Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Beware The Mississippi Pizza Pub In Portland Oregon

celiac-mommy

Recommended Posts

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

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!)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

You don't have to apologize. :rolleyes: 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 Apprentice
Generic
Posted

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 Apprentice
Generic
Posted

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

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
  • Author

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

celiac-jack Newbie
celiac-jack
Posted

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.

  • 3 weeks later...
hwinfield Newbie
hwinfield
Posted

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.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
  • Author
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 Newbie
hwinfield
Posted
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 Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

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.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,684
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Betty Siebert
    Newest Member
    Betty Siebert
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.