Ciao Napoli - new-ish pizza place in Logan Square

I'm not sure how long this place has been open, maybe about a month or so, but my SO and I ate there a couple of weeks ago and I've been meaning to see what other people think of it. I don't think there's another thread for it yet.

The room/decor is basic, but fine. Nothing too exciting, but warm and inviting. We sat at a bar that faces the pizza oven. There's a glass wall dividing the diners from the pizza making, but it was still a little strange to have to sit staring at the chefs while they cook because they are also facing the diners when they are at the counter cooking and about 3 feet away. The service was fine. Our server brought us everything in a timely manner, except glasses of water. Again, nothing wrong, but nothing exciting.

Onto the pizza... we didn't have any appetizers or dessert and only shared a margherita pizza, so I can't comment on the food too much. The chef is definitely Italian (as he was shouting Italian phrases while cooking) and my SO, who has spent some time in Italy, thought it was very authentic. I thought it was delicious. The crust was thin and crispy, but a little softer in the middle. Not, however, the very wet kind of middle that Spacca Napoli does. The tomato sauce seemed to be mostly just pulverized tomatoes, but it was still a great complement to the cheese and basil. In particular, the SO thought that the mostly tomato-y taste of the sauce contributed to how authentic the pizza was. We shared the 18" pizza that is kind of an oval shape, and it was a good amount of pizza for the two of us. I would definitely go back and try a pizza with more toppings. Anyone else have thoughts on the pizza or tried any appetizers?

Ciao Napoli Pizzeria
2607 Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647-1609
(773) 278-730

Have not been but it sounds like a place I'd live to try.
Do you have an address or maybe a link?

Dave148 wrote:Ciao Napoli Pizzeria
2607 Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647-1609
(773) 278-730

LOL - thanks Dave148!

We checked them out on a Sunday night for the first time after reading many online comparisons to Spaca Napoli.
Service was pleasant, and for the most part attentive.

The back room where we were seated was filled with a large party of 12-
which made for a VERY noisy meal-
all of the surfaces are highly reflective,
from the large storefront windows & exposed wooden (pretty!) tabletops- to the exposed brick and 10 foot ceilings....
so no acoustic dampening made for a noisy room (hate to see/hear it full!)

On the menu we saw a fried calamari. Being a little "health conscious" in company of my visiting West Coast brother, I asked if they could prepare the
Calamari "grilled".
No came the response. We were told that they had originally offered that, but it was no longer available.
So much for "off-menu" ordering.

Our salads that we ordered were light dressed Arugula and Truffle oil, with small cherry tomato slices for color.
Nicely plated they were simple and refreshing.
The Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza was- OK.
I prefer a thin crust- with some tooth/resistance to the edges, which this had- but the tomato sauce on this paizza wasnt working for me.
Also, I don't care for a soggy bottom (on toddlers or my $18.00 pizza) and Ciao Napoli's was a sad soggy bottom-er.

We had only salads and Pizza ,preceded with a 312 draft ,a juice + a Cocktail for a total bill of $62.00.
Not a cheap date kinda spot.
A nice addition to Logan Square- but- I don't think I'll be returning (for The Pizza) perhaps The Gnocchi and Pesto-
could lure me back for a visit).

Ciao (4now).

The kids and I sat outside at this place last night, the overlooking-a-bus-center location being more pleasant than you might suspect, and had two pizze:



That's the bufala, slight upcharge from the margherita was advised to be worth it by Nick of Grub Street, and this is one with sausage:



Pretty good sausage, if not quite as good as that at Coalfire where they use Bari's house sausage, but certainly a praiseworthy choice.

I was quite happy with these overall, slight wetness in the middle per the European model but not out of control by any means. Decent amount of char though I'd almost always like more. The only knock against this place would be... the pizza tastes exactly like every other Neapolitan style place (except Great Lake, maybe). Really, they must use the same flour in exactly the same way or something, if you brought this to me, I could not have told it from Spacca Napoli, Sapori, Nella, etc. It seems a little unfortunate that there's so little variation between these places, even if it is, at least in some ways, a mark of quality. But I'm waiting for individual personality to assert itself.

Service was friendly though I have to say, that's the first time I've ordered a glass of wine and both kids got ginger ale... and when they were set down, we got three straws.

One melancholy note was seeing, on that block, Longman & Eagle hopping (and most deservedly so), Ciao doing a nice business for early Thursday night, the mediocre El Cid with a few customers... and Azucar dead as a doornail.