn’t like a traditional pizza. It really wasn’t very bread-like at all. I’ve come to know a very wide range of gluten free crust options thanks to Trader Joes and Whole Foods. The Broccoli & Kale crust from Trader Joes is among my favorite pre-made, store bought gluten free pizza crusts. The crust at Wolfgang Pucks was really unique. It is so good that I am on a mission to figure it out. The texture was closer to a grilled mushroom. It was light and slightly chewy without being doughy.
Closer to my home surf break in Huntington Beach is LAX. Today I had a chance to try the gluten free Margherita pizza at 800 degrees.
When the person at the counter cut the pie, it sounded like he was cutting a saltine cracker. After carrying my meal to the table, I added a little parm and a lot of red pepper. My wife says my days in NOLA have killed my taste buds. I just like a little heat, what can I say?
The first bite was exactly as you would expect from a pizza that sounded like a saltine. Flat tasteless and crunchy. The only flavor I could detect was the wood ash from the fire in the oven. I found the worlds worst gluten free airport pizza.
Since many of the airport employees appear to be regulars at 800 Degrees, I am guessing that the regular pizza is pretty good. If anyone knows please let us know.