Students may pass stores and restaurants on State Street every day, but they probably have no idea a Guinness World Record holder is among them. Lovshack, the new calzone restaurant at 555 State St., holds the record for the world's heaviest calzone. Despite competition with the other new calzone restaurant in downtown Madison, D.P. Dough, that weighs in as an impressive feat, taste aside.
Even though Lovshack appears a little shady from the outside - and the inside for that matter - the food warrants giving the Shack a chance. There are a wide variety of calzones and sauces, and if for some reason you do not find something you like, you can choose any five ingredients to make your own for just $2 extra. There are even a few salad choices for those who want a healthier option.
The calzones come in varieties as classic as four-cheese and as unique as a combination of crawfish, grilled chicken and Cajun spices. In fact, Lovshack is one of the few restaurants in Madison where you can get Italian, Mexican and even Southwestern food all at one place.
The restaurant clearly aims to please its customers, not only through its large menu but also with the comedy attempted on the menu and in the décor. By looking around at the chairs strung sideways on the wall and the random decorations that adorn this awkwardly empty space, it comes as no surprise that each calzone has its own bizarre name.
While the food is definitely good here, the taste isn't as unique as the restaurant tries to be. The veggie calzone, equipped with black beans, black olives, broccoli, onion, potato, mushrooms, spinach, garlic and ricotta, was tasty but not as exciting as it sounded. I was elated to find a calzone that satisfied my craving but left out the greasiness that usually comes with this type of food. However, my meal was not as oozing with goodness (or what others call cheese) as was expected.
I felt the same way about the Happy Trail calzone, which was full of apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. The vanilla ice cream dip and powdered sugar on top brought the calzone to the next level, but there wasn't anywhere near enough brown sugar with the apples, making me feel like it was missing something.
Besides the food, the whole experience of Lovshack was an interesting one. Each calzone comes in a box, which is quite cumbersome for a dining-in experience considering the size. Also on the much larger side are the drinks. If you are ever in need of a soda, you will hands-down find the largest one ever at Lovshack, where the size of the cups can only be potentially rivaled by 7-Eleven. I felt guilty consuming massive amounts of sugar, but that 75 cent drink, including free refills, was undoubtedly worth the shame.
Even though the calzones cost $6.25, that seemed like a somewhat reasonable price for an entire meal made from fresh ingredients. Plus, the hours the restaurant is open make it worth going to in itself. Instead of saying the times it is open, the Shack prides itself on only being closed 4 a.m to 10 a.m. Although I did not want to lick the box,"" as the restaurants slogan claims, with a deal like that, what's not to love?
