This week we enjoyed the cheapest pizza that we've tried all year.... FREE! You heard that right - free. We have been waiting to go to Coal Vines in Southlake for quite some time because we wanted to enjoy the evening, just the two of us. Also, we knew that on Wednesday nights you get a free pizza with the purchase of any bottle of wine! With a babysitter at home, and an appetite for free pizza, we headed to Southlake.
This was not our first time to Coal Vines, so we knew what we had in store. This location is nestled into a small strip center located in the parking lot of our favorite grocery store, Central Market. Coal Vines also has it's original location off Cedar Springs Rd in Dallas and , but so far we've only tried the Southlake restaurant. There is so much to say about this place, I don't even know where to begin...
The ambiance at Coal Vines leans towards a "date night" atmosphere, but is casual enough that you could bring the kids along. TVs are tastefully located high above, so that you can catch a glimpse of the evening's sports scores, while discussing important family matters. The tables are pretty tightly packed in, but not uncomfortable. There is also an outdoor eating area with enough room to seat an additional 8 (or so) tables of 4. Toward the back of the restaurant is the pizza oven, which stayed incredibly busy on this particular evening.
What a great way to pack your restaurant on a Wednesday night: offer free pizza with the purchase of a bottle of wine. The wine list covers all of the necessities, and even has Opus One. The bottle prices were very reasonable, and had a great selection in the $30 range. For those connoisseurs out there, they also offer more expensive bottles, up-to and including Opus One. All-in-all, it was one of the best deals we've run across so far this year. And based on the crowd, I'd say that the secret is already out!
Now, you might be wondering, how good can this "free pizza" really be? Was it really worth the trouble of getting a baby sitter, driving to Southlake, and having to buy a bottle of Siena Sangiovese? Yes, Yes, and Yes. The pizza at Coal Vines is one of the best we've had in Dallas. All the superlative adjectives I can use would not do justice to actually tasting the pizza yourself. Let me stop and mention that even if we had purchased the pizza with our own hard earned money, a large specialty pie only cost $17! While I didn't bring along a tape measure, the large is about 18"-20". We decided to give two of the specialty offerings a try this week, and split 1/2 Caprese and 1/2 White Special. The Caprese has been our family favorite for over 3 years, and consists of a cheese pizza decorated with huge, fresh sliced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil leaves. This time around we went out on a limb and tried something different as well. The White Special was a pleasant surprise and we definitely enjoyed the combination of mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, sliced tomatoes and fresh garlic. The crust is where these pizzas stand above the rest - sturdy enough to hold the toppings, yet soft enough for a slight fold. The crust has a certain airiness to it, with a hint of char from the oven. All of these factors combined with a self measured sprinkle of fresh parmesan/Italian Seasoning/Red Pepper, make Coal Vines a force to be reckoned with.
The Final Report: 9 out of 10
The pizza and wine at Coal Vines were incredible. So good we almost considered buying another bottle of wine just to take home an additional free pie! While we probably could have enjoyed another glass or two of wine, we would have had to share the pizza with the babysitter....
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