First Meal in Florida: Vertoris

My first meal in Florida was at Vertoris pizzeria in Bradenton. What drew me to them was not only their vegan options, but also their gluten-free savvy.

Kate and I started out with a gluten-free beer flight.



I am by no means a "beer drinker," but many of my friends are, which has set me on a journey to find at least one beer that I like, strictly for social reasons. I found it in this flight! The first beer of the flight is Red Bridge, made by Anheiser-Busch, and it fit the bill. I don't LOVE it (like I said, I am not a beer drinker), but I could certainly handle a full glass of Red Bridge. Flights are a great way to taste-test beers (and much classier than constantly sipping a friend's brews over and over).

My meal was a gluten-free, vegan lasagna, topped with Daiya cheese - my first time trying this highly recommended faux cheese.




I'm not a big pasta person, but the gluten-free pizza crust at Vertoris is unfortunately not vegan. The owner is a very sweet and knowledgeable woman who was able to answer all of my questions and even showed me the ingredients to their gluten-free and vegan items. My final verdict on the lasagna: Delicious! I amped it up by adding broccoli and mushrooms (one can never have too many vegetables). The biggest difference between Daiya and Follow Your Heart cheeses is not the melt, but the s-t-r-e-t-c-h of the melted cheesiness. Daiya has FYH trumped in that department!

Vertoris is a wonderful place for anyone seeking gluten-free and/or vegan fare of the Italian variety. We didn't have room for dessert, but it was nice to know that a vegan and GF spice cake could have been available for our enjoyment. Maybe next time!