Nueva Italy Pizzeria Rogers Park

Rogers Park is a veritable Pizza desert, dominated by JB Albertos. I just do not get why JB Albertos has lasted as long as it has. Cardboard crust, bland sauce, inferior plasticized cheese. Just don't get it. In fact, if forced to order from there I always get the Beef sandwich (which is OK). For some reason, though, Albertos' competitors all seem to be short lived. As such, I don't know why it has taken me ten months to check out the relative new-comer Nueva Italy which occupies the Pupuseria space on Clark Street just south of Supermercado Chapala. I ordered a thin crust Bacon and Onion pizza from them last night. The owner promised me I would love the pizza. When I got home, though, I had my doubts. The cheese was sort of pock marked, and the pie was somewhat uneven in shape. But what it lacked in looks, it made up for in flavor. It was delicious. The uneven crust had a distinct handmade flavor and texture to it. It was crunchy, yet not cracker thin. It had a noticeable yeastiness, just like a high end pie from a Neapolitan joint, but with a cookie like crunchiness that those pies lack (partially from the corn-meal bottom, I suspect). If the dough was not yeasty and fresh, the texture might have been a turn-off, but the flavor made it work. The sauce was very slightly sweet, but had a tomato tartness that shone through the cheese. The cheese itself was very flavorful, even if it was somewhat gloppy in appearance. The onions were nicely caramelized (perhaps adding to the sweetness of the sauce), and the crispy bits of bacon were sparingly applied, so as to complement but not over-power the sauce. All in all, not the prettiest pizza in the world, but well balanced and delicious. It had a very distinct home-made feel and flavor to it. As if each ingredient was freshly prepared for that pie. I will definitely be back for more. The prices were extremely reasonable also. an extra large pie with 2 ingredients was about $16. The pie came with two containers of freshly ground Parmesan and another two containers of cayenne seeds. Honestly, the only pizza I can compare it to is a homemade/handmade pie, which in my book is a good thing. In fact, the slight imperfections made it seem like it was made just for me. They advertise a lunch special of a 14" with 2 toppings for carry-out at $9.99 (mon-thurs), not a bad deal. I will have to give the place another try, but so far it is in the running for my favorite pizza in the hood. The rest of the menu was what one might expect, fried mushrooms, zucchini, Mozzarella sticks, chicken wings etc. They also have a butter crust option that sounds intriguing, as does the deep dish.

Nueva Italy Pizzeria
7109 N Clark St
(773) 681-0689


edited to correct lunch special

Rogers Park is a veritable Pizza desert

Excuse me??

Hi- What about Gulliver's. There pizza is not bad. Thanks, Nancy

sundevilpeg wrote:

Rogers Park is a veritable Pizza desert

Excuse me??

I said it was a "veritable" desert at least compared to the rest of Chicago in terms of pizza per square mile. I was going to mention Candlelite, but other than that, name me one edible pizza. Come to think of it, I also always forget about Gruppo di Amici. It is not that bad, but it is not really a typical pizza joint.

NFriday wrote:Hi- What about Gulliver's. There pizza is not bad. Thanks, Nancy

The last piazza I ordered from Gulliver's went straight into the trash. It was awful. Believe me, I am no pizza snob, but that thing was inedible. It weighed a ton, but I could not stomach it. I was heartbroken, because I always liked Gulliver's in the past (and the decor in the restaurant is almost indescribable). Maybe the uncooked, flavorless blob was a fluke, but I have never gotten the courage to risk another $23 on an experiment.
Again, I ask you, other than Candlelite, where is there a decent pizza to be had in RP? I have lived here for 20 years, and always order from Calo's and when it was open, Delisi's. Carmen's Giordano's and Leonna's are terrible. The Mom and Pop places, I will not mention because I don't believe in giving bad reviews to struggling operations. Anyhow, please don't let a disagreement about the availability of pizza derail the topic. That is not the subject of the thread, and I admit it was a hyperbolic statement. Nueva Italy is a new blossom on the RP pizza landscape.

"Nueva Italy"?

Is that anywhere near Svetlana's Franzosische Ristorante?

Roger Ramjet wrote:"Nueva Italy"?

Is that anywhere near Svetlana's Franzosische Ristorante?

Yeah, I thought that was a strange name. Is "Nueva" even correct in Spanish when modifying the word "Italy" in English? That is why I mentioned that the owner seemed Italian (at least that is what my nephew thought when we picked the pizza up). The guy who took the order over the phone actually sounded hispanic to me. The boy and I had a lengthy discussion about the odd moniker. I think it was the bizarre name that kept me from ordering from there for so long. Maybe it is an inside joke. Regardless, the pizza is ok, and it is close, so to me, that is what counts. The pizza itself is a little strange, so it may not be to everybody's liking. I happen to find it very tasty whatever its ethnic derivation (it maybe Albanian for all I know).

This pizza is really good. Perfect buttery, but not overpowering, crust. Crispy, dense, moist, flaky...several adjectives that seem to contradict each other, but effectively are descriptive of a near perfect pizza crust of this style. HIGLY RECOMMENDED...I'll get some pics and a full review up soon, tonight was my night to review Eastern Style Pizza, an old-timer

d4v3 wrote:

NFriday wrote:Hi- What about Gulliver's. There pizza is not bad. Thanks, Nancy

The last piazza I ordered from Gulliver's went straight into the trash.

For an alternative take on Gulliver's, see
Gulliver's in Rogers Park

Apart's Broadway location might deliver to parts of Rogers Park (their online delivery map seems to be down now).

My general reaction to your complaint about bad pizza in Rogers Park is that most pizza places are, in fact, somewhere between bad and acceptable, no matter which neighborhood you are in. Tasteless crusts, cheap cheese, sweet sauce... There are many good pizza places, of course, and a few great ones, but these are the exception.

Darren72 wrote:Apart's Broadway location might deliver to parts of Rogers Park (their online delivery map seems to be down now).

Apart delivers at least as far north as me - at Pratt and Clark. They are my go-to pizza for delivery right now, though I'm always looking for other options. I'd expect that all of the Edgewater pizza places that deliver would go at least that far north.

Apart will not deliver as far north as me. It is weird because they deliver quite a few blocks further south and west. The only conclusion I can come to is they don't feel the Northern part of RP is safe.

As far as Gulliver's goes,I used to be a fan until I got that one awful pizza. It really takes a lot for me to throw a pizza in the trash. I have even eaten the pizza at Wrigley field, but this was much,much worse. At any rate, I accept the fact that a place can have an off night, and the number of good pizzas I have had from Gulliver's far outnumber the bad. I have even eaten in at Gulliver's since then, just not ordered delivery. Besides, this thread was meant to sing the praises of Nueva Italy, not denigrate the alternatives.

When I referred to Rogers Park as a pizza desert, I was referring to pizza places that are actually located in the northeastern section of Rogers Park, not those that will deliver here (like Calo). Unfortunately, our local options are all chains. For some reason, Alberto's has the delivery market cornered for this part of the ward. I have lived in various parts of Chicago for most of my life, and am used to having a decent (if not great) local pizza joint within a few blocks. Nueva Italy now fills that space.

Just polished off another pizza from Nueva Italy. This time we got the butter crust option. That is definitely the way to go. The butter really added to both the texture and flavor. The crust was absolutely perfect. Crunchy, crisp and flaky, but not dry and cracker-like (we asked for it crispy). The sauce seemed a little tangier than the last time with a distinct fresh tomato flavor, not sweet. This time we added a few shakes of Italian seasoning to the pie before leaving, which was a nice touch (you might ask for some if you get delivery). Again, the pizza had a real home-made quality to it. So that is two pizzas and two home-runs. I think we finally have a great pizza joint within walking distance (I will have to get my cholesterol medication refilled). This pizza fulfills all my expectations for a good well balanced pie, but taste in pizza is as varied as there are styles of pizza. I am looking forward to hearing some other opinions.

Is there an eat in option at Nueva Italy? A take out pizza would suffer too much by the time I got it back to my house.

That's why I start eating in the car. I don't have the patience to wait anyway.

stevez wrote:Is there an eat in option at Nueva Italy? A take out pizza would suffer too much by the time I got it back to my house.

They have tables. It is also BYOB.

d4v3:

Thanks for checking this place out! I have been meaning to try it out for months but haven't made it there yet. In light of your comments, I will give it a spin in the next few days.

I love Candlelite, but I have been getting takeout there at least once a week for the past two years, so I could stand for a bit of change.

My wife and I have gotten pizza from here about 6-8 times, and delivery on occasion to our house in West Ridge. Fabulous pizza - their butter crust is a must-try. Better than Lou Malnati's. We have ordered both the thin and the pan, each of which has its own merits. The pan is very close to Gulliver's, except the crust is less bready. The only gripe, and this is a minor one, is that the sausage they use lacks any real kick like the spicy sausage from Gullivers has. While picking up a pie recently, I saw a diner there having a burger with fresh-cut fries which looked very tasty although I have not tried it.

Grabbed a pie for my crew before dinner rush on Friday...this place is consistent and has always put out a fresh, delicious pizza. It's very unassuming, on a stretch of Clark St. overwhelmed with Taco-rias.....In fact, inside it looks like the other divey joints on the same street - some of which serve Pizza and Tacos under the same sagging, water-stained ceiling tile; so you don't expect it to be good, which for some will be off-putting.

The only thing this place is lacking is some personality. Upon entering, you hear spanish music playing behind the counter, and its' not really decorated like an italian place - you full on expect it to be a fast-food experience with average to below-average pizza.

This place needs a charismatic Guy named "Gino" or "Anthony" running the counter, shirt unbuttoned too far, flashing ear-to-ear smiles, and telling everyone he loves them. Maybe some italian soccer on the TV, and a big fat chef statue holding the daily special menu board. Opera music in the background, couple guys in suits sitting at a table in the corner screaming when you walk in, only to lower their conversation to a barely audible level while giving you shifty eyes as you grab take-out. Ok, Ok...I'm getting carried away

..on to the pizza: Perfect, buttery crust. Clear view of the Hobart mixer in the back, and sheeter...they are doing everything in house here. Lightly sweet tomato sauce seasoned well, perfect amount of good quality cheese, toppings are standard. Crust, sauce, and cheese stand out for me on this pie - I would love a sausage with better personalty and crunchier, spicier pepperoni...but both of those critiques are personal preference, not "pizza precepts"

everything about this place is generic, and unassuming, except for their delicious food!

NFriday wrote:Hi- What about Gulliver's. There pizza is not bad. Thanks, Nancy

Gulliver's used to be one of my favorite pizzas in the city (up until about 2004). Since then, every time I've eaten there I've gotten sick and the pizza simply isn't anything to write home about any longer.

Was going to a show @ Mayne Stage and stopped in based on what I'd read here. Thanks Dave. The butter crust was an Interesting style, unique. A bit thicker than thin crust but not deep either, somewhere in between. Crisp and tasty, a nice addition to pizza in Chi. Worth trying.

Jazzfood wrote:Was going to a show @ Mayne Stage and stopped in based on what I'd read here. Thanks Dave.

Who me?

I have been getting Pizza from here on a semi-regular basis. I am starting to really appreciate the uniqueness of the butter crust. It is like a crispy shortbread in consistency. I have never had anything like it. I noticed that they use a special process to cook it. I won't reveal it here, in case it is a trade secret (but their open kitchen makes it a little hard to conceal). I can see how the crust may not be to everyone's liking, but the fact that it is crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside, yet melts in my mouth, makes it completely addictive for me. It is definitely the highlight of the pizza. Just by writing about it, I have a major jones for one now. Lately, the sauce has also been very good, tangy and fresh-tasting. Anyhow, they still have a weekday (mon-thurs) special on both the thin crust and the pan pizza, that makes Neuva Italy a very affordable option (don't know if that is a limited time offer). The only quibble I have, is that the toppings could be a little more plentiful. I would really like to try some of the reasonably priced appetizers. From what I have seen, they also look very good.