Spacca Napoli Pizzeria

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Come for the food, stay for the stories

Spacca Napoli Pizzeria on West Sunnyside Avenue is one of Chicago's most committed practitioners of authentic Neapolitan pizza — a distinction recognized by Gambero Rosso, which awarded the restaurant its top 3-slice rating in 2026. That kind of recognition doesn't come from ambition alone. It comes from nearly two decades of daily discipline.

The people behind the dough

Each morning, Jon Goldsmith walks four blocks from home to the restaurant. Before anything else, he greets the dough. A certified pizzaiuolo and member of the guild, Jon approaches his craft as a lifelong process — the way any serious artisan does. His partner in life and food, Ginny Sykes, works from her studio upstairs. Her influence runs through the art on the walls and the soul of the room itself. Together, they've built a place that treats pizza not as a product but as a way of life.

The oven at the heart of the kitchen was built by artisans from Naples. Ingredients are sourced from trusted vendors, many of them discovered through travels in Italy. The dough is tended daily, a blend — as they put it — of love and craft.

What's on the table

The menu is rooted in Neapolitan tradition without being rigid. The Marinara DOP arrives with blended San Marzano and Piennolo tomatoes, oregano, and garlic — nothing more. The Bufalina layers mozzarella di bufala and basil over the same tomato base. Specials rotate and reflect the season: squash blossoms filled with ricotta, smoked mozzarella, and anchovy; a Mortadella pizza finished with lemon oil and crushed pistachio; grilled octopus with white bean and cherry tomatoes.

Antipasti, dolce, a focused Italian beer list, and digestivi round out a meal that doesn't rush itself. Desserts include a Tartufo with zabaglione center and a Panna Cotta topped with apricot preserves and sweet balsamic — the kind of endings that make lingering feel natural.

A neighborhood place with a long memory

Over the years, Spacca Napoli has hosted first dates, birthdays, engagements, and at least one impromptu wedding. The restaurant takes phone reservations the old-fashioned way, and walk-ins are always welcome. Patio seating is first-come, first-served. It is, above all, a place where community, food, and memory are woven together — and where the Neapolitan pizza on your plate is the real thing.