Love, Lydia, a bakery and cafe owned by PinPoint restaurant’s award-winning pastry chef Lydia Clopton, has opened at 1502 S. Third St. in Wilmington.
 
The new eatery is inside a 100-year-old building, a former Craftsman-style residence at the corner of Third and Greenfield streets, which has been renovated as part of the South Front District redevelopment project by Wilmington-based Tribute Companies. The original hardwood floors were preserved at the entrance to the cafe, as were some of the original glass windows, to preserve the character of the former home. The cozy dining area offers a small space for in-house dining, and a wrap-around deck has been added for outdoor seating.
 
For now, Clopton is serving a limited menu of sweets, as well as espresso drinks, teas, hot chocolate and draft Kombucha. Some of her best-selling beverages so far have been the matcha lattes and the Vietnamese iced tea. As for sweets, Clopton is currently serving banana bread, vegan zucchini bread, chocolate pound cake, sticky buns, cookies and PinPoint’s beloved flourless brownie.
 
The menu is designed to change daily, with favorites being served alongside new items regularly. Clopton said she plans eventually to serve breakfast and lunch, offering breakfast sandwiches and waffles as well as lunch sandwiches, soups and salads as soon as her staff is up to speed.
 
“We want to make sure that everything we do, we do well,” Clopton said.
 
Clopton will also be baking a variety of fresh breads, including focaccia, sourdough, multi-grain and fruit and nut loaves. The loaves will be sold individually as well as sliced and used for the café sandwiches.
 
Clopton said that while she will be dedicating her time to the daily operations at Love, Lydia, she will continue to provide breads and some pastries to PinPoint.
 
“I’ll always be involved with PinPoint in one way or another,” Clopton said.
 
Love, Lydia is currently open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hours will be extended once the full menu is offered.
 
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