our story
Back in 2008, we set out to create a warm and inviting local favorite, a destination that would celebrate some of the best things in life - friends and family, craft beer, whiskey, great food and great music. We started small with one big coal-fired oven and only a few seats, then added more seats and a giant mural paying homage to the greats, and then we built the Whiskey Bar. We are grateful to you, the Stamford Community and beyond, our friends and neighbors, our families, for supporting us right from the start. To us, YOU are Coalhouse and this is YOUR spot! So let’s get together again as we begin our tenth year and enjoy more soulful Jazz & Blues, hand-painted portraits of the greats, cigar box guitars, hand-made découpage tables, and continue to explore an ever evolving and extensive menu of great food crafted with passion and love, made the old fashioned way.
hand crafted
Everything we create at Coalhouse is a labor of love. We make it all by hand - our wing sauces, our bbq rubs, our pizza dough - all of it! And we prepare it all for you with love! We put the same devotion into our craft that the great musicians put into theirs. Think of our kitchen as YOUR own kitchen and let us know how you want something and we will make it right just for you!
THE bar
Hand-built with Sapele Mahogany imported from Africa, The Whiskey Bar at Coalhouse is a hidden gem, speakeasy style, with the largest selection of craft beer on tap in Connecticut, our 72 Perlick taps pour some of the finest craft beer available - always fresh, always cold. Our whiskey offerings feature over 250 varieties, and as a Whiskey Club Member you can enjoy any pour at half-price every Wednesday.
THE DOUGH
Ours is a Neapolitan style dough made with a high protein Italian “00” Caputo flour. It is a simple old-school recipe with only four ingredients - water, flour, yeast and salt. Once we mix these together, then the magic starts and the craft begins. We let our dough cold-rise for A MINIMUM OF three days to slow down the fermentation process and let it age at its own pace. This is ONE OF THE key stepS in the process. It gives our pie crust a light, airy structure and a distinctively complex, slightly tangy taste. The crust has a thin layer of crispness with an interior that is moist and cloudlike, with stretchy chew and lots of flavor. Our light airy pies are not stiff - a fork and knife are the perfect utensils to use.
THE CHEESE
WE MAKE OUR OWN MOZZARELLA FROM FRESH CURD AND THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PROCESS. WE TAKE OUR CURD, CHOP IT INTO SMALL BITS, BOILING WATER, ADD SICILIAN SEA SALT, AND THEN THE PUSH AND PULL BEGINS. A LABOR OF LOVE. RED HOT HANDS. AND THE RESULT IS BEAUTIFUL.
THE TOMATOES
WE USE Casa Marrazzo’s DOP peeled San Marzano tomatoes with basil. THESE make a rich and fragrant sauce. Elongated San Marzano tomatoes are grown in the fertile soils around Naples and have a distinctive fleshy texture. THESE TOMATOES are considered one of the best culinary varieties of tomatoes in ALL OF Italy. ONLY THE BEST PIZZA HOUSES USE SAN MARZANO TOMATOES. PIZZA WAS NOT INVENTED IN ITALY, BUT IT WAS PERFECTED THERE. WE HAD INSPECT EVERY TOMATO, SNIP OFF THE END BITS TO REDUCE BITTERNESS, ADD GARLIC, SICILIAN SEA SALT AND FRESH BASIL, COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, HAND-CRUSH EACH TOMATO, AND YOU HAVE OUR PIZZA SAUCE. WE ARE HAND CRAFTED.
THE oven
Our Woodstone oven is a true marvel. It is capable of burning coal, gas, or wood, or all at the same time, OR ONLY ONE, and IT IS able to reach temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees with the ability to cook 20 large pies at once in 2 to 3 minutes. This intense heat locks in all the natural flavors of the pizza toppings and gives our pies a distinct char and flavor profile. tHE FLOOR OF THE OVEN IS MADE FROM THE SAME MATERIAL THAT WAS USED TO LAUNCH THE US SPACE SHUTTLE - IT CAN REACH TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 3000 DEGREES.
