10/29/09

Drool.

by Kranitz

The pizzas here are not for the folks that enjoy stuffing themselves silly with a cheese heavy, thick crust generic pizza like any of the hundreds of pizza joints around town. You have to try it at least once, provided you aren't expecting to down a quart of pizza sauce and a pound of cheese per the slice! The process used to create this pizza has been exhaustively researched by the owner in Italy for years, and continually refined here in Chicago. You can't go wrong with the prosciutto d' arugula. In my opinion, the simpler the pizza you order, the better you can really enjoy the flavors.

• Pros: The best neopolitan pizza in Chicago
• Cons: Nothing

06/16/08

bummer

by bergenrodin

I too went to spaccanapoli after hearing positive statements like, "people come from Italy for their pizza" and "the pizza is incredible, delicious crust"

so, the first minor bummer was that that's it - they have pizza, no other entrees. Not bad for me, but one of our guests is not crazy about pizza. but hey they have lots of appetizer choices if you like antipasti, each with an italian name, so the server has to tell you what each one is. You lika the cold antipast? we got you covered.

we ordered two apps and 4 pizza to share. these were the apps

marinated octopus: first octopus I've had that smelled and tasted like fish. I guess we got the bottom of the barrel because it was taken off the specials board after we got it.

salad: big plate of high quality green with good olives and average tomatoes. basically good lettuce with too much balsamic vinegar.

the pizzas looked and smelled really good.

the marinara: this is a sauce only pizza, no cheese. the sauce was um...nothing special, not sure why it is featured element of any pizza, taste wrecked by over spicing with dry oregano.

the quattro formaggio: first 4 cheese I've had that featured a blue cheese. I like blue cheese, I thought the flavor too strong, it overpowered all other cheeses.

the sausage, mushroom: my favorite, excellent sausage, mushrooms appeared to be from a jar, though taste was fine.

the margherite (sp): standard margherite, mozz, tom, basil sauce. tasted great.

the crust of all the pizza was the best thing about the whole experience. it is unique, unfortunately the rest of each pizza seemed overly soggy, everything drooped and went down as a mushy bite, except the crust.

the wine (got the shiraz type) was a syrupy wine flavored beverage with alcohol.

service was fair, personally though for me, I go out for the food.

$90 for (4) people + $20 tip. No plans on returning for the crust.

• Pros: very fresh pizza ingredients, fantastic crust
• Cons: decided to serve unfresh octopus, only nonsoda kids drinks are milk/water

05/20/08

Great pizza, expect less than great service.

by DavidDeCampo

I must say that I had heard a lot of good comments about this restaurant.

Most of them lived up to my expectations, mainly the pizza. If you like traditional Neapolitan style pizza, then this is the place to eat. The prices are fair for the quality of the meal. You can't compare the pizza to a franchise store, because this is far from a national chain, or a low end local pizza place. The food is very good and the pizza is authentic Neapolitan, thin crust, wood burning oven cooked.

The service is not that great and we have tried the place twice now. The service is notably non-genuine, the hostess on both occasions was less than personable. The feel for the service is similar to a Pompei, where food is just brought to your table, not a true full service restaurant. I felt like the waiters, both times, couldn't wait to flip the table, get my 15 to 20 percent tip, and move on to the next guest.

Luckily, the food really is good, and mostly makes up for the undesirable service. The decor is nice as well, nothing to fancy, or too simple..just about right for the neighborhood and guests they are attracting. We will certainly return, and will cross our fingers for improvement in the staff's customer service attitudes.

• Pros: Authentic Neapolitan Pizza
• Cons: Hostess/Waiters

02/09/08

No Thanks!

by jkdee

This place aimed high and simply missed. Our foursome was really looking forward to checking out Spacca Napoli after hearing glowing reviews. Unfortunately we had a truly negative experience.

It started out ok. There was a nice older man, who we assumed was one of the owners, running around offering appetizers to everyone crammed into the waiting area. Beyond that the service was absolutely wretched......and the food was no better. The minute we were seated we got the sense that we were somehow interrupting our waiter from something else he would much rather be doing. Not one question asked of him was answered politely. In fact, he acted as if we were stupid for asking what the specials were. After taking our order he simply disappeared. At first, his absence was a nice reprieve from his hostility, but 20 minutes with no service tested our patience. We were hungry and excited to try this "amazing pizza" we had heard so much about, so we played it cool. Our patience was not rewarded. Our dismissive, grumpy waiter returned to drop soggy, tasteless pizza in front of us (yes, he sorta plunked down our pizzas rudely!)

The appetizers and pizza proved to be forgettable food at best. The Prosciutto & Mozzarella and the Melanzane were serviceable. Nothing too exciting, that is. The pizza is soggier than it should be. We all agreed that classic Neopolitan Pizza can be soggy at times, but this was sloppy. Once we got our minds off the soggy texture of the za we were trying to handle, we were met with listless flavors in what we all agreed was a regrettable pizza. Pitiful, really.

Just to add insult to an already crappy dinner, we waited another 10 minutes to have our table cleared. Once bussed, we were greeted with a nasty attitude again from our waiter. He dropped off our check with no more than a grunt. Dessert? Who knows! We weren't offered, so we called it quits!

In a town with so many great pizza options, AVOID THIS ONE!

• Pros: They have wine, I suppose.
• Cons: Cramped seating, rude service, boring/bad food.

12/18/07

Waste of $ and Taste Buds

by jimbo39

Waste of time and Hunger! This place had all the hype and it did not deliver...not even close. $35 for 2 pizzas that were 9inches and Burnt. On top of that they don't even cut the pie for you. I was so disappointed that I had to warn everyone about how bad the food is. Don't waste your money. Save it and go to Little Ceaser's a few blocks away. Your taste buds, stomach, and wallet will thank you later

• Cons: Bad Food

11/22/07

Unique Thin Crust Pizza....But Crust is NOT Crispy

by mbakalarski

My husband, parents and I went to this restaurant last night in hopes of truly having the best thin crust pizza in town. The restaurant definitely has unique pizza but, in case you were expecting it (like I was), the crust was not crispy. As a matter of fact, it was downright soggy. The pizza did have very fresh ingredients but I question how "fresh" the dough really was...our pizza came out faster than an order from McDonalds. Besides the food, the service was simple (just ok) and the ambiance left something to be desired (bright lights and very loud). On a positive note, parking was easy and free and we didn't have to wait on a Friday night. If you don't care about the crust being crispy it's worth checking out.

• Pros: Easy and free street parking, fresh ingredients used on the pizza
• Cons: Crust is not crispy plus ambiance and service just ok

11/20/06

Seriously the best pizza in the US

by ufkitty79

Those who have had authentic Italian pizza in Italy know how hard it is to find this stuff in the US. The oven conditions must be exact, just the right flour and ingredients must be used. There is actually a government organization that sanctions pizza and has strict regulations as to how it is made, in order for the pizza to be called "authentic". Spacca Napoli meets these qualifications and puts them right on your plate.

Be prepared to wait a bit, especially closer to the weekends. Check ahead for hours, because they do change seasonally. But whatever wait or delay you many encounter, remember that it will be truly worth it.

I had the Bufalina which is similar to the Pizza Margherita, but made with buffalo mozzarella (I LOVE the stuff). We are lucky to have this gem of a restaurant in Chicago.

Mangia! Mangia!!

• Pros: Fresh, truly authentic pizza!
• Cons: Too many people crowd up the joint.

09/17/06

pizza true italian style

by cat1981

Great place. Awesome service, I am not sure how anyone can say the staff is not friendly. The owner was real nice and did his best to accommodate the group of 10 us. One thing is you will have quite a wait for a table, but that just proves how good the food is. I also do not agree with the review that it is pricey. Give me a break! If you want pizza the way they make it in Italy with quality ingredients this is a place for you.

• Pros: great food, friendly service.
• Cons: none

09/14/06

Imported cheeses, Italian flour and a wood-fired oven distinguish this Ravenswood pizza restaurant.

by Contributor

The Scene
Birra Moretti umbrellas dot the wide outdoor seating area, where Ravenswood neighbors greet each other--often in Italian. Inside, tangerine walls envelope the din of enthusiastic diners. The left side of the divided indoor space offers views of an open kitchen and wood-burning oven. Servers are quick to offer suggestions and to bring orders.

The Food
Slightly steep prices buy the freshest ingredients: bright, juicy tomatoes; smoky prosciutto; creamy mozzarella and enormous basil leaves make up many of the offerings at this Neapolitan-style pizzeria. A starter of sauteed zucchini alla scapace delightfully combines mint, zucchini and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Individually sized pizzas are made with thin, crispy crusts and fior di latte mozzarella or mozzarella di bufala. Topping choices include ground Italian sausage and broccoli di rape, arugula with prosciutto, or mushroom. Traditional Italian desserts such as gelato, spumoni or tiramisu are available in the unlikely event diners are still hungry.

08/22/06

If you like great pizza, but don't mind your service slow and your restaurants over-crowded...

by ordj

Went here on an early Saturday evening. Of course no reservations accepted. Big lines and a 45 minute wait, but finally got to sit down at a table thankfully in the corner. Place was packed with people and crying babies. Unfortunately, more sitting was encountered after we finally got a table. In fact, the waiter didn't get to us for 8 minutes. I wish we had gotten a different server though, might have actually changed my experience. The guy was quite pretentious, not even personable. Didn't follow up on us, acted very rudely when a member of our party had made a wrong choice for their meal.

The place doesn't have that great of a decor... It's not really cozy or anything, definitely not romantic. Naples pizza makes me think intimate, brick-walled decor... this place just sort of presents itself as a barely snazzed-up fast food joint. And speaking of the food, it's 50/50... We ordered 2 pizzas. They came out very quickly, which was very nice... but one of them was definitely burnt. The other was quite amazing though. Striking combination of flavors, perfect thickness, very tasty. If you're tired of eating the same old pizza crud every Friday, head out here. It's not really a "cheap eat," you'll fork over $12-14 for a pizza that would probably be considered a small at your average pizza spot. But it's for sure a great eat. I wish the setting was much nicer and romantic, but you can't have all your eggs in one basket.

• Pros: Authentic pizza!
• Cons: Busy, boring decor, rude/slow staff