Pizzeria Lola presents a mix of traditional and Korean-inspired wood-fired pizzas in an informal ambiance.
Situated off Xerxes Avenue in Minneapolis, Pizzeria Lola was the primary restaurant opened by award-winning chef Ann Kim in 2010. Kim has since unveiled three sister eating places: Good day Pizza, Younger Joni and Sooki & Mimi. After being featured in an episode of the Netflix present “Chef’s Desk” final fall, Kim and her pizza have gained worldwide consideration.
Pizzeria Lola has 31,000 followers on Instagram, however it might be troublesome to inform simply by wanting on the restaurant from the surface. Tucked away in a principally residential neighborhood, the restaurant is enticing however humble. Its patio supplies shade, solar and invitations well-behaved canine with water bowls — seemingly as a result of the pizzeria pays homage to Lola, Kim’s late canine who’s adorably memorialized in pictures on the restaurant’s partitions.
Inside, Pizzeria Lola mixes trendy furnishings with a ‘70s vibe. Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles play by way of audio system, a disco ball spins from the ceiling and an indication factors to a photograph sales space, which prospects pays to make use of.
It’s additionally exhausting to overlook the massive copper oven sitting within the heart of this modestly sized restaurant. In response to Pizzeria Lola’s web site, the core of this artsy and purposeful piece was sourced from Sixteenth-century France.
Like its setting, the restaurant’s menu can be pleasant to all ages and diets. Pizzeria Lola presents all kinds of pizzas, together with your traditional marinara and distinctive recipes like Korean BBQ drawing from Kim’s heritage. There are additionally gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices. For those who’re searching for a beverage to go together with your meal, cocktails, wine and beer can be found.
I began off my meal with peas and burrata, the present particular starter. This inexperienced twist on bruschetta contains basil mint pesto, crushed peas, olive oil and a beneficiant blob of burrata on a toasted baguette. Not solely was it scrumptious, however it was additionally fantastically garnished with pea shoots and fresh-grated pepper.
As a long-time fan of margherita pizza, I knew I needed to attempt Pizzeria Lola’s tackle the traditional recipe. I used to be not dissatisfied by the candy tomato, tasteful mozzarella and cooked-to-perfection crust, all of which created a satisfying stability. The cooks didn’t go overboard with the olive oil, both, which is often what’s chargeable for my uncommon criticism about wood-fired pizza.
Although dearer than its opponents, such because the chain Punch Pizza, Pizzeria Lola’s costs weren’t something sudden for an independently-owned, sit-down restaurant. Nonetheless, with my margherita pizza costing $16 and the starter $15, this restaurant could also be a special-occasions-only vacation spot for college kids on a price range.
The unimaginable pizza and character of Pizzeria Lola make eating at this institution an expertise to recollect.