Beware The Mississippi Pizza Pub In Portland Oregon

[celiac-mommy]

If you're in the Portland area, you may have heard The Mississippi Pizza Pub advertising gluten-free pizza on the radio or on the grain damaged blog, we were trying to eat at the new Picazzo's pizza in Sellwood, but it is apparently closed on Sundays So we decided to go to the M.P.P to try it out. So we walk in and they're making pizza right there in front of you, there is visible flour in the air--I should have turned around right then. There was seating outside, so we had the kids sit out there while I inquired about the pizza. The guy in charge told me how they prepare the pizzas (premade crusts), how they cook them etc... He told me how careful they try to be, but he also told me that he thinks this is REALLY dangerous and he doesn't think it's a good idea for this particular restaurant to offer gluten-free pizzas to people with food allergies because of the risk of CC, especially with flour in the air. I don't know why I decided to go ahead and order, but I did stand there the entire time and watched the guy make the pizza. I had to remind him to change his gloves because he cleaned the whole area and then went to make the pizza with flour all over his gloves. He did go in the back, remove his flour covered apron and grabbed a new box of gloves. He made sure to clean the pizza spatula thingy, they cooked the pizza on parchment, but on the bottom rack UNDER the gluten pizzas above. They have separate containers for sauce and stuff, but there is literally a dusting of flour over every surface in the restaurant-the counters, tables, drinking glasses etc... One of the kids with us ended up sick, mine were OK, but I will NEVER do it again. I do realize how stupid I was to take the chance there. It was a HUGE mistake-total roulette! (sorry Jenny!)

[JennyC]

You don't have to apologize. Yes, we should have walked out of there. I'm not making that mistake again. On the grain damaged blog someone commented that they ate there and did not get sick. It IS like playing roulette.

[Generic]

Is this the samre pizza chain that is in AZ? If so it is the best pizza ever! Can you tell me where about Sellwood is? I tried to look up Picazzo's in Sellwood and it didn't find anything.

Thanks so much!

[Generic]

Never mind I found it on their website. Thanks for the headsup about it!

[celiac-mommy]

Just to make sure I was clear, Picazzo's pizza is safe, Mississippi Pizza Pub is NOT!!

[celiac-jack]

I, as well as all of the other gluten-intolerant individuals involved in this forum, appreciate the warning you gave us about Mississippi Pizza. I ate their a few weeks ago and had no problems whatsoever, but like you said, maybe its like roulette.

Good luck my fellow Celiacians.

[hwinfield]

I've eaten at the Portland Picazzos three times, and the first two times were fabulous. Unfortunately, I went there again this past Saturday evening for dinner, and I'm still recovering (on Tuesday). Somehow there was gluten in my gluten-free pizza.

I don't like being the bearer of bad news, and I was so incredibly excited to have this restaurant in Portland. Unfortunately, it's no longer an option for me, so I wanted to post in the hopes that noone else gets sick.

Picazzos is the only gluten-free pizza that I've tried in Portland, and I'm not sure that I have the courage to try this again in a restaurant that serves so many pizzas made with flour!

[celiac-mommy]

I've eaten at the Portland Picazzos three times, and the first two times were fabulous. Unfortunately, I went there again this past Saturday evening for dinner, and I'm still recovering (on Tuesday). Somehow there was gluten in my gluten-free pizza.

I don't like being the bearer of bad news, and I was so incredibly excited to have this restaurant in Portland. Unfortunately, it's no longer an option for me, so I wanted to post in the hopes that noone else gets sick.

Picazzos is the only gluten-free pizza that I've tried in Portland, and I'm not sure that I have the courage to try this again in a restaurant that serves so many pizzas made with flour!

Did you call the manager and let him/her know? If not, you should. They really need to know. I talked to the owner at MPP, and since our trip there (and my complaints) they are taking it more seriously, with more understanding. He assures me that if you take and bake or just buy the crusts, they are made in a "clean" area with extremely low risk of CC (cuz there's always some risk), and then they are packaged in plastic so as not to come in contact with flour once they've left the "clean" area. I appreciate their effort, but honestly though, I still won't eat there.

[hwinfield]

Did you call the manager and let him/her know? If not, you should. They really need to know. I talked to the owner at MPP, and since our trip there (and my complaints) they are taking it more seriously, with more understanding. He assures me that if you take and bake or just buy the crusts, they are made in a "clean" area with extremely low risk of CC (cuz there's always some risk), and then they are packaged in plastic so as not to come in contact with flour once they've left the "clean" area. I appreciate their effort, but honestly though, I still won't eat there.

That's a great point - I will call the manager. Maybe it can help them figure out what happened and prevent it in the future. I know what you mean when you say that you probably won't eat at MPP again. It's difficult for me to eat in restaurants, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to eat out and stay well!

[JennyC]

I think eating out even in "safe" places can be a hit or miss. We have eaten at Picazzo's three times now and have never had a problem, even at 6:00 on a Friday night. I agree you should let them know about your experience so that they can address any problems.