It’s been over two years now that I have lived a gluten-free life. At first the transition was really hard. I was a bread addict, so my diet had to be completely overhauled. It took some time, but today I rarely feel like I am missing out, except when it comes to pizza.
I did a school placement in Italy one summer and there were many nights there where I would happily indulge in a whole pizza. I was not yet living a gluten-free lifestyle and the pizzas there were heavenly – thin crust, drizzled in spiced oils, with soft mozza and fresh tomatoes. I really REALLY love pizza so I have spent a lot of time trying out gluten-free options with limited success. There have been some that have been okay, even very good in a I like it as food but it’s not really pizza kind of way.
So I was excited, ecstatic even, when I heard that my favorite gluten-free bakery Schoolhouse Gluten Free (@SHGlutenfree) had started making a crust for Morris East (@MorrisEast). Last night, I had my first taste, a mushroom provolone pizza drizzled in truffle oil and chili sauce. The smell in the car on the ride home was intoxicating. It took all of my willpower not to dive right in from the passenger seat.
By the time I got home I was at breaking point. Coat off, purse down, plates out, box open and…bliss. There are few words to describe this pizza, but I’ll try. It is a thin crust but with just a bit of soft chewy goodness, a rarity in the sea of crunchy hard GF doughs currently on the market. The top is lightly salted and it tastes akin to a nice foccacia bread. The toppings (by Morris East) were a perfect complement, and almost hit the Gravina standard upon which I have based every pizza since Italy.
I used some self-restraint and saved a piece for the next day to see how it kept. I normally find gluten-free pizza pretty inedible by day two as it is either soggy or rock hard. I popped it in the oven for lunch and it was still great.
Morris East has an impressive line-up of gourmet toppings. The Mushroom provolone came to $22.25, and made for a delicious cook-free date night treat. Read about our experiences at the new Morris East location HERE.
Don’t feel like going to a restaurant? Schoolhouse sells the dough for those who want to make their own pizza. It has to be pre-ordered, but it is only $5! I went to NYC in July and have been wanting to re-create a pizza that I couldn’t eat, a spicy honey, bacon and german salami beauty that a few of my friends shared at Paulie Gee’s (@PaulieGee) in Brooklyn. That will be my first project next week when I get my dough.
Location:
Morris East Halifax
5212 Morris Street
Halifax, NS
Website: http://morriseast.com/
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