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1909 Cahaba road birmingham,al 205.870.5584

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Sourdoughs French Breads Sandwich Breads Specialty Breads Buns & Rolls Bagels

Bread Pastries/Breakfast Sweets Savory Sundries Gift Cards & Donations Sourdoughs French Breads Sandwich Breads Specialty Breads Buns & Rolls Bagels

Bread

Sourdoughs

Our signature bread takes over 48 hours to produce, from start to finish. Beginning with a 30 year old wild yeast starter cultured right here in Birmingham, this bread receives a long, cool rise and is baked directly on the floor of a stone hearth oven. The open structure of its crumb is gorgeous to behold, and its carefully tended starter elicits a balance of flavors like a fine french wine. Wines, beers, breads...ferments are magical! And these wild yeast (levain) loaves are true wonders. Our wild yeast sourdough is shaped in the traditional (and substantial!) 4 ½ pound loaf of the French countryside, but we are happy to slice any loaf into halves or quarters for our guests.

Our hands down, all time favorite bread, anywhere. Amazing griddled over a hearth, or charred on a cast iron skillet with extra virgin olive oil, eaten with fried eggs or thick slices of summer tomato, mayonnaise and kosher salt, there is no better bread in the world than this crusty brown loaf. The flour, a blend of whole wheat and unbleached white, mimics the second “clear” of flour sold to french peasants after the first “clear” of finer white flour was sold for a premium to the upper class. We think the peasants got the better end of that deal!

7.00 USD

Another wild yeast show stopper, given a long slow cool rise over 48 hours and baked on a stone hearth. But this bread is made without the addition of whole wheat flour, so it takes off in the oven, unimpeded by the little flecks of bran that slice through gluten strands, making for a loftier crumb.

7.00 USD

Our wild yeast sourdough as a giant sandwich loaf.

12.00 USD

French Breads

Flour, water, salt, yeast. Just as Dieu (and the french government) intended. French breads are the modern descendants of French sourdoughs, substituting faster acting, commercial yeast for the original natural “levain” starters, sometimes sacrificing complexity of flavor and hearty crust of the “pain au levain” for the airy interior and and delicate crust of the baguette. Our bakers achieve the best of both worlds by using just a pinch of yeast, a handful of starter, and a slow cool rise to produce a longer lasting baguette with complexity, tooth and a lovely crumb.

French restaurateurs prize this shorter, fatter loaf for its higher ratio of interior to crust, which preserves its moisture and makes it longer lasting.

4.50 USD

The traditional long elegant shape provides a higher ratio of crust to soft interior, for lovers of “la crunch”.

4.50 USD

“Boule” means ball. “Kalamata” means tasty Greek black olives (lots of them).

6.75 USD

This round loaf is scored with a spiral on top, signifying its eternal deliciousness.

4.50 USD

This striking loaf, shaped like a stalk of wheat, is the gorgeous french equivalent of a pull-apart bread, providing every dinner guest with their own perfectly delectable “leaf”.

6.00 USD

French bread meets southern salad olives (yes, those..with pimientos!). We liked the down home meemaw influence on the fancy french loaf. A cross cultural marriage of delights.

6.75 USD

Peasant describes the rustic, free form of this loaf. Great for tearing or slicing for sandwiches, and stunning on the dinner table.

7.00 USD

A more traditional shaped sandwich loaf, for a more traditional slice.

7.25 USD

French loaf with kalamata olives, french feta, garlic, oregano and cracked black pepper. A picnic in a baguette. Or, with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and french brie. Freakin' awesome.

8.00 USD

Sandwich Breads

Tender crumb, touch of sweetness, buttery overtones. Sandwiches adore this bread.

8.00 USD

Traditional 100% whole wheat sandwich loaf. Yummy with our cream cheese olive spread, a slice of tomato and crisp romaine.

8.00 USD

Our wild yeast sourdough as a giant sandwich loaf.

12.00 USD

Our 100% whole wheat bread, speckled with flax, sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds.

8.00 USD

A more traditional shaped sandwich loaf, for a more traditional slice.

7.25 USD

Specialty Breads

Our recipe came from Rabbi Scott's mother-in-law. Golden, egg-rich festive bread, originally baked by Jewish families to grace the Sabbath or holiday table.

8.00 USD

French bread meets southern salad olives (yes, those..with pimientos!). We liked the down home meemaw influence on the fancy french loaf. A cross cultural marriage of delights.

6.75 USD

“Boule” means ball. “Kalamata” means tasty Greek black olives (lots of them).

6.75 USD

This striking loaf, shaped like a stalk of wheat, is the gorgeous french equivalent of a pull-apart bread, providing every dinner guest with their own perfectly delectable “leaf”.

6.00 USD

French loaf with kalamata olives, french feta, garlic, oregano and cracked black pepper. A picnic in a baguette. Or, with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and french brie. Freakin' awesome.

8.00 USD

Buns & Rolls

With a silky crumb, rich buttery overtones and a touch of sweetness, this dough makes scrumptious burger buns. It also makes divine cocktail and slider buns.

9.50 USD

A traditional southern favorite, first introduced to us in 1985 by Robert Pickens, an Alabama black-belt pulp-wooder turned talented baker. He was a beloved employee whose blues guitar-picking was as delicious as his butter rolls. His picture still hangs over the coffee station in the bakery.

6.00 USD

8.50 USD

Bagels

1.80 USD

We add a sprinkle of sesame seeds right before a hot oven makes them toasted and fragrant.

1.80 USD

Check out the swirl of cinnamon sugar and little nuggets of golden raisin folded into the dough. But most of the sweetness comes from the raisins, so they're not too sweet. These have a great tooth and are a pleasure to eat plain, when you're looking for a snack on the go, but they're over the moon, toasted, with a schmear of peanut butter!

14.40 USD

These remind me of my czech grandmother, Bertha. She loved poppy seed pastries! So a poppy seed bagel, toasted with cream cheese and lox? I can see her doing a little czech dance around the kitchen for the joy of it!

1.80 USD

Real garlic. Fresh, chopped and bagel topped.

1.80 USD

We love kosher salt. Real bagels love kosher salt. La chaim!

1.80 USD

The whole shebang! Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, roasted garlic and sea salt.

1.80 USD

Pastries/Breakfast

Croissants

European butter is essential for fine pastry, because of its low moisture and high butterfat content. We laminate our croissant dough in house with European butter, creating a rich flaky pastry that will transform your morning cup of cafe au lait into a transcendent experience.

European chocolate

6.50 USD

Nutella, Strawberry Cream Cheese, or Raspberry Cream Cheese

6.00 USD

Ham & gruyere, or turkey & emmenthaler

7.25 USD

Traditional butter croissant

4.50 USD

House made almond cream, toasted almonds, powdered sugar

7.00 USD

Scones

4.50 USD

Bagels

Our bagels are hand rolled, proofed long and slow at a cool temp, and kettle boiled in the traditional way before baking. This artisan process makes them longer lasting and gives them their characteristic outer sheen, complex interior and toothy, protective crust. A Continental bagel shows you don't need NYC water to make “real bagels”. You just need skilled, dedicated bakers who pay attention to detail and use traditional methods.

1.80 USD

We add a sprinkle of sesame seeds right before a hot oven makes them toasted and fragrant.

1.80 USD

14.40 USD

1.80 USD

Real garlic. Fresh, chopped and bagel topped.

1.80 USD

We love kosher salt. Real bagels love kosher salt. La chaim!

1.80 USD

The whole shebang! Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, roasted garlic and sea salt.

1.80 USD

Donuts

15.00 USD

Muffins/Tea Loaves

22.50 USD

9.00 USD

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon sugar layered into our house laminated flaky pastry, dipped in vanilla cream icing.

5.00 USD

21.00 USD

Granola

Simple and elegant, our very popular granola demonstrates that you need nothing more than oats, honey, almonds and sunflower seeds to make the best you every tasted.

11.95 USD

We at Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu are committed to supporting our hard working, talented and loyal staff with continued employment for as long as possible, and with financial assistance in the event they are laid off or asked to stay home, whether for illness or in an over abundance of caution to assure everyone's safety. Many of our employees have families and children to support, some working two jobs who now depend on a single paycheck from us. While we hope and pray to be able to continue this support, and wait optimistically still for assistance from the government, we also try to prepare for the worst. If you would like to help, please do so by continuing to support our business. If you would like to do more, please consider a donation to our emergency fund for the bakers, waiters, pastry, retail and kitchen staff of Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu. We all thank you.

10.00 USD

Sweets

Cakes

How to describe this amazing creation? A cake that is only as much “cake” as is needed to hold together the perfect blend of other ingredients: walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. This blend, with an added touch of cinnamon and sugar, translates into a treasure exponentially greater than its individual parts. Substantial but tender. Caramelized overtones but not too sweet. With its cream cheese icing exterior, you might mistake it for just another carrot cake. But beware, one bite will ruin you for all others!

6.00 USD

Not your Meemaw's coconut cake. This European yellow butter cake is dense, moist, flecked with coconut and not too sweet. It's iced with cream cheese frosting and dusted with coconut for a stunning presentation.

10.00 USD

Flourless belgian chocolate torte, with a cake that is more chocolate than sweet, with a dark chocolate espresso ganache to seal in the moist interior.

8.00 USD

Pies & Galettes

Fresh blueberries, fresh lemon in a handmade butter crust.

22.00 USD

Granny smith apples in a handmade butter crust.

20.00 USD

Montmorency cherries in a lattice topped handmade butter crust.

22.00 USD

French hand pies. Fresh fruit, a touch of cane sugar, fresh lemon in a rustic handmade butter crust. Brushed with apricot glaze.

6.95 USD

Tartes

A french classic. Fresh pears thinly slice over a handmade almond cream in a shortbread butter crust, painted with apricot glaze.

20.00 USD

Two Callebaut chocolate ganaches, dark and white, artfully swirled together in a shortbread butter crust.

20.00 USD

Cheesecakes

One of our best selling desserts. Dense, moist, creamy. We think this is the ideal cheesecake.

32.00 USD

Our fabulous cheesecake topped with belgian chocolate espresso ganache.

38.00 USD

Our fabulous cheesecake topped with house made caramel buttercream and sprinkled with kosher salt.

38.00 USD

Our fabulous cheesecake topped with fromage blanc and fresh blueberries.

38.00 USD

Cookies

2.75 USD

2.50 USD

3.00 USD

We'll pick our favorite from our seasonal designs.

3.75 USD

2.25 USD

2.50 USD

1.25 USD

2.75 USD

4.95 USD

2.75 USD

Petite Sweets

2.50 USD

4.75 USD

2.15 USD

Flourless belgian chocolate torte, with a cake that is more chocolate than sweet, with a dark chocolate espresso ganache to seal in the moist interior.

8.00 USD

5.50 USD

10.00 USD

Savory

Tarts & Soups

This Lulu signature dish was inspired by stories told to me by my friend, Christophe Nicolet who grew up in Nice, France. He said that whenever his family went on vacation, his grandmother would prepare chard tart in a double olive oil crust and wrap it in white linen cloth for the long car trip. I loved that story, so we created this alabama version of her tart, using a blend of local greens (mustard, turnips, collards), a handful of emmenthaler, wrapped it in our own handmade crust and serving it with a side of Crystal hot sauce. We think it captures the humble, wholesome simplicity of the original.

20.00 USD

Another Lulu signature dish, this peasant soup is fragrant with garlic but not overwhelmingly. Its stock is all vegetarian, with just a touch of cream for balance.

5.95 USD

Entrees

Doba is the old Nicois french word for daube, with is the french word for stew. But ooh la la, ours is so much more than that. Ours is slow braised, with red wine and wild mushrooms, and garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh lemon.

15.00 USD