First Bite on The Lodge

First Bite is a look at, not a full review of, a new Charlotte-area restaurant.

The Lodge recently opened at Colony Place, with J.D. Duncan and chef Blake Hartwick offering their take on sports bar food.

The Food: The usual, but with some definite quality upticks and a few boundary-breakers. Calamari, for one, is fried, but in fat lengths rather than rings, and combined with chunks of three kinds of peppers. The plate's also heavy on the tentacles, so if you're a fan of those, check it out. Burgers come in regular, bison, venison, veggie and tuna -- though that's a misnomer, since it's simply a handsome slab of tuna, not comminuted (as in: chopped up). Fried turkey shows up in a Reuben and the Lodge club. Fries are the battered sort and were just OK, as were the burgers' soft, eggy buns. The beer list is terrific; try the Magic Hat No. 9.

The Look: Try to find a sport that's not represented, and let me know. I even found strap-on skates on display. Seating is mostly tables, with two giant curved booths, and plenty of TV screens.

Details: 7725 Colony Road; lunch and dinner daily; 704-544-5226.