Stella Barra is a popular Italian/Pizza restaurant with locations in Bethesda, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Chicago. Pizza restaurants aren’t the best for us in the NOBREAD crowd. I’ll speak for myself, but there is nothing worse than dining at a pizza restaurant and being unable to indulge. Thankfully this is not the case at Stella Barra. Gluten free pizza dough is available so you, too, can enjoy the cheesy goodness!
All of the red sauce pizzas can be made gluten free by simply asking for the GF pizza crust. My favorite is the Rossa Pizza that includes arugula, roasted garlic, calabrian chilies, charred cherry tomatoes, and sweet basil. The white pizzas, on the other hand, are not gluten free by simply asking for GF dough. There is gluten in the white sauce, so to be gluten free, you must ask for the gluten free dough and sub out the sauce. Mascarpone cheese is used instead, and the pizza is just as delicious! Other NOBREAD approved items that are popular at Stella Barra include the heirloom spinach and purple kale salad and the harvest salad. These salads are gluten free, and the perfect, healthy options to supplement your not so healthy meal!
The gluten free options available at brunch are a bit limited; you can choose either the 3-egg breakfast nobread or omelette nobread. Yes pizzas are on the menu, but the restaurant doesn’t recommend ordering the breakfast pizzas on the gluten free crust. The GF crust is thinner, and the runny eggs on the pizza weighs heavily on the crust, making it a bit soggy and less enjoyable. I appreciate the restaurant’s honesty!