Lodge Bread Co. is Open Again, with Wine, Pizza and a Confusing Menu

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We went last night in honor of Pi Day. Boy, it’s great. See, this is the kinda place that a place like Culver needs. It’s a great neighborhood spot.

I tried to take pictures of the space, but they didn’t capture it very well, so I’ll just say that it feels open yet cozy. Both sides - the bread side and the pizza/other side - are open viewing so you can see everyone busy at work. In the very middle is a high community table, surrounded by smaller two-tops. There is also some seating outside on their nice new patio. You order at the counter, grab your number, a carafe of water and wait (but not very long).

The pizzas are great, which isn’t a surprise given how great the Sunday night pizzas were. They are on the pricey ish side, but we could get away with splitting one, I think. But get two and have some leftovers.

margarita ($15)

cheddar broccoli ($17)

pizza and beer (beer to come)

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I’m surprised how quickly they finished the model/build-out. Tried to drag my wife there over the weekend, but between the crowds and her fear of their bread (charred for life?) and their bread-intensive menu (my whole family is turning against me on the carb front), it was a no-go. And wine&beer? Get the F out.

How is the tomato sauce?

“charred for life?”

Made my day. LOL

(I, too, find their bread crust a bit too well done – okay, sometimes burned – for my taste.)

Choosing which loaf of bread at Lodge is like Goldilocks and the Two Bears. “Hmm - this one is too burnt. And this one is even more burnt…”

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I had to go today, because @President_Mochi’s report left me helpless to my desire to find the perfect pizza.

I ordered the same, broccoli-cheddar and a margherita.

Beautifully soupy center, pouffy, light and chewy edges, amazing tomato sauce. This is my kind of pizza.

Note the charred bottom.

The boy said, “Why’s it burnt?” I said, “It’s European, that’s how it’s supposed to be. Like Americans char steaks.” He said, “Oh, okay” and chowed it.

Now I don’t have to drive all the way to Mozza for my Neopolitan cravings. Oh, and they sell bread and salad and stuff.

Very friendly service, no more attitudy people, thank goodness. The remodel is great too.

Interior/exterior photos.

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We at FTC will make the sacrifice to go w/ you to get pizza. :smiley:

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I didn’t take photos, but my pizza (about an hour ago) was blackened. Well and truly carbonized. It’s clearly something they’re trying to deal with because I saw three customers complain about the level of char when I was there.

Mind you, it was pretty tasty, but there were bits that verged on cinder. Also, I’d like more brightness from the tomato sauce… it was pretty understated. Also, the dough they’re using isn’t for everybody. Thick, dense, and brown, it isn’t a traditional pizza base. I liked it alot, but purists will probably have issues with it.

Not crowded at 2:30, half the tables were empty.

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Tearing up - I love you man… :joy:

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It’s BURNT, no matter how much they try to spin it!!

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That pizza looks like it’s mostly crust. Do people actually eat all the crust on these things?

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Seems like everybody got less incinerated pizza than the folks who were there at 2:00ish. Mine had that much crust, but it was Darth Vader black around 70% of the circumference.

Admittedly, I only ate at pizza night once, but this was my prob w/ my pizza. It WAS mainly crust. I love me some carbs, but it was just too much for me. The quality of the toppings was excellent; I just needed about 20-30% more of it.

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@Moomin Wow, that is not the pizza I experienced. It was thin, with the aforementioned light, poofy edges. And the char was just enough, not carbonized by any means. The sauce on our pizza was definitely acidic in the best canned tomato way. I was sussing out the brand of tomato they use because I liked it so much.

Change of staff for evening?

@porkbelly It’s not, that big crust you see is air pockets. I think I still have some in the fridge, will try to get you a cross view later

Mine was more like this photo aesthete posted last year


But maybe 20%-30% darker all around. Not at all like the photos above.
I’m guessing San Marzano, based on taste, which is canonical, but low acid… I’d prefer something more intense, personally.

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Nice pics! You captured it much better than I did. But glad you liked it as much as I did. The boy will learn. Definitely a great addition to the area.

Interesting conversations regarding char / crust-ratio…

Regarding The Char (ironically also the name of my first memoir), like you said, I think it may be a staff experience issue - especially since they just re-opened four days ago. Last night the main guys were there, so the quality control may have been higher. Still, bummer about your char-za, @Moomin.

And for the crust, there definitely seem to be some consistency issues with the size of the crust. I’ve probably had ~5-10 of their pizzas and have never felt jipped by ratio of topics-to-crust, but from some of the pics, I can see what the likes of @PorkyBelly & @paranoidgarliclover are saying. That said, I’ve never said no to crust. AND I NEVER WILL.

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I miss that pizza…damn…

Does it still change weekly?

looks like pizza in a bread bowl. Certainly not enough room to smatter around a good helping of mozarella.

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Yeah, that’s been the description of my pies. All three times have been like that. I guess it’s Lodge BREAD, right? :laughing: