Billing itself as an authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria and restaurant, Coal Pizza Company (36 E. Washington St., 317-685-2625) has opened in the short-lived two-story Hue Dine space. The venture is backed by Jason Tipton of The Ripple Inn (929 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-252-2600) and Michael Keenan of Broad Ripple’s Za Pizzeria (801 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-602-3753). Its kitchen is run by Charles Mereday, managing partner and chef of The Ripple Inn and owner of Eagle Creek Pizza (5510 Lafayette Rd., 317-290-1122).
Pies are made with local produce from Indiana and Ohio (Smoking Goose and The Chef’s Garden in Milan, Ohio, among Coal Pizza’s sources), and dough from “doppio zero” flour (highly refined and as soft as talcum powder) imported from Italy. The crunchy goodness cooks in a 900-degree wood-burning oven in 90 seconds.
Local Indiana craft beer flows, along with small-producer wines. The restaurant opens tomorrow for lunch and dinner, hopefully having worked through some of the hiccups in service that diners experienced during Saturday’s grand opening.