LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Lodge Bread
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If we were to just give you the facts about Lodge Bread, you wouldn’t expect to be blown away. It’s primarily a bakery, you order at the counter, and it’s in a part of Culver City where the only real neighbors are body shops. But if you actually go to Lodge, you’ll quickly realize the facts don’t do it any justice - this is one of the best places to eat in Los Angeles right now.
Lodge’s concept is simple: great, unfussy food, most of it involving a whole lot of extremely good bread. Until earlier this year, Lodge was a tiny daytime spot with a few different toasts, some pastries, and a very popular Sunday night pizza operation. But an expansion into the space next door has turned it into the thing it always should have been: an all-day spot that’s more about the food than anything else, and the kind of place where you could eat once a week and still not get bored.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
So what exactly should you be eating? Basically anything, as long as your order involves the pizza that’s coming out of the wood-fired oven in the corner of the shop. The dough here is soft, chewy, and sourdough-y, and the toppings are always changing. Any of the salads are a good move too (we’re in a committed relationship with the romanesco), and the hummus and pita is addictive. Not only are the cinnamon rolls the size of a not-small baby’s head, they’re a legitimate tourist attraction way more satisfying than hunting for the Hollywood sign.
We’re not going to pretend that Lodge is perfect for any and all occasions. You probably don’t want to come here on a first date, or with your mother-in-law who hasn’t ingested a carb since 1996. But Lodge is one of those places that you’ll keep making up excuses to go back to because you can’t get that cinnamon roll out of your head. And you just can’t explain away complicated midday fantasies about cinnamon rolls with facts.
Food Rundown
Sprouted Rye and Cured Fish Toast
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Wood-Fired Romanesco
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Hummus and Pita
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Pizza
photo credit: Jakob Layman