Coalhouse Pizza

A coal oven, thin crusts, and all that jazz.

Indeed, a jazz soundtrack permeates every inch of this pizzeria (and the names of many menu items); a seat at the counter offers a primo view of the pie-making process, too. As at Co., in Chelsea, not all the pies are round; that's also a sign of a hands-on ethos under which special requests receive appropriate attention.

Above and in the first photo below, the Shake Your Moneymaker (12-inch; $10.75) boasted shelled, sliced cherrystone clams, roasted garlic, scallions, and bacon chunks. (I asked for it "white," that is, without a red sauce that might have masked the clams and bacon.) The Kicker (12-inch; $7.75) featured mozzarella, basil, and hot oil infused with garlic cloves and sliced poblanos, on a crust that snapped almost like kindling; Colony is still the master of this style.

Of the greener pies, the Sidewinder (12-inch; $10.75), with garlic, mozzarella, basil, sauteed broccoli rabe, and cherry peppers, was pleasant enough, but Anselmo's Vibrations (12-inch; $9.75) was a delight. It featured warm marinara sauce topped by cool fresh mozzarella, cherry peppers, and arugula, whose leaves cupped a balsamic dressing; this salad-on-a-pizza was as messy to eat by hand as with knife and fork, and I didn't mind in the least. (The name, by the way, is a nod to the Red Hook pizzeria that was the head pizzaiolo's previous base of operations.)

Also shown: Art Blakey's Delectable Drumlets (four for $7.75) were spice-marinated, baked to seal in those juices, and served with a choice of two housemade sauces; bleu cheese was only kind of blue, but Carolina mustard was kickin'. As compared with the so-called dessert pizza, featuring marshmallows and Nutella, that I gave a pass, sciacatta dolce ($5) played it cool. The combination of roasted seedless grapes, light cream, cinnamon, and powdered sugar wasn't overly sweet, especially when set in a foundation of spiced gorgonzola. Not shown: a very good, and typically grainy, ricotta cheesecake ($5).

Coalhouse Pizza
85 High Ridge Rd., Stamford, Connecticut
203-977-7700
www.CoalhousePizza.com

Comments

[David]

Sign me up for The Kicker!

[adamclyde]

I tried the white clam pie there... I loved the clams, but hated all the other stuff on the pie. Maybe it's because I like the more minimalist pie (in the pepe's tradition) of garlic, oil and clams (+ herbs of course). The bacon was good, but the veggies? disappointing.

The crust was fine, but my daughters margarita pie (can't remember the cutesy name they give it there) wasn't anything to write home about. That said, it's definitely better than your average suburban pizza.

[Dave Cook]

The head pizzaiolo has moved on; crusts still good, though I might have given them an extra half-minute in the oven. Great rice pudding — for the time being, available only as a special.