I really just need a place for my family, friends, and everyone else to see this video, and this is the easiest place!

“Mike & Stephanie got engaged on Saturday, January 9th, 2010 on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. First, they went to happy hour with her sister, Jessica, and her boyfriend, Matt. Earlier in the week, Mike invited 25 of their friends and family as a surprise for Stephanie. Everyone waited for them in the five degree weather at the Pomona Fountain outside the Eddie Bauer store. When Mike & Stephanie arrived at the fountain, Stephanie was too distracted by the cold weather and news camera to notice all the people. Eventually, she saw her mom and everyone else and immediately bust into tears. Afterward, everyone went to P.F. Chang’s for dinner. Thank you to everyone for being part of this surprise and bearing the cold weather to be with us! Also, a big thank you to Susan who added to the surprise, even for Mike, by inviting the news station. -Mike & Stephanie”

Like I frequently say, I don’t really buy the gluten free “imitation” foods in the stores, and rarely do I splurge and go to gluten free restaurants due to the high cost.   So, it may appear that a lot of my foods resort back to chicken, vegetables, and fruits, but I am able to do infinite variations of these to keep it interesting and usually healthy.

Here is a little recap of the past few months of the things I took photos of….

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When the pizza arrived at my table it was in a to-go box.  This first took me by surprise, but then I realized how serious they were about cross-contamination.  In the photos above, you can see the bright green gluten free sticker holding the box closed.  This unbroken sticker lets Godfather’s and the customer know that no one has tampered with the pizza since it has left the kitchen.  I really like this finishing touch they put on their delivery and presentation.

The gluten free pizzas are baked on premade 10″ crusts.  I ordered the all-meat combo, my favorite!  From first sight, all the way through finishing every crumb, it was just as I remembered “real” pizza.  Unlike some other gluten free pizzas I have tried in the past, the crust was thin and slightly crispy; the way it should be!  I did not notice an unpizza-like taste from the crust, but my girlfriend said, side by side, she could tell a slight difference… but not a bad one.  All the meat, cheese, and sauce were great, as expected!

We GFers are used to paying a premium for anything gluten free.  This is why, in the beginning, I shy-ed away from buying gluten free foods and stuck with only natural foods.  Godfather’s has their gluten free pizza priced EXACTLY the same as the “normal people” pizzas!  I was in shock over this and applaud them for it.  In the photos above, you see the same prices for their gluten free small pizzas as the regular small pizzas.

After I finished eating, Daniel took me to see the kitchen and the extra steps they take when making gluten free pizzas.  The first thing I noticed was lots of bright green, laminated pieces of paper on the walls.  Each one gives special instructions on how to prepare a gluten free pizza during each step of the process.  The photo on the left is of the dedicated gluten free counter space.  Inside the bag are individually wrapped tools used for preparing the pizzas.  When not in use, the tools stay sealed inside the bags to prevent cross contamination through the air.  Most places do not think of, or even attempt to stop cross-contamination in the air.  You will also notice the box of gloves that the employees switch to when handling gluten free pizzas.  The middle picture is of the ingredient table with the gluten free instructions above.  The photo on the right is of Daniel standing next to the dedicated gluten free freezer where all the individually packaged crusts are stored.  I am shocked by the double precautions that are in place.

CONCLUSION:

I had a great experience during and after(you know what I mean) my lunch at Godfather’s pizza!  The pizza was great, the prices were not above normal, and the service was excellent!  I will be returning frequently and bringing friends.  For the non-gluten free people, they have a great lunch buffet for only $6 that I am very jealous of.  Thanks again to the manager, Daniel, and to Field Project Developer, Victoria, for giving me a tour and answering all my questions.

Here is a list, as of July 2009, of the Godfather’s locations that serve gluten free pizza:

Hey guys,
Here is my food review for the weekend.  Let’s just say, food was my focus and I really indulged!

Saturday – Waldo’s Pizza in Lee Summit -   Thanks for the recommendation Mike!  My friends selected the Lee Summit location b/c the only other time they went to Waldo’s was the KC location and they had over an hour wait.  No wait in Lee Summit.  They had a pretty good gluten free menu.  But, I had to go with the pizza!  I ordered the 6 inch Waldo Combo (hamburger, pork sausage, onions, canadian bacan, green pepper, mushroom, pepperoni, black olives).  It was awesome!!!  I was wishing I had gotten the 12in pizza to have the leftovers, but the price would have jumped up from 7.15 to 18.55.  It was the best pizza I have had since being GF.  Really, really good.  Mike, you will have to bring some carry out the next time you come to STL:-).

Sunday - Grand St. Cafe in the Plaza -   We went for brunch.  It was amazing.  The brunch menu is a set menu of about 10 meal choices for $15.  This includes an “appetizer buffet”.  On the buffet I had the fresh fruit and the grilled vegetables.  Besides that they had items like hummus and pita, pastries, pasta.  The staff is very well informed on the menu and what items are gluten free.  I had my choice of 3 or 4 things (fritata, steak and eggs, etc).  The waiter stated that the hanger steak and eggs (and potato) was the best bang for my buck.  So, I went with that!  It was very good.  I had seen online that they had GF crab cakes.  I haven’t had crab cakes since being gluten free and I have been really wanting them.  So, I ordered those in addition.  They were outstanding.  The order was two of them and they were about the size of a coaster….good thing because they were $16!  But, I would totally get them again.  I had enough leftovers for another meal

Sunday night – Tannah’s in Leawood -  It is near my friends church and they had been wanting to try it.  Bryce looked it up and it stated that they accommodate allergies and gf.  When we arrived I asked about a gluten free menu and sure enough they had one.  It is food with an “asian flare”.  It is very similar to PF Changs or Stir Crazy.  I decided on the GF fried rice with chicken and beef.  Once again, this is the first time I have been able to have this since being GF.  It was really good.  I had plenty of leftovers.  It was around $10.

HyVee – Olivia’s Oven – They deliver to this Hy Vee on Thursday.  By the time I got there on Sunday, it was pretty picked over.  But, to my delight an employee pointed out the fact that all items from ‘health Matters’ section are 15% off if you place them in a paper bag (probably a temporary sale).  So, all my Olivia’s oven items were discounted.  I purchased some of the 6in. pizza shells, cinnamon apple donut holes and snickerdoodles.  The donut holes are really good heated up slightly.  The cookies were okay.  I prefer these snickerdoodles.  I tried the pizza shell tonight with my own toppings.  It isn’t as good as Waldo’s, but I think I just need to get better toppings and maybe cook the shell a couple minutes before topping.

Sprint Center now Gluten free friendly! St. Louis is only 4 hours away, yet so far behind.  So far, I have found KC and San Antonio to be the most accomodating cities and the easiest to eat gluten free.  I have read that Phoenix and Austin are great places to visit and be GF as well.  Hmm, I wonder if Fromm’s would like to make a GF Travel guide.  I would apply for that job!

Elena

St. Louis, MO

I ordered the gluten free sesame chicken, and my girlfriend ordered the “normal” people sesame chicken.  The price was a couple dollars higher for the gluten free, but well worth it.  It was still comparable to any nice sit-down chinese restaurant.

My food was GREAT, better than ever expected!  Best Chinese I’ve ever had, period!

My girlfriend even said that mine was better than her “cool people” food.  I have even ordered it take-out since then… just as good!  I started talking to the manager as we were leaving.  She said they she even orderes from the GF menu because it tastes better.

They have two locations in Johnson County:

If you are ever in KC, I’ll join you for some Fortune Wok!