Got some pizzas Saturday night as a surprise for my parents while we watched the Hawks. I had my classic sausage and warming them up around 275 degrees was just right, didn't dry the crust out. Great as always.

First visit to Coalfire Pizza was with a friend who recently chose to follow a vegan diet.
Our extremely helpful server explained some of the available vegan pizza choices, indicating they could use olive oil for the base because their red sauce had cheese in it. She mentioned some of the fresh vegetables available that day. My friend said that she would enjoy any of them and asked a few be chosen for her. A few minutes later the chef visited our table and made some suggestions for combinations he thought she might enjoy. Roasted garlic and corn were terrific choices with the mushrooms, red onions, sliced tomatoes and basil. After this pizza was served, several staff members stopped by to be certain she was enjoying the special pie. She was, indeed.
My pesto pizza was equally appreciated.
We'll be back . My friend was especially pleased to find such delicious food at a restaurant so anxious to please a diner who requires vegan choices.

I had dinner here a couple of weeks ago and it was spectacular. I've always loved this place but as others have posted above, it may be better now than it has ever been. Our group of 5 ordered 4 pizzas and each one was totally delicious (and devoured entirely). The aforementioned mortadella and nduja pies were both excellent. So too were the margherita and the sausage. The crusts on all 4 were blistered, charred, crispy, chewy and light. The toppings were stellar and applied in perfect proportion to the crust and each other. This was truly a pizza moment for just about all of us at the table. House and Caesar salads were both delicious, too. Service could not have been friendlier. What a gem Coalfire is.

=R=

I could not agree more, things at Coalfire are firing on all cylinders. Their staff is just consistently friendly and nice. The last time I was waiting for my take out pizza, the gal asked me if I wanted a beverage on the house while I waited, and when I passed she warned me that everyone else on staff would probably ask me too. Two of the last three times I was there, they said they had burned my pizza and so were making me a fresh one, and then they gave me both. The "burned" pizza was what always passed for fine in the beginning days, and really quite delicious. Burn my pizzas any day!

A large group of us dined at Coalfire after the bitters exchange a couple of weeks ago. It was my first visit after the change in ownership and the introduction of the numerous specialty meat pizzas. We ordered 9 pizzas between around 14 of us, which enabled us to sample nearly the entire specialty pizza side of the menu. All were really outstanding, but the winners for me were the Fiorentino (soppressata and red peppers) and the sleeper hit: the Meat (calabrese salami, sausage, and pepperoni), which almost didn't make the ordering cut. This surprised me because normally I prefer pizza without meat, and I especially dislike sausage with fennel seeds. It just goes to show that quality ingredients and good preparation can trump perceived predispositions. I guess my day for enjoying chicken feet is nigh.

As others have noted, the service was impeccable, and they graciously accommodated our large group (and propensity to keep adding one more) by pulling several tables together. Overall, it was a lovely meal with lovely companions. I won't take so long to return next time!

What change in ownership?

mhill95149 wrote:What change in ownership?

From December 2012:

DutchMuse wrote:Guilt, I think it was like 18 months ago....Dave, who worked there under the original owner, bought him out.

So that would mean ownership changed sometime in mid-2011? Honestly, I have no first-hand knowledge of this - it was just something I picked up during conversation with other lthers. I only mentioned it to highlight that I had not been to Coalfire in a long time.

OK, not a more current change then.... Thanks

Teresa wrote:A large group of us dined at Coalfire after the bitters exchange a couple of weeks ago. It was my first visit after the change in ownership and the introduction of the numerous specialty meat pizzas. We ordered 9 pizzas between around 14 of us, which enabled us to sample nearly the entire specialty pizza side of the menu. All were really outstanding, but the winners for me were the Fiorentino (soppressata and red peppers) and the sleeper hit: the Meat (calabrese salami, sausage, and pepperoni), which almost didn't make the ordering cut. This surprised me because normally I prefer pizza without meat, and I especially dislike sausage with fennel seeds. It just goes to show that quality ingredients and good preparation can trump perceived predispositions. I guess my day for enjoying chicken feet is nigh.

As others have noted, the service was impeccable, and they graciously accommodated our large group (and propensity to keep adding one more) by pulling several tables together. Overall, it was a lovely meal with lovely companions. I won't take so long to return next time!

My standard order is the Fiorentino - it's just a beautiful burnished red pie with both funky and sweet flavors, perfectly balanced - but this meal convinced me I'll need to branch out again to the Meat, Prosciutto, and 'Nduja. They really do take a distinct approach in saucing and topping each pizza. The fact that the 'Nduja is blanketed in shredded basil vs. the whole leaves or pesto is a deliberate and correct choice to offset the sausage. The only pizza I didn't totally love was the pesto, since the olives, abundant ricotta, and thickly rich pesto made it a little too heavy and wet. We didn't get the calzones, which I think are sleeper hits and a good value. The salad was better than I remembered (slivered mushrooms were perfectly fresh). A really nice meal.

Brace yourselves for some big news, Southport people. You're getting a Coalfire Pizza. A Coalfire Pizza that's nearly double the size of the original, has a second coal-burning oven, a full bar, a sidewalk patio, and a "slightly expanded menu."

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/ ... thport.php

Dave148 wrote:

Brace yourselves for some big news, Southport people. You're getting a Coalfire Pizza. A Coalfire Pizza that's nearly double the size of the original, has a second coal-burning oven, a full bar, a sidewalk patio, and a "slightly expanded menu."

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/ ... thport.php

3707 N. Southport

I saw that Coalfire was on Check, Please! over the weekend. Was this a fresh episode or a re-run?

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I saw that Coalfire was on Check, Please! over the weekend. Was this a fresh episode or a re-run?

=R=

Definitely a rerun. I made sure to call my grandmother after the episode initially aired to let her know White Fence Farm was featured...

NOV 8, 2013

Wow, great pizza from my first visit to Coalfire last night, got there at 5:45pm and the place was 1/4 full. Dissapointed that they did not have beer on tap, but the bottled beer selection was solid. I ordered a Bells Two Hearted Ale and my wife got the Pinot Grigio. We split a Ceaser Salad, which was good and we split the White Pizza which was out of this world. Can't wait to go back.

Coalfire has been in regular rotation on my list lately. I am always surprised it doesn't get more of a crowd.

One thing I have figured out is to order salad/apps and then order your pizzas after they have come. Those pizzas come out so fast!

Nduja / white / and some of the specials have all been consistent and delicious.

The Trib is reporting that a 2nd Coalfire location will open this fall:

Coalfire Pizza will be opening a second location in Southport Avenue corridor this fall at 3707 N. Southport Ave. Coobah’s Jimmy Madla has partnered with Coalfire owners Dave Bonomi and Bill Carroll for the Neapolitan-style pizzeria’s new spot.

Coalfire Pizza expands to second location

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The Trib is reporting that a 2nd Coalfire location will open this fall:

Coalfire Pizza will be opening a second location in Southport Avenue corridor this fall at 3707 N. Southport Ave. Coobah’s Jimmy Madla has partnered with Coalfire owners Dave Bonomi and Bill Carroll for the Neapolitan-style pizzeria’s new spot.

Coalfire Pizza expands to second location

=R=

Coalfire Pizza will open its Lakeview location by early December, co-owner Jimmy Madla said Monday.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20141021 ... y-december

I'm still a big fan of and frequent visitor to Coalfire, but I don't have as high regard for it as I once did (it had been my favorite pizza place for quite some time). Once upon a time, it was almost always guaranteed that the crusts would have nice charred bubbles along the edges, some char but not too much, and well raised edges.

Now, I frequently get over-charred edges, minimal if any bubbles, yet sometimes no char whatsoever and underdone crusts. These may sound like cosmetic issues but they affect flavor too. Coalfire has been in business for a long time so I'm sure they've gone through various pizza-makers, but I suspect there's someone there who is not treating the dough like the precious baby it is.

I'll continue to visit . . . and I'm excited that a location will be opening on Southport, closer to me, but I wish they would refocus their attention to the crust, which for me is what elevated Coalfire above most other thin crust pizza joints in town.

I love Coalfire too, but I have to agree, it can be inconsistent when I go. The last time I was there the crust was decent, but there was barely any sauce on the pizza itself. I usually like to ask for a cup of sauce to dip the crust in, but this time I literally had to put it on every slice because it would have been almost sauceless without it.

Darren72 wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Brace yourselves for some big news, Southport people. You're getting a Coalfire Pizza. A Coalfire Pizza that's nearly double the size of the original, has a second coal-burning oven, a full bar, a sidewalk patio, and a "slightly expanded menu."

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/ ... thport.php

3707 N. Southport

Coalfire Pizza Southport Finally Sets July 30 Opening Date

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/7/6/89027 ... ening-date

Dave148 wrote:

Coalfire Pizza Southport Finally Sets July 30 Opening Date

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/7/6/89027 ... ening-date

It's going to be like a license to print money.

Coalfire Pizza Southport Finally Sets July 30 Opening Date

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/7/6/89027 ... ening-date


It's going to be like a license to print money.

Got that right! An exceedingly wise choice for an expansion site.

Time passes. Coalfire on Grand is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. There today as a Father's Day treat. The quality of the ingredients has not flagged and the folks manning the oven still know what they are doing with that crust. For us, this place now has ten years of family memories associated with it as well as the wonderful pizza.

bw77 wrote:For us, this place now has ten years of family memories associated with it as well as the wonderful pizza.

Amen. Us too. Where my parents met my wife for the first time, one among countless date nights, big drunk parties, etc.

And now that we have a little one, I'd like to vouch for their family-friendliness. This Friday seated immediately at 5:30, attentive service, salad in two seconds, kiddie milk in the cute cup with the straw, and by design, the few-minute cooking time on the pies gets you in and out the door in a half hour. Now if only a few more teeth would come in so he could experience the wonderful crunchy/chewy texture of the crust.

HBD Coalfire!!!

Well for me the party ended last year. I am not an adventurous eater and at Coalfire my go-to for years was their sausage pizza. Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella with fennel sausage from Bari, and that great sauce on top. It was really one of my favorite pizzas anywhere, and for years I would eat it up.

I know they tweaked the sausage a few years ago and added other toppings, but they still would give me the old sausage pizza that I loved. When I was there last time, this wasn't the case at all. What I ended up with was a virtually sauceless, bland pizza with crumbled Berkshire sausage (like Quad Cities style) and fresh mozzarella. It was such a letdown I couldn't believe I was sitting in Coalfire. The server had no idea they used to have both whole milk mozzarella and fresh mozzarella on the various pizzas (and you could choose which one you wanted if you built your own). Apparently it's now all fresh mozzarella. I wanted to talk to the owner, but he wasn't around. It was at that moment I was coming to the realization that one of my favorite pizzas was forever changed. Whole milk mozzarella has a lot of fat and that equals flavor to me. Fresh mozzarella is fine, but not by comparison. And what happened to the sausage? It was like birdseed. And barely any sauce at all. I'm going to ask them why they changed and that will be the end of it. So happy birthday and nice knowing you.

Ram4 wrote:Well for me the party ended last year. I am not an adventurous eater and at Coalfire my go-to for years was their sausage pizza. Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella with fennel sausage from Bari, and that great sauce on top. It was really one of my favorite pizzas anywhere, and for years I would eat it up.

I know they tweaked the sausage a few years ago and added other toppings, but they still would give me the old sausage pizza that I loved. When I was there last time, this wasn't the case at all. What I ended up with was a virtually sauceless, bland pizza with crumbled Berkshire sausage (like Quad Cities style) and fresh mozzarella. It was such a letdown I couldn't believe I was sitting in Coalfire. The server had no idea they used to have both whole milk mozzarella and fresh mozzarella on the various pizzas (and you could choose which one you wanted if you built your own). Apparently it's now all fresh mozzarella. I wanted to talk to the owner, but he wasn't around. It was at that moment I was coming to the realization that one of my favorite pizzas was forever changed. Whole milk mozzarella has a lot of fat and that equals flavor to me. Fresh mozzarella is fine, but not by comparison. And what happened to the sausage? It was like birdseed. And barely any sauce at all. I'm going to ask them why they changed and that will be the end of it. So happy birthday and nice knowing you.

I know they've switched up the sourcing of the meats at least a few times in their tenure, mostly upgrading across the board to local charcuterie products. I hear you on the sausage, who wants some high falutin heritage this-or-that when every pizzeria in stone's throw has that good good sossage. We always go sopressata, and no complaints on their current product.

I'm stuck on this cheese issue though. 100% of any pie I've ever eaten there has had fresh motz. Not saying you're wrong. We always take the "build your own" route though and you'd think we would have been offered a choice of cheese.

I got some info on the changes from ownership who have always been very accomodating. The meats have been upgraded/changed in recent years (no more Bari), the whole milk cheese was definitely around for a number of years, but was mostly phased out (they now use mostly fresh mozz with a little whole milk mozz in a blend), and the sauce has also evolved over time. The old Bari sausage chunks would be too large and due to the high temp of the oven, they'd not always cook through, so they got smaller. I felt it worked well. The current sausage is more like I said - Quad Cities style (loose). So today's Coalfire is definitely not the same as it was years ago. The ingredients are higher quality (more expensive as well), but to many people, it's worth it.

I just had a straciatella and sausage this evening and it was excellent, as usual.

For my taste, Coalfire is one of my favorite pizzas. And I am really a tavern style fan.

Not a fan of the whipped ricotta

My preference lean more toward "a less is more" pizza then this over built version.
Van der Rohe instead of Sullivan

I had a pie there recently, hoping it was an off night, as it was no where near the level of pizza they have put out in the past. With regard to the ingredients, I have never heard the reason they took the PQM bacon pizza off the menu. IMO, that pizza gave Great Lakes a run for their money as best pizza in town when both were available. Anyone know why they took it off? I would imagine they could get something comparable from another purveyor besides PQM, if there was an issue with the supplier.