On those gluten free crusts

#SpoCOOLSpokane

Now don't get us wrong, we do prefer the real thing as far a good pizza crust goes, Veraci and all, but, for whatever reason, we've had to go more with the gluten free crusts as of late. This has resulted in a hardship; ask what kind of crust a parlor use -- they have, so far, never been house made -- and you're usually met with a blank stare.

We're assuming most places are using the same type of crust, as the base flavor seems to be vaguely similar place to place. Of course, "base flavor" is just that, and the quality varies greatly based on everything from what oven used, preparation, and, of course, quality of toppings.

We plan to update a list of gluten free crust pizzas we try. Most places around town now have this option, and we're certainly not trying all of them (seeing most pizza places are... so-so...), but instead we'll be focusing on a few of the usual suspects. Like...

Bennidito's: We've had our ups and downs with Bennidito's, but they seem to have been getting their stuff together lately. The crust was nicely charred, and had a crispness to it not dissimilar to that of a regular flat crust pizza. Overall, very good, though it has to be said: Bennidito's greatest strength is its fluffy, regular crust.

Pizza Pipeline: I mean, you have to try them, right? They're kind of a Spokane institution. As for the pie, I have no idea what happened here: The edges were charred to the point of being burned, and the bottom seemed like it hadn't been cooked. At all. Burned edges and a cardboard flavored bottom? Ouch. Add the Pipeline's typical toppings, and this was kind of a car wreck.

South Perry Pizza: You know, South Perry really puts together some good pies. The gluten free ones are no different. There wasn't really much char to the edges -- like with Bennidito's -- but the crust was crispy, with a great bite to it. Add a nice variety with their specials, and I think we have a winner here. For now at least.

Keep in mind it's hard for us to know about cross contamination, etc., as we're not allergic to gluten. Consider this more of a take on gluten free crusts for those who want to avoid... well... gluten.