"She walked up to me and she asked me to dance..." you know the song. And the answer is "yes". Yes, Pizzeria Lola, I will dance with you any night of the week, especially with selections on the menu such as "My Sha-Roni!" and "Hawaii Pie-O"....do ya think the owner might be into 70's music and culture? Owners Ann Kim and Conrad Leifur claim the modern, open restaurant with it's blond wood is named after their dog, but I'm skeptical.
Now seriously, this fun little spot at 55th and Xerxes (did I mention the old fashioned photo booth in the back?) is just what the neighborhood called for. Interesting, flavorful, perfectly chewy pizza crust is fired in a copper Le Panyol oven (one of only a handful in the United States) that sits smack in the center of the place. The restaurant itself is small, so the wait can be long and they only take reservations for parties of eight or more, but you can always be like our group that only totaled six- we called and booked the table for eight and then after we were seated we let the hostess know that "two members of our party were sick" and wouldn't be showing up. Sneaky I know, but it got us the large center table and saved us from waiting outside in the snow. Let's say we more then made up for it with the many bottles of wine we ordered from the small but eclectic list. Lola was happy to indulge us without complaint.
Pizzeria Lola has been criticized for their very international wine list that veers to South America, Spain, down to New Zealand, over to Washington State, and finally back to Italy. It's a little unfocused for a pizzeria, but well selected nonetheless. We enjoyed several bottles of the Ottone I Barbera as well as pints of Nordeast on tap- Mr. C's new local favorite brew.
So like a good, solid 70's tune with random riffs (can you say truffle cheese, kimchee, ripini and almonds?) Pizzeria Lola always brings it back around to please even the most serious of skeptics. And like her owners intended, Lola seriously rocks!
Pizzeria Lola
5557 Xerxes Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
612.424.8338
Hours:
Fri.-Sat. 5-11pm
Tues.-Thur 5-10pm
Sunday 5-10pm
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