Lodge Bread’s Newest Bakery Brings Naturally Fermented Loaves to Pico-Robertson

Closed earlier this year, Hasiba was a hummus restaurant in Pico Robertson for three years that brought freshly baked pita and various vegetables to the predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles. Now the same owners, Or Amsalam and Alex Phaneuf, have revived the space with their third location of Lodge Bread while also bringing back the falafel and freshly baked pita that made Hasiba so popular for a time, while also installing a more substantial menu of breakfast and lunch favorites. That means everything from almond butter toast with their naturally fermented bread and breakfast sandwiches to pastrami melts, jamon beurre, and cauliflower-stuffed pita sandwiches.

Other dishes include chopped salad, a vegan caesar salad topped with nutritional yeast, shakshuka, smoked fish plate, and three kinds of hummus. There are also baked pastries like croissants and cookies, plus fresh country loaves of bread will feature prominently for grab-and-go consumption. A full coffee and tea menu rounds out the offerings, bringing a much needed daytime restaurant to the densely packed neighborhood. Notably absent here are the Full Proof Pizzas that are available at Lodge’s original Culver City location, though a nearby standalone outlet of naturally-fermented, NYC-style pizzeria should open soon on Doheny in the southern part of Beverly Hills.

The reworked Hasiba address has the same custom walnut wood finishes, black tiling, and otherwise minimalist Craftsman-style interior as Lodge’s other outlets. Inside, there’s seating for about 12 in addition to some counter seating, and about 14 seats on the little street-facing patio.

Amsalam and Phaneuf have used their approachable, modestly-priced model to go into various parts of town that other blossoming chains have thus far avoided. Originally opened along the western side of Culver City, Lodge expanded to Woodland Hills with an annex-like location and have another full bakery in Long Beach coming soon. Meanwhile, Full Proof Pizza has the aforementioned Beverly Hills plus a Brentwood shop opening later this year.

Lodge Bread Pico-Robertson is located at 8532 W. Pico Boulevard, with daily hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jakob Layman