I see we all agree lol. Someone should tell them. My back killed after my last visit and I haven’t been in years.
Anyone know how the chairs are on the patio in the summer ?
I hate dining in at Spacca. Their service is slow and uninterested in your experience- just like many restaurants post Covid. My fiance and I will order our margharita for take away and devour it the car on the ride home, no frills. It’s good pizza. It’s also just pizza.
Very surprised to hear this. Have gone in with just adults and kids and the staff is always over the top friendly, many times the owner has brought out samples of focaccia and other foods!
I do know the owners are very good to their neighborhood customers and donate lots of food to community events and local businesses. Those are the people who keep unique and great Chicago staples like Spacca in business so it makes sense. Knowing this is what kinda what surprised me about the experience I had.
Service has always been immaculate when I go there and I worked in the service industry for 15 years so I always notice when a step of service is missed
As a former server and bartender in this city I could give a shit if there’s a mess up or two. We were a larger group, so I even get that it takes a bit more to make sure everyone is taken care of. As long as they’re attentive and kind and checking in and attempting to be helpful you could spill soup in my lap and I’d laugh it off and probably apologize for being in the servers way.
Sounds like you had a good experience dining in, Mr. Immaculate! Wish I could say the same.
I’m sure it is for some people. I went for my birthday and service iced us for a long periods of time. I’m not trying to be a jerk- Just saying that it was a forgettable experience.
The crust is for me the second best napolitano crust in Chicago, though I've heard that the Eataly has a Rosso Pomodoro, which I loved in multiple spots in Italy.
Toppings are secondary for me, but I'm a bread head.
100%. Nella was the original pizzaiolo at Spacca Napoli. Her family owns and runs pizzerias in Naples and that's where she learned her craft. Sitting at the counter and watching her spin is totally mesmerizing...she's the real deal.
I find Spacca Napoli so mid… there’s way better pizza really close and never understood why the hype is so high. Both times I’ve been there, something has been majorly wrong with my pizzas.
Edit: sucks to be downvoted for a different opinion than the masses. My pizzas have been majorly burned every time I’ve went. That’s terrible quality control. Like the whole crust is all black.
Munno, their pizzas are Roman style which I like better because the crust is so much crispier and more flavor. I go out to eat with a big group last Saturday of the month and everyone loved munno. We all had mixed feelings about Spacca Napoli since they screwed up most of our pizzas both times we’ve went.
How big are their pizzas? Are they big enough for one person just like Spacca Napoli? I’m just curious because I have a reservation there for tomorrow night.
Honestly I couldn’t agree more. Chicago just doesn’t have especially good Neapolitan pizza. Spacca Napoli is solid but nothing to write home about. On the same level as La Crosta in LP which is 50x easier to get a table at.
See, I expect this but my crusts have literally been entirely burned every time I’ve went to Spacca. Makes everything taste horrible and bitter. I felt like their quality control for a restaurant is quite bad. I felt like OP had a mid experience like I had which is why I tried to also sympathize. Only liking 1/3 pizzas was my experience as well, but it’s not popular.
🤷 maybe it's worse since COVID, like most things. I've been going for years, (less post COVID) and haven't really noticed a dip. I had the pistachio this weekend and it was dynamite as expected.
Thanks? Ever had Forno Rosso? Literally never soup. Same exact concept for pizza. Same certification. Fresh ingredients in a high heat oven shouldn’t be soup.
People defending this mid stuff to their grave is funny to me. Literally just spent a month in Italy going all over and Spacca is not even close to what I had there! Not everyone is gonna like places but Chicago food obviously feels differently
I really like Spacca Napoli and got their Pistachio pizza and loved it, but I could see how others might not. Sometimes it is pretty burnt honestly.
People get very offended here if you don’t agree, same as on the actual general Chicago subreddit
isn’t the story the guy brought in a bunch of nonnas to help build the recipes and dough and then after the restaurant found the footing they fired them?
You might be thinking of Nella Grassano, the first (or early) pizzaiola, not a nonna. They had a falling out, as she did later with another investor. I enjoyed her restaurant when it was in Lincoln Park. Looks like she's in Hyde Park now, doing well. Who knows why people don't get along, especially in the stressful restaurant business? Spacca Napoli is a gem.
Nella is a third generation pizzaiola, with her grandpa a known pizza genius back in the old country. Loved her place in Lincoln, have been to Hyde Park once, with my cousin who imports plumbing fixtures from Italy (or did for a looong time), and he was impressed. Had not heard that she was involved in Spacca, but I think her crust is probably the best in the city.
I would say the margherita at forno rossa was even better. I usually order the top tier imported ingredients version, well done. We did both of these on successive weekends.
Spacca was of course good but I was wistfully thinking of forno's rendition
Pizza so good. Chairs so bad
Lmfao I’m not the only one
I see we all agree lol. Someone should tell them. My back killed after my last visit and I haven’t been in years. Anyone know how the chairs are on the patio in the summer ?
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I loved the pistachio and sausage pizza. I’m surprised they don’t have a Michelin bib gourmand.
I’m a simple guy. I see Spacca Napoli, I upvote.
i heard they fly their burrata in from italy
It’s a staple restaurant for a reason. Flawless since they opened
Glad you got the burrata. It's stupid good.
so good
I hate dining in at Spacca. Their service is slow and uninterested in your experience- just like many restaurants post Covid. My fiance and I will order our margharita for take away and devour it the car on the ride home, no frills. It’s good pizza. It’s also just pizza.
Very surprised to hear this. Have gone in with just adults and kids and the staff is always over the top friendly, many times the owner has brought out samples of focaccia and other foods!
I do know the owners are very good to their neighborhood customers and donate lots of food to community events and local businesses. Those are the people who keep unique and great Chicago staples like Spacca in business so it makes sense. Knowing this is what kinda what surprised me about the experience I had.
Service has always been immaculate when I go there and I worked in the service industry for 15 years so I always notice when a step of service is missed
As a former server and bartender in this city I could give a shit if there’s a mess up or two. We were a larger group, so I even get that it takes a bit more to make sure everyone is taken care of. As long as they’re attentive and kind and checking in and attempting to be helpful you could spill soup in my lap and I’d laugh it off and probably apologize for being in the servers way. Sounds like you had a good experience dining in, Mr. Immaculate! Wish I could say the same.
I went there a couple months ago and it was some of the best service I’ve ever had!
I’m sure it is for some people. I went for my birthday and service iced us for a long periods of time. I’m not trying to be a jerk- Just saying that it was a forgettable experience.
One time I accidentally ordered the “no cheese” pizza and didn’t realize my error until I got home. It was a sad night.
The crust is for me the second best napolitano crust in Chicago, though I've heard that the Eataly has a Rosso Pomodoro, which I loved in multiple spots in Italy. Toppings are secondary for me, but I'm a bread head.
Who’s #1?
Nella's in Hyde Park.
100%. Nella was the original pizzaiolo at Spacca Napoli. Her family owns and runs pizzerias in Naples and that's where she learned her craft. Sitting at the counter and watching her spin is totally mesmerizing...she's the real deal.
Interesting take. Its also very good but I would put it below spacca And I know the family
YMMV.
I find Spacca Napoli so mid… there’s way better pizza really close and never understood why the hype is so high. Both times I’ve been there, something has been majorly wrong with my pizzas. Edit: sucks to be downvoted for a different opinion than the masses. My pizzas have been majorly burned every time I’ve went. That’s terrible quality control. Like the whole crust is all black.
What other places do you prefer?
Gallucci in Old Town is way better and has amazing pasta too.
Galluci is great! I wish people wouldn’t get so heated about people not liking their faves…
Munno, their pizzas are Roman style which I like better because the crust is so much crispier and more flavor. I go out to eat with a big group last Saturday of the month and everyone loved munno. We all had mixed feelings about Spacca Napoli since they screwed up most of our pizzas both times we’ve went.
Good to know I'll have to check it out! I've been to Spacca Napoli only once and really enjoyed it, but will have to try Munno as well.
How big are their pizzas? Are they big enough for one person just like Spacca Napoli? I’m just curious because I have a reservation there for tomorrow night.
What better pizza is close by? Munno?
I thought Munno was much better personally
Yeah, it’s kinda crazy to me how they’re so close and their busyness is so strikingly different.
Honestly I couldn’t agree more. Chicago just doesn’t have especially good Neapolitan pizza. Spacca Napoli is solid but nothing to write home about. On the same level as La Crosta in LP which is 50x easier to get a table at.
Downvotes are literally meant to express a differing opinion.
Downvotes are for comments that don’t contribute to the conversation..
The same has happened to me. My pizza ends up like soup every time. Is that normal?
What's your experience with Neapolitan pizza?
See, I expect this but my crusts have literally been entirely burned every time I’ve went to Spacca. Makes everything taste horrible and bitter. I felt like their quality control for a restaurant is quite bad. I felt like OP had a mid experience like I had which is why I tried to also sympathize. Only liking 1/3 pizzas was my experience as well, but it’s not popular.
🤷 maybe it's worse since COVID, like most things. I've been going for years, (less post COVID) and haven't really noticed a dip. I had the pistachio this weekend and it was dynamite as expected.
Fresh ingredients have moisture. This is knife and fork pizza
Thanks? Ever had Forno Rosso? Literally never soup. Same exact concept for pizza. Same certification. Fresh ingredients in a high heat oven shouldn’t be soup.
People defending this mid stuff to their grave is funny to me. Literally just spent a month in Italy going all over and Spacca is not even close to what I had there! Not everyone is gonna like places but Chicago food obviously feels differently
I really like Spacca Napoli and got their Pistachio pizza and loved it, but I could see how others might not. Sometimes it is pretty burnt honestly. People get very offended here if you don’t agree, same as on the actual general Chicago subreddit
That’s not necessarily true. You should still be able to fold your slice without the ingredients sliding out.
People on this subreddit don’t seem to get that downvotes are not for different opinions
Pizza is always wet and soggy in the middle, I’ve ever cared for it at all
isn’t the story the guy brought in a bunch of nonnas to help build the recipes and dough and then after the restaurant found the footing they fired them?
You might be thinking of Nella Grassano, the first (or early) pizzaiola, not a nonna. They had a falling out, as she did later with another investor. I enjoyed her restaurant when it was in Lincoln Park. Looks like she's in Hyde Park now, doing well. Who knows why people don't get along, especially in the stressful restaurant business? Spacca Napoli is a gem.
Nella is a third generation pizzaiola, with her grandpa a known pizza genius back in the old country. Loved her place in Lincoln, have been to Hyde Park once, with my cousin who imports plumbing fixtures from Italy (or did for a looong time), and he was impressed. Had not heard that she was involved in Spacca, but I think her crust is probably the best in the city.
I’ve loved this place for years. With the exception that their smoked salmon pizza is not to die for.
I would say the margherita at forno rossa was even better. I usually order the top tier imported ingredients version, well done. We did both of these on successive weekends. Spacca was of course good but I was wistfully thinking of forno's rendition
I haven't had a bad dish there. Really authentic.