Whether the aim is to eat healthier or avoid certain foods due to intolerance or allergies, more and more people in the U.S. are going gluten-free each year. Once upon a time, eliminating gluten from your diet meant severe restrictions on what you could eat, with things like pizza, pasta, beer, and sweets all but off the table.
Today, thanks to a growing understanding of what it means to be gluten-free and a new wave of gluten-free menus and products, these restrictions are a thing of the past. To find the best gluten-free options, an expert panel has nominated their top picks across six categories, from cider to gluten-free bakeries. Then, readers voted for their favorites to determine the winners.
Click on each category below to see the full winners list:
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Best Cider: Vacation Station from Urban Orchard Cider Co.
Cheers to Vacation Station, the winning cider from Urban Orchard Cider Co. – Photo courtesy of Stephan Pruitt
Urban Orchard Cider Co. ships their cider cans nationwide, and you can also visit their taproom to try Vacation Station, a specialty cider that is semi-sweet and tropical with guava, kiwi, and mango.
Full list of winners: Best Cider »
Best Cidery: Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard in Fly Creek, New York
Stop by Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard for a beverage and a bite to eat – Photo courtesy of Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
In business since the 1850s, Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard offers a truly massive array of both food and drink products for upstate New York visitors and locals to sample. Beyond treats like fudge, dumplings, and cookies, cider is a particularly popular liquid refreshment for guests, with the drink available in both hard and alcohol-free varieties.
Full list of winners: Best Cidery »
Best Gluten-Free Bakery: Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland and San Francisco, California
Mariposa Baking Company ships nationwide if you can’t make the trip to California – Photo courtesy of Mariposa Baking Co.
This Bay Area bakery has an expansive selection of goodies — both savory and sweet — that are all gluten free and delicious. Enjoy Mariposa’s cakes, pastries, pies, cookies, breads, bagels, and more at their two locations in San Francisco and Oakland, or you can place an order for nationwide delivery.
Full list of winners: Best Gluten-Free Bakery »
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Best Gluten-Free Beer: A Dark Night from Departed Soles Brewing Company
A Dark Night from Departed Soles Brewing Company is brewed to be completely free of gluten – Photo courtesy of Departed Soles Brewing Company
A Dark Night from Departed Soles Brewing Company in New Jersey is a black IPA made with 100% gluten-free ingredients. The hop-forward beer, designed to taste like a shaken-up black and tan, finishes with flavors of roasted malts.
Full list of winners: Best Gluten-Free Beer »
Best Gluten-Free Pizzeria: Razzis Pizzeria in Seattle, Washington
Razzis Pizzeria serves up delicious pizza while catering to a number of dietary restrictions and preferences – Photo courtesy of RAZZiS PIZZERiA – Seattle, WA
Razzis Pizzeria handcrafts every gluten-free crust from scratch, giving the dough a delicately sweet, impressively chewy texture that rivals a traditional hand-tossed pie. Each pizza is made fresh to order and comes loaded with toppings, from all the classics to creative favorites like Spicy Chicken Thai, NW Mex, and Gorgonzola Gourmet.
Razzis also makes its gluten-free crusts, calzones, panini, and focaccia from scratch in their Certified Gluten Free Kitchen, offering peace of mind with every bite. And with yeast-free, sugar-free, vegan, and low-carb versions of nearly every gluten-free item on the menu, they really do offer something for everyone.
Full list of winners: Best Gluten-Free Pizzeria »
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Best Restaurant for Gluten-Free Dining: Razzis Pizzeria in Seattle, Washington
Razzis Pizzeria takes the crown for Best Restaurant for Gluten-Free Dining – Photo courtesy of RAZZiS PIZZERiA – Seattle, WA
Razzis Pizzeria has reimagined the Italian dining experience for guests with gluten sensitivities. They not only have an extensive gluten-free menu mirroring nearly everything on their traditional menu, but go even further by offering dairy-free, garlic-free, sugar-free, nightshade-free, vegan, and low-carb variations.
At Razzis, diners who are used to having limited options can once again safely enjoy thick crust pizza, mozzarella sticks, grinders, gyros, custom calzones, decadent desserts, and so much more. Razzis created inclusive Italian comfort food so that everyone can have a seat at the table.
Full list of winners: Best Restaurant for Gluten-Free Dining »
Congratulations to all these winners! Remember to visit 10best.usatoday.com daily to vote in more Readers’ Choice Awards.
Dining and Cooking