1769 West Sunnyside, Chicago IL 60640 (map); 773-878-2420;
spaccanapolipizzeria.com Pizza Style: Neapolitan, as verified by the VPN Oven Fuel Source: Wood, of course
I wanted to love Spacca Napoli. I really did. Having taken massive amounts of grief for allegedly dissing deep dish Chicago pizza by characterizing it as "at best, a good casserole" in my book Pizza: Slice of Heaven, I was hoping to swoon over Jon Goldsmith's VPN-certified pizzeria in the Windy City and put Spacca Napoli in my pizza pantheon. The friend I met there, Andrew Huff, founder of Gaper's Block, compared Spacca Napoli to Pizzeria Bianco. High praise, indeed, coming from a fellow as smart as Andrew.
I met Andrew there at 2:30 p.m. The day before, serious eater Michael Nagrant had taken me on a phenomenal tour of Chicago (more about that in a future post) that featured the cemita and the huarache of my dreams and the best Sicilian sweets I have ever tasted, so I thought I could continue my Chicago eats hot streak at Spacca Napoli.
I ordered one pie with bufala mozzarella (above) and another with fior di latte and sausage. I wandered around the place waiting for my pizzas and Andrew.
The oven (above) was a gorgeous copper-framed, wood-burning beauty. Signs designating Spacca Napoli as a VPN-approved pizzeria were in plain sight. But there was one disquieting sign: Jon Goldsmith was there but not making pizza. At least he wasn't making my pizzas.
The pizzas arrived at my table just as Andrew showed up. They looked like typical VPN pizza: inch-high crust, dots of high-quality mozzarella, simple canned Italian tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and a little extra-virgin olive oil. I wished the cornicione was higher, but maybe I'm nit-picking here.
I took a bite of the sausage pizza. The sausage was good, and the cheese was creamy, but the crust had no exterior crispness. In fact, it was downright limp. It was the pizza equivalent of what happens when all the air is let out of a bike tire. What had done this to my pizza? I could say it was the hot and ultra-humid weather, but the dining room was plenty cool. Even the open kitchen appeared to be air-conditioned.
Now, don't get me wrong. They were both fine pizzas, and I would be happy eating at Spacca Napoli every day. The bufala mozzarella was wonderfully tangy and had the slight sourness I love in the bufala mozzarella I eat in this country. I would even be ready to proclaim Spacca Napoli's greatness and shout it out to the world if I hadn't experienced true pizza greatness at Pizzeria Bianco and Una Pizza Napoletana. That kind of pizza greatness requires that the crust have a crisp exterior and give way to tender insides.
Spacca Napoli is pizza goodness, not pizza greatness. Sorry, Chicago. As the Cookie Monster would say, it's good, but it's not delicious. Another artisanal pizzeria, Great Lakes, opened a few weeks ago in Chicago. I tried to eat there with Mike Nagrant after our little Mexican food sojourn, but it was closed. I'll try to get there my next visit, which should be soon. After all, I love everything about Chicago except the pizza.
Holy crap, Ed! That lead photo of the sausage pie is your best photo yet. Nice review. Too bad the pizza wasn't up to expectations. But it's Neapolitan-style, which is, eh. I'm much more a fan of New York–Neapolitan.
Gorgeous. The sauce looks radioactive, in a good way. I am having a synaesthetic experience looking at it, the colors are making my taste buds feel tangy, salty and sweet. want.
Andrew Huff here. In Spacca's defense, as I pointed out to Ed, we were eating some of the first pies to come out of the oven after being off overnight, and having only Tuesday night to warm up after two days off. I think if it were dinner instead of lunch, the crust would have been less limp.
But I agree with Ed's assessment -- the pizzas we had were not as good as I've come to expect from Spacca Napoli, and not nearly worthy of a comparison to Pizzeria Bianca. Hopefully we'll be able to get Ed to come back for a second try.
I agree for the most part. Spacca Napoli makes a good pie. Of course, anyone who takes mozzarella di bufala and San Marzano tomatoes, puts it on a thin piece of dough and cooks it in an 800-degree wood-burning oven is going to make a good pie. But it's beyond a stretch to compare the good pizza at Spacca Napoli to the absolutely stunning pizza that Chris Bianco turns out. In fact, I question whether anyone who makes the comparison has actually been to Bianco.
A better comparison for Spacca Napoli is to Una Pizza Napoletana because, I think, which one you like better says something about what parts of pizza matter more to you. Both places import the buffalo cheese and the tomatoes, so those are a wash (though I think Spacca is more generous with both). That leaves crust and toppings to compare.
When done right (which it was when I visited), UPN makes a fantastic crust, a perfect combination of char and chewiness. Spacca makes a fine crust, but it's missing some char. UPN does not offer toppings, Spacca does and they are excellent, especially the various meats and the mushrooms. If you think toppings add to a pizza, Spacca is better than UPN. If you think a great crust with some sea salt is more appealing than a good crust with great toppings, then you should stick with UPN.
I agree that Spacca Napoli doesn't live up to the hype surrounding it (or the line to get a table). Did you try Coal Fire at Ogden and Grand? Phenomenal stuff and a welcome departure from the stuff that Chicagoans call pizza. Crispy char on the outside, good chew on the inside, light application of quality cheese, simple but great toppings. Really good stuff.
@Daniel I didn't base my comparison on the Wiseguy, just the plain Margherita. The Wiseguy is in a league of its own. But Margherita to Margherita, when Spacca is on, it's very close to the same quality as Bianca -- of course, that's just when it's on. They're obviously not maintaining the consistency that Chris Bianco keeps up, which is a shame.
Having never been to Una Pizza Napoletana, I can't compare, but standouts for me at Spacca Napoli include their salmon & arugula and their anchovy, both frequently on the specials board, as well as the Funghi e Salsiccia.
@Andrew: Got it. I haven't had the Margherita at either, but that's good to know that Spacca is capable of getting its crust that good. In my experience, that hasn't been the case, but I'm always happy to give it another shot, especially to try that salmon and arugula pizza, which sounds oddly outstanding.
Ed, were you following me in Chicago? I was also at Avec and then at Spacca Napoli last weekend.
A friend took me there. Knowing that I am pretty particular about pizza and that I was in Naples, Italy a week earlier, he still thought I would love it. I also wanted to. I didnt fall in love or feel transported to the middle of Naples. It was still enjoyable though and did remind me of pizza that you could find somewhere in Italy. (Is it ok to say that it makes me feel pretty lucky with the pizza options in New York?)
I agree with you about the mozzarella. I think it may be almost impossible to find the real deal water buffalo mozzarella in the U.S. (I mostly blame sanitation laws re shipping/storage temperature) and I thought the one they use was fairly tangy and good.
Mr. Goldsmith was not at the oven when the pizzamaker kindly showed it to me. One thing of interest is the oven is fired up by wood and woodchips/saw dust. I think it provides the pizza with those small burn specks. While the pizza had some nice little specks on it (evident in the picture), I am partial to a more crisp bottom with larger burn spots. Also, the dough didnt let out that nice moist steam that hits your mouth when enjoying a Neopolitan pie.
These prefences aside, the wine list was wonderful. I sampled a fiano, greco di tufo and falanghina. They were good company to the various pizzas I sampled, reminding me to enjoy the meal before I got too heady with my friends at the table that night.
Check out www.bufalita.com - this is the cheese we use at our pizzeria. It is made by Italians, using imported Italian equipment. They are shipping water buffaloes over from Italy in October. They pasteurize the milk at the time the cheese is produced - so it is the closest I've found to Italian cheese over here. Their plant is in Mexico so it is shipped to the US fresh, not frozen. Right now it is only available wholesale to restaurants but they are packaging it for retail although I don't think they have a distribution deal set yet. It is very tangy and creamy.
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The oven (above) was a gorgeous copper-framed, wood-burning beauty. Signs designating Spacca Napoli as a VPN-approved pizzeria were in plain sight. But there was one disquieting sign: Jon Goldsmith was there but not making pizza. At least he wasn't making my pizzas. 
14 Comments:
Holy crap, Ed! That lead photo of the sausage pie is your best photo yet. Nice review. Too bad the pizza wasn't up to expectations. But it's Neapolitan-style, which is, eh. I'm much more a fan of New York–Neapolitan.
Adam Kuban at 10:10AM on 08/12/08
That pizza photo left me speechless. And hungry. sigh.
worldcupfever at 10:16AM on 08/12/08
Gorgeous. The sauce looks radioactive, in a good way. I am having a synaesthetic experience looking at it, the colors are making my taste buds feel tangy, salty and sweet. want.
simon at 10:37AM on 08/12/08
the pie crust looks horrible...
Uglycuss at 10:40AM on 08/12/08
@uglycuss: Really? I think it looks good.
But there's no way to tell how good the char is without the UPSKIRT SHOT!
Ed: You have come a long way in terms of photos, but this is Slice, so WHERE IS THE UPSKIRT?
Adam Kuban at 10:43AM on 08/12/08
Andrew Huff here. In Spacca's defense, as I pointed out to Ed, we were eating some of the first pies to come out of the oven after being off overnight, and having only Tuesday night to warm up after two days off. I think if it were dinner instead of lunch, the crust would have been less limp.
But I agree with Ed's assessment -- the pizzas we had were not as good as I've come to expect from Spacca Napoli, and not nearly worthy of a comparison to Pizzeria Bianca. Hopefully we'll be able to get Ed to come back for a second try.
me3dia at 11:15AM on 08/12/08
I agree for the most part. Spacca Napoli makes a good pie. Of course, anyone who takes mozzarella di bufala and San Marzano tomatoes, puts it on a thin piece of dough and cooks it in an 800-degree wood-burning oven is going to make a good pie. But it's beyond a stretch to compare the good pizza at Spacca Napoli to the absolutely stunning pizza that Chris Bianco turns out. In fact, I question whether anyone who makes the comparison has actually been to Bianco.
A better comparison for Spacca Napoli is to Una Pizza Napoletana because, I think, which one you like better says something about what parts of pizza matter more to you. Both places import the buffalo cheese and the tomatoes, so those are a wash (though I think Spacca is more generous with both). That leaves crust and toppings to compare.
When done right (which it was when I visited), UPN makes a fantastic crust, a perfect combination of char and chewiness. Spacca makes a fine crust, but it's missing some char. UPN does not offer toppings, Spacca does and they are excellent, especially the various meats and the mushrooms. If you think toppings add to a pizza, Spacca is better than UPN. If you think a great crust with some sea salt is more appealing than a good crust with great toppings, then you should stick with UPN.
Daniel Zemans at 11:37AM on 08/12/08
@Andrew: What specific pies have you had at Spacca that you think are in the same ballpark as the Wiseguy or Sonny Boy at Bianco?
Daniel Zemans at 11:40AM on 08/12/08
That crust looks more pita than pizza. (Great shot nonetheless!)
Barbara Hanson at 12:19PM on 08/12/08
I agree that Spacca Napoli doesn't live up to the hype surrounding it (or the line to get a table). Did you try Coal Fire at Ogden and Grand? Phenomenal stuff and a welcome departure from the stuff that Chicagoans call pizza. Crispy char on the outside, good chew on the inside, light application of quality cheese, simple but great toppings. Really good stuff.
dansch at 12:23PM on 08/12/08
@Daniel I didn't base my comparison on the Wiseguy, just the plain Margherita. The Wiseguy is in a league of its own. But Margherita to Margherita, when Spacca is on, it's very close to the same quality as Bianca -- of course, that's just when it's on. They're obviously not maintaining the consistency that Chris Bianco keeps up, which is a shame.
Having never been to Una Pizza Napoletana, I can't compare, but standouts for me at Spacca Napoli include their salmon & arugula and their anchovy, both frequently on the specials board, as well as the Funghi e Salsiccia.
me3dia at 1:18PM on 08/12/08
@Andrew: Got it. I haven't had the Margherita at either, but that's good to know that Spacca is capable of getting its crust that good. In my experience, that hasn't been the case, but I'm always happy to give it another shot, especially to try that salmon and arugula pizza, which sounds oddly outstanding.
Daniel Zemans at 2:11PM on 08/12/08
Ed, were you following me in Chicago? I was also at Avec and then at Spacca Napoli last weekend.
A friend took me there. Knowing that I am pretty particular about pizza and that I was in Naples, Italy a week earlier, he still thought I would love it. I also wanted to. I didnt fall in love or feel transported to the middle of Naples. It was still enjoyable though and did remind me of pizza that you could find somewhere in Italy. (Is it ok to say that it makes me feel pretty lucky with the pizza options in New York?)
I agree with you about the mozzarella. I think it may be almost impossible to find the real deal water buffalo mozzarella in the U.S. (I mostly blame sanitation laws re shipping/storage temperature) and I thought the one they use was fairly tangy and good.
Mr. Goldsmith was not at the oven when the pizzamaker kindly showed it to me. One thing of interest is the oven is fired up by wood and woodchips/saw dust. I think it provides the pizza with those small burn specks. While the pizza had some nice little specks on it (evident in the picture), I am partial to a more crisp bottom with larger burn spots. Also, the dough didnt let out that nice moist steam that hits your mouth when enjoying a Neopolitan pie.
These prefences aside, the wine list was wonderful. I sampled a fiano, greco di tufo and falanghina. They were good company to the various pizzas I sampled, reminding me to enjoy the meal before I got too heady with my friends at the table that night.
Margherita at 5:18PM on 08/12/08
Check out www.bufalita.com - this is the cheese we use at our pizzeria. It is made by Italians, using imported Italian equipment. They are shipping water buffaloes over from Italy in October. They pasteurize the milk at the time the cheese is produced - so it is the closest I've found to Italian cheese over here. Their plant is in Mexico so it is shipped to the US fresh, not frozen. Right now it is only available wholesale to restaurants but they are packaging it for retail although I don't think they have a distribution deal set yet. It is very tangy and creamy.
canerosso at 6:27PM on 08/12/08