Spacca Napoli is Ravenswoodʼs Italian Oasis

BY ESTHER REISINGER

The pizza at Spacca Napoli is the stuff dreams are made of. If youʼre thinking right now that I should dream bigger, you probably havenʼt had this pizza. Italy-lover Jon Goldsmith has succeeded in bringing true Neapolitan pizza to Ravenswood, and if you havenʼt experienced one of his chewy, cheesy, addictive pies yet, you just ran out of excuses.

First, know that Naples is hailed as the birthplace of pizza. With this as their inspiration, Spacca Napoli does everything in its power to create for you a true Naples dining experience. Jon Goldsmith has the traveling chops to back his delicious food, with countless trips to Italy and a focus on Naples for the two years prior to his opening in 2006. And youʼll definitely taste his passion, from the impressive purity of the extra virgin olive oil and the richness of the aged balsamic vinegar to the carefully selected- yet-unpretentious Italian wine and the decadent buffalo mozzarella.

Do yourself a favor and get the Caprese con Bufala. Apparently in Naples they believe that Caprese should only ever be made with buffalo mozzarella. Ordinary fresh mozzarella would never do, and youʼll see why when you take a bite of this and experience the simultaneous lightness and richness of the cheese. It practically melts in your mouth, leaving only behind the conviction that no caprese salad youʼve ever had
can hold a candle to this one.

It is this very cheese that makes an appearance on your next course, if you happen to order the Bufalina pizza, which also features basil and olive oil. Use two hands to pick up one of the delightfully flimsy pieces, take a bite of the impossibly thin crust in itʼs chewy goodness, and then be ready to look down and realize that you have actually just eaten four pieces without even thinking. It goes that fast. But itʼs okay, because this pizza seems so light that itʼs probably the equivalent of about one piece of deep dish, if you can even remember what deep dish is while youʼre eating here. They have other pizza options (ranging from about $10-$16) but all are beautifully simple with a focus on letting the fresh ingredients and quality cheeses shine.

Finish your meal with a couple tasty scoops of gelati, or some creamy panna cotta and a rich espresso. Or maybe youʼll decide to skip dessert but then be pleasantly surprised as youʼre handed a fresh cannoli when you walk out the door (if youʼre lucky). But however you slice it, Spacca Napoli is the closest you can get to Naples pizza without a plane ticket.

Spacca Napoli Pizzeria, 1769 W. Sunnyside. For more information visit www.spaccanapolipizzeria.com, call 773-878-2420 or visit Spacca Napoli on Twitter or Facebook.

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