Are you tired of going to restaurants and ordering gluten-free pizza, only to be presented with a crust that resembles dry, crumbly cardboard? I have the answer to your prayers and it’s called The Luggage Room. It’s a trendy gem of a restaurant in Pasadena and if you ever happen to be on that side of town, I highly recommend you pay this place (and it’s perfectly crafted pizzas) a visit…
I rarely find myself in Pasadena, so I decided to have a little sampling party of the gluten-free items on the menu. First up was the chopped salad with salumi. Now I’m not the biggest fan of salad – I’d usually eat my lettuce quietly and move on, but I frequently find myself craving this salad and I need to tell you about it. It was so good that I even wrote down all of the ingredients and tried to recreate it myself the next week (and no, it didn’t taste the same). Full of salumi, golden raisins, pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers and olives, it was the perfect combination of tastes and textures. Between this salad and the bacon wrapped dates, you have the perfect start to your meal.
When it came to the pizza, I was honestly perplexed. Why is the crust so light and fluffy? Why doesn’t this taste like crunchy cardboard? Have I been given the wrong pizza? Well, it was the right pizza and it might have been the best pizza I’ve ever had, gluten-free or otherwise. I ordered the gladiator (sausage and pepperoni) and added jalapenos and it was incredible and flavorful. The staff here is unbelievably friendly and you’ll probably become friends with them by the end of your meal. They were super accommodating and understanding about my dietary restrictions and made sure to check with the chef to ensure everything was made gluten-free and free of cross contamination. I will dream about this place until the next time I’m in Pasadena.