Gluten-free in Miami (Quick Weekend Trip!)

This past weekend my boyfriend and I took a quick trip to Miami with some friends to watch the Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat (go Celts!).  It was beautiful there and so different from any other large city.  Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to relax and spend a couple days on the beach, but we crammed as much into a two day trip as we could!

As soon as we got into Miami, we immediately drove to South Beach.  We had lunch at Naked Pizza which blew me away.  It was the perfect pizza.  The gluten-free crust only comes in a medium, but it was just the right amount.  It was thin and greasy and the cheese was browned...a true pizza!

Matt got pepperoni on his side and I got sun-dried tomatoes on mine!

The best part about Naked Pizza is not just that they have gluten-free crusts and ingredients, it's that they are committed to keeping cross-contamination at an absolute minimum.  Haven't you ever wondered how careful chefs and cooks really are back in the kitchen while preparing your food?  Naked Pizza eased my mind (and will ease yours, too!) with this video available on their website:

Pretty awesome huh?  I can't say I have ever seen another company show this step in gluten-free preparation.  While there are not locations in every state, they are expanding quickly and you can keep track of opening locations on their website.

We also ate at RA Sushi just outside Miami on the way home.  I had never been to RA before but Matt and I are always up for yummy sushi.  I didn't pack any special gluten-free sauces or snacks for this trip, so I was a bit bummed that I wouldn't have any tamari during dinner.  I ordered the Pacific Roll, and as luck would have it, didn't even need (or miss) the tamari at all!  This roll reminded me of fresh Mexican food due to its unique ingredients: cilantro, jalapeno, mango, red onion, and avocado.  It was wrapped in avocado slices, topped with a mango salsa, and also contained albacore tuna and sauteed cashew pieces; if you order this, be sure to leave out the beet tempura bits.  While I forgot to take a photo, this one I found via Flickr does the roll pretty good justice!

I'm sure there were many, many other gluten-free places in Miami and I am disappointed that we didn't have the time to enjoy more restaurants.  But there is always a next time, especially when we are only a couple hours away!