Charming, Loveable Hammerheads and Coals- A.K.A Dominoes

Dude you must have had a bad visit.

I've been to coals three times each outstanding. I got the arancini the first time and was not overly impressed myself. But the pizza is exceptional. The buffalo chicken special is possibly my favorite pizza of all time. Others I've taken or sent there have the same sentiment. As far as the service...well it's pizza I don't require anything too attentive.

No sugar coating here. I've given negative reviews of locals and had positive words for some chains. But to compare the place to dominoes is just absurd. I'd be intersted to know what pizza you DO like if you think coals is bad.

The only issue we've ever had with Coal's is that they forget to tell us the specials and we forget to ask. It's happened 3 times now (you'd think we'd learn our lesson). Then we'll hear someone telling a neighboring table about the specials after we've already ordered our food. And I'll want that more than what I ordered.

So the next time we'll make sure to ask. I thought the pizza was great.

I'm not calling you a RAT nor am I suggesting that these conversations did or did not actually take place. However, it is very convienent to make statements that you can not, or choose not to provide verification to support. Maybe in these instances you should just keep your "insider info" to yourself. You certainly gain no respect by offering hearsay info as facts when you ultimately do not back up your "facts."

DD

I know for a fact that Coals' Pizza is the best pizza in the entire world. I cannot tell you who I heard that from, though; they'd come after me if I did.

I'm speculating here, but I'm generally right on these things...

It sounds to me like Coal's is working through 'Success Syndrome.'

You open and everybody loves your work. I mean everybody. They tell all of thier friends, etc. and all-of-the-sudden, you have more volume than you imagined in your wildest dreams!

You're the dog that finally caught the car- what are you going to do with it now???

There are two ways that success syndrome manifests:

a) Your house gets the 'holier-than-thou' attitude. Like the soup Nazi from Seinfeld. The worst thing that can ever happen in this city, promise...

b) You have to scramble to hire the good ones and train them up to the specifications that made you successful to begin with.

Trust me, the good ones rarely grace the doorstep and can be difficult to spot. They already have found homes, generally- and the HR paradigm of the corporate world is not that of the restaurant world. One of my best cooks, in Florida, hadn't a tooth in his mouth and (at some point in his life) tatooed a band's logo on his own stomach!

(it becomes funnier when you actually think about the squigly, squirilly end-product [god bless his heart- he wears this till death])

Back to the subject...

I'm honestly surprised, from what I've heard down the pipeline, that it's taken this long for a crack to form- fully expect to see that crack filled, quickly.

They've done a fantastic job, so far.

Wow Stephen! That means a lot coming from you. Thank you for your words... and I thank everyone else here on this forum. I know we just got a notice that we won something on Leo Weekly readers awards so maybe we are doing something right. I like Louisville!

Madeline, I think you all are doing just fine. You can't please everyone, and your original response was so eloquent. Congrats on a successful first few months.

growing up italian, i can confirm tennis size (we call them rice balls) arrancini.
tennis size balls. rice, peas mozzarella and prosciutto. also their are many variations too. but the size is always the same. tennis size balls...
my uncle frank the chef always made these for me, huge tennis size balls...
if you go to nyc or brooklyn, or any place in ny you'll will get tennis size arrancini balls.
at coals they are just a smaller version of the big arrancini's. no big deal.

Annemarie, I know you love Volare. Have you not had their smaller-sized arancini? If not, you should. They're wonderful.

What are tennis sized balls? And doesn't arancini mean "little oranges"?

Well... its nice to see things here on hotbytes are as consistent as ever....

Welcome home, stranger. You have been sorely missed!

I grew up with Italian Godparents, and the Sunday meals were incrediblely large. The table was laden with lasagna, meatballs and gravy, and sausage and peppers. Arancini balls were also available, and huge! This is "family style" eats at it's finest.
Wasn't Michelle Mellillo the Queen of the oversized Arancini balls here in town. and if I not mistaken one of the Grisanti's had them as well. hmmmm, aren't those folks of Italian Ancenstry? It is my belief that the establishments that serve oversized Arancini are more focused on "family style" dining, while Volare and Coal's and Garage bar, are looking more to the "upscale casual/fine dining" lines. All delicious, and worthy of order after order.

As far as Coal's goes, come on people, it's upscale casual pizza, and done very well.
Let's give them a fair shake when it comes to the staffing/serving hiccups (if any still).
AP Crafters is finally starting to work it out, and we ripped them a new one from time to time, sh... happens.

the Queen of the oversized Arancini balls

Now that's a plaque I'd want above my front door.

yikes

Well... its nice to see things here on hotbytes are as consistent as ever....

'bout frickin' time you came home.

kudos to hammerheads. they are so busy they can't take a carry out order. thank you.