b*local :: pizzeria lola
Happy Friday, dears! I am super excited today because I’m introducing a BRAND NEW FEATURE here on b*spoke. This one has been rattling around in my head for awhile, and so I decided to make it happen.
As most of you know, I am obsessed with good food. I love to explore the city by trying new places on a regular basis. Discovering a hidden gem of a restaurant is on par with getting new shoes. I know the b*spoke following is diverse–even international–but I also know that I have many local readers. With that in mind, I’d like to announce “b*local”. Within this category, I’ll be writing about local (as in Minneapolis / St. Paul) eats, art shows, concerts and the like. I’ll be drawing from date nights with my hubby, outings with friends, etc. Hopefully I will give you some ideas for your own wanderings, even if you aren’t local. My desire is to inspire you to get out, try new things, eat well, and explore your city with the ones you love. Go. Do. Play. Eat. Love. Live. ENJOY!
To kick things off, I’m going to let you tag along on a date I took with my husband earlier this week. It was Tuesday night, and we hopped in the car and headed to southwest Minneapolis for dinner at Pizzeria Lola. I’d read great reviews of this new pizza joint, and after a quick visit to their website, I knew we HAD to check it out. Go to the site now. Watch the video. Seriously, how cute is that??
As soon as we walked in, I was in love. Warm, cozy, and filled with a divine aroma, this place had me at hello. We were seated at a small corner table, where I was able to take in the whole scene before me. A huge copper wood-fired oven is the central feature of the restaurant. Tin can lights are suspended from the ceiling, and a small disco ball casts subtle specks of lights around the room. Playful, magical, fun.
The menu is eclectic and gourmet, but still down to earth. We ordered The Forager, which features sauteed crimini & oyster mushrooms, truffle cheese and truffle oil. Oh yes, it was amazing. We ate with weighty utensils off vintage china… a perfect picture of the contrasts of Pizzeria Lola. Modern, edgy, urban, yet sweet, whimsical, and homey.
Dessert was warm chocolate chip cookies (baked in the copper oven) with house-made soft serve vanilla ice cream that had a swath of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt on top. Sounds strange, right? It was sinfully delicious. After dinner, we headed for the photo booth. Oh yes, there is a photo booth. It’s three bucks a pop, but totally worth it.
We like to be a bit dramatic. Can you tell?
On our way out, with a belly full of delicious eats and a warm glow in my heart, I snagged a box of matches from the hostess. Can anyone spell a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e? Yeah. Totally cute, right?? In a nod to the Korean-born owner and founder, Kim, the front of the box features “I Love Pizza” in Korean. Nothing makes my heart happier than great design paired with good food. It’s almost more yummy than a great wine pairing! Really. And that, as they say, is that.
PIZZERIA LOLA :: 5557 Xerxes Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410 | Final notes: a smashing success • well worth the visit • good for couples or families • $$ – moderately priced ($10 salad, $15 pizza, $5 dessert, $3 photo booth) • get the ice cream with olive oil • photo booth – a must • fun, fun, fun!!
All for today! Happy weekend, dears. Be back Monday…I think.
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thank you for the rec, bethany! i’ve been brainstorming an easy date dinner spot for this weekend, and i can’t resist a photo booth. definitely checking it out! looking forward to more of your local posts :)
I love this pizza place! It’s less than a mile from my house and I run by it on my short runs to the creek. Last year my husband and I ventured there on foot during a crazy snowstorm. Glad that you enjoyed it too!
Awww…we used to live right down the street from Pizzeria Lola! Thanks for the blog post, you made this (now Californian) girl feel like I was living back in SW Mpls!