Ciao Napoli Pizzeria

OK, so I am writing a review of a place that is closed. I am definitely aware of the moot point of it all, but consider this a tribute. I hope the owners read this!
I really wish I would have updated my review to 5-​stars long ago. In the short time Ciao Napoli was open, my husband & I went there at least a dozen times– taking guests from near and far, old and young. It never disappointed! The last few times we went there, it was really starting to get good, with seasonal menu changes and local beers popping up. Their specials were always tasty, great & fun appetizers & salads, but the best part was the pizza! It was seriously good, and cooked so quickly.
My guess is there are just zoo many brick-​over style pizza joints around, and maybe the L-​Square crowd prefers greasier/​less expensive fare, or perhaps less traditionally italian and more local/​modern/​infusion-​style stuff, and hey I like all of that TOO, buuuut man this was our spot!
I will miss you Ciao Napoli Pizzeria!!! adieu :’(

Whether you like sausage or not, try their house made ones! We ordered the Salsiccia pizza and everything from the sausage to slightly charred crust was extremely flavorful. If I had to be picky, perhaps it could have been cooked a little longer to make the crust crispier. The Arancini (fried risotto balls) were delish. Our waitress was helpful with recommendations and service was courteous and attentive. Can’t wait to try more from the menu.

My friend recommended this place as it is one of her faves, and it didn’t disappoint. We started with Insalata Tonno e Fagioli Verde. The tuna was perfect and the combination of green beans and capers heavenly.
We each had a pizza, it seemed too good to pass up. I had the Bufalina. I easily wanted to eat the entire pie in one sitting, but with the appetizer, it was a little too much. I was able to enjoy the rest for lunch next day. Um hello, delish lunch!
The pizza is perfect! The dough is very tasty, and we asked for it to be slightly crispy at the ends. Perfect blend of mozzarella and basil.
I can’t wait to go back.

Try the Cacio e Pepe!
My wife and I were just in Italy a few weeks ago, had Cacio e Pepe for the first time and loved it. I’ve since searched Unilocal and it’s been difficult to find. We randomly stopped by Ciao before a movie at the Logan, lo and behold it was on the menu. It did not disappoint. Thick, hollow, buttery, olive oily noodles with Parmesan cheese and black pepper. So simple, yet so delicious.
We also ordered the Marmalato de Pomodoro bruscette for an app. Thick slices of bruscette with a tomato paste, thinly sliced beef, green apples and honey. Sounds weird but it was great. The Margaretta pizza was also very good.
Drink prices were reasonable. We sat outside and the service was fine, granted there were only a few other diners.
Great experience, I’ll be back for sure.

Within easy walking distance of my boyfriend’s Logan Square apartment, Ciao Napoli Pizzeria has become our local pizza place whenever we need a pie. The staff was wonderfully attentive. Our waitress was a total sweetheart, gave us great recommendations, and checked on us the perfect amount (not too often, but she wasn’t completely absent).
The beer & wine list had a great selection, and we both had great beers. The prosciutto was incredibly tasty and unique, and the bufalina pizza was awesome. Our pizza came out to us straight out of the oven – it was steaming hot and we actually had to let it sit for a few minutes to cool down!
I really liked the atmosphere – it was casual but nice and the décor and music were just my style. I’m definitely going to go back here again!

I wish I could rate the pizza separately from the rest – because it would be 5 star!
We went here for the first time after reading some of the Unilocal reviews. True to the commentary, Ciao Napoli does not disappoint when it comes to pizza. Thin crust pizza in the true Napoli tradition. I don’t know what to say about the pizza other than it was some of the best I’ve had outside Italy and I can hardly think what they could do to improve it. Perfect crust, perfect temperature, and fresh, delicious ingredients.
The only reason I’m giving Ciao 4 stars instead of 5 is that our appetizer was just so-​so, and the drink menu was a bit limited, with only three beers on tap. Back to the appetizer, we ordered the Insalata Misto di Mare, which sounded great to a couple of seafood lovers. It wasn’t terrible, just lacked the right punch of citrus and salt to really make the dish pop. Without the right seasoning it ended up a bunch of cold seafood on a plate, and we lost our appetite to finish it part-​way through the dish.
Anyway, please don’t let the one mediocre appetizer dissuade you from trying Ciao Napoli – the pizza alone is worth the trip!

I have been going to Ciao ever since moving to Logan Square (in fact I wrote a review of it about a year ago), and the quality of its food has been second to none in this neighborhood. But after a brief Ciao hiatus, I read a recent one-​star review and was incredulous — could it be that this restaurant with its delicious Neapolitan cuisine was somehow SLIPPING?
Determined to get to the bottom of this, I went on a fact-​finding mission to Ciao to investigate and ordered two of the same things the recent negative reviewer had — the rose wine and the Insalata di Piselli (basically pea shoots with a side of goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto).
Thankfully, the rose wine was far from the «brown color» of the negative review, but a sturdy red and tasted faintly of rose pedals and cherry — a refreshing taste. And the pea shoot salad wasn’t brown at all, but a vibrant fresh and green. The goat cheese and prosciutto was a great combination, as well.
I added photos of both the rose wine and the pea shoot to Ciao’s photo gallery so you can see for yourselves what I’m talking about (photos 49 and 50). My guess is the reviewer was simply mistaken, as some folks might not be able to see too well in the dim, cozy candlelit tables Ciao offers in the evenings.
While I can’t speak to the table service as much, being a bar fly who prefers to drink in the company of other bar flies (at that counter where they serve the drinks… I forget what they call it…), the times I have had it when entertaining family it has been friendly and prompt. They excel at picking servers who go out of their way to make you feel at home.
So thankfully, I’m happy to report Ciao remains Logan Square’s première Italian eatery that really delivers in every way — food, drinks and service. Go there if you want a quality meal and a good time.

Been there twice, definitely not a fan of the ultra thin crust pizza. They advertised a beer special but when the check came they didn’t honor it and the manager would only give part of the discount.
It sure looks like a nice place but I’m not at all inclined to go back.

A lot has been changing at Ciao since another place opened up next door. I’m not a fan of the changes.
There are no more drink specials.
The pizzas on the menu have changed. (My favorite one is no longer available)
Gift Cards are no longer available.
There are no more regular mushrooms.
Replacing these things are: more pork and seafood (think octopus and squid) items.
Ciao… We had a good run but I mourn the loss of our relationship… all the wine specials and great pizza that we bonded over. We could have been so great together.
I loved you for what you were– not the place you are turning into– with your elitist non-​vegan-​friendly menu items and inaccessibility to the commoners with tight budgets. I want the old you back. The one who had drink specials and gift cards that amounted to discounts for locals… simple and authentic pizzas.

I have never had a bad experience here. I usually have a margerita pizza and whatever dessert special and I am never disappointed. They make espresso the way its supposed to be made.
Service here is incredibly helpful and don’t rush you out. I definitely prefer this place over Spacca Napoli (where you get rude service and burnt pizza).
Very economical too.

Two adults and a toddler are wandering around Logan after a thwarted Tuesday night attempt at Lula. We kinda all want pizza and no, none of us had ever been to Ciao Napoli — so in we went.
A plain cheese and red sauce for the little one and three starters for the adults. The caprese salad was fantastic. Simple, perfect, delicious (especially the cheese). The lamb meatballs, three of them served on simple natural juice, were fan-​freaking-​tastic. The baby octopus unfortunately was tough. The potatoes were yummy but the meat itself was not. Realizing it wasn’t enough, we ordered a pizza — arugula, proscutto, mozz and parm (basically) with a red sauce. We destroyed all of it.
On special were several really good beers for only two or three bucks (including Anchor Steam porter and summer ales and Duvel). Our server was attentive and sweet to the child and the empty plates were whisked away quickly.
We were pleasantly surprised at how good pretty much everything was. I am looking forward to going back to try a lot more. There weren’t a lot of people in there tonight so hopefully we’ll get the chance to eat more.

The apps were pretty good but my margherita pizza was pretty much crust and a thin layer of sauce and cheese. It wasn’t worth the $ 14 to me. Like a lot of the reviews here, the service was spotty. The waitress was trying hard, but it was understaffed, and she wasted a lot of time having to run back to get our beers that we ordered off the menu, only to find out they were out of them. This happened with at least 3 or 4 beers. She apologized and gave us a round free, but it was still a lot of running around for a girl who could have used some help anyway.
I would go again if I was in the hood with friends, but I won’t go out of my way to go here again. With drinks, our meal was $ 50 apiece. Seems kinda spendy for what you’re getting.
P. S. — My group totally got shushed by fellow patrons! First time ever! We WERE kinda loud, however I’ll blame 40% of it on strange acoustics that required us to talk louder to hear one another across the table. :)

Like a fine wine, Ciao Napoli gets better over time. I’ve eaten here six or seven times over the past two years or so its been open, and the food keeps getting better.
The pizza seems to have settled into standard 12 inch pies. I’ve seen the football shaped versions here previously, but as of tonight, they are no longer on the menu. The pizzas are oven cooked with slightly charred crusts and are similar in style and quality to Coalfire on Grand Avenue. We had the Primavera without the zucchini with sausage added, and it was fantastic. The kitchen has really hit their stride with the pizza.
The caprese salad, on the other hand, has always been fantastic. The tomatoes are fresh and juicy and the mozzarella di bufalo is top notch. I also highly recommend the lasagna — very fresh, homemade noodles, meaty sauce, and loaded with cheese. One serving is more than enough for two.
The Peroni on draft is particularly crisp, and the wine list is entirely Italian with some excellent values. This evening we had an earthy, tart rose, in honor of the warm weather. The bourbon selection is modest but has some high end choices. For after dinner, they have an extensive selection of Italian digestifs, as well. I recommend the bitter amaro selection. Desserts are also excellent.
Service can be slow at times, but with the opening of the outdoor patio, its hardly a burden to sit in the sun and gaze over at the greenery of Logan Square’s main plaza. Bring your straw hat and dominos and enjoy a lazy evening in the setting sun.

The food was okay… Pretty tasty (but not perfect) gnocchi, and some sort of cheesy fried risotto balls. I was really looking forward to the wood-​fired pizza, and I was pretty disappointed. The pizza chef got backed up, so we had to wait a while. I was fine with that; I go out to eat so I can relax and enjoy good company. But the pizza had a lot of very bitter charred stuff on the bottom, which really ruined the flavor for me. Maybe he didn’t have time to clean the oven, or???
We did enjoy sitting outside. The highlights of our visit were our server, Katherine, and the super-​awesome bartender (middle-​aged blond) who took care of us while we waited for a table.

Can you give a restaurant an «umm?» rating? I would like to. My experience here was so odd, I’m just not really sure what to give it. Take that for what you will.
I came here with 3 friends, and was happy to see that while we didn’t have a wait, the restaurant was pretty full. We were seated, and immediately was treated to some of the weirdest service I’ve ever had. Our waitress just was not with it! She insisted we order everything– drinks, apps, main– at the same time, and when we expressed that was crazy (in very nice words), she got very flummoxed. Our wine took about 30 min to arrive, because they were «busy.» umm, no. And then everything we asked for was just such an ordeal, from ordering to getting parm for our pizzas. And even a description of the pizza toppings. It was weird all around. It definitely gave us something to laugh about, at least…
On the brighter side, the food was pretty good. Calamari was standard, but the Arancini, which come highly recommended by Giada Di Laurentiis (who I don’t know but follow religiously on tv), were awesome. MMmMMM. The pizza was very good, though not my fave (I like Chicago style. Or new york style. Or, uh, Papa johns.) We definitely managed to clean our plates.
Overall, we had a good time here with good food, but I probably won’t be coming back unless someone I’m with really, really wants to go.

I just tried Ciao for the first time today. It was a great experience as a whole (the food, the patio, the weather…).
We started with the Bruschetta. You get two choices and two pieces of each. We had the Pomodoro and Prosciutto e Arucola. I’m not usually a fan of Bruschetta, but I am glad I tried this. The olive oil on the tomatoes and arucola was amazing. It was really tasty. The bread was crisp, not soggy like the bread can get. I think the next time I would try something hot, it looked like they had a lot of good options.
We didn’t go crazy with our pizza choice. My husband and I shared the 12′ Margherita Pizza (we added mushrooms on one half and sausage on the other half). I found it was hard to agree on a pizza, but this compromise worked. I like more veggies and he likes more meat. Next time, I would be more adventurous.
I thought the pizza was very Italian. It was exactly like what I’ve had in Rome, Florence, Venice, etc.
We had the Tiramisu’ for dessert. I’m not a huge fan of this dessert, but as far as Tiramisu’ goes, I think this was pretty good.
The food was good. The patio was windy (my napkin, some of my bruschetta toppings, and my menu flew away), but it was one of the best arranged patios I’ve ever seen. We were the only ones out there, but I’m certain it wouldn’t feel crowded if it were full. And our waiter was phenomenal. Some of the best service I’ve received in a while. He was helpful, attentive, not too chatty, and just pretty amazing.
I would definitely return to Ciao. Great location, lots of different foods to try, and very friendly atmosphere.

I’m writing this review after having visited The Boiler Room. It’s kind of nice that Logan Square has gotten two new pizza specialty pizza joints in the last couple of months, but one is definitely better than the other (can you guess which?).
I’d say that Ciao is a solid 3.5 star establishment, but I’ll round up because the prosciutto on my pizza was so salty and delicious. They have indoor and outdoor seating, which is really nice on a warm, Logan Square day. Their outdoor patio provides views of the decaying strip of stores on Milwaukee as well as the Square, which is nice. The outdoor patio is also large, so it’ll accommodate quite a few people without being cramped.
We shared an Arancini as an appetizer, and it was pretty good. Nice, melted gorgonzola inside provided a nice salty glue for the rice and veggies. I recommend ordering two if you’re sharing because you’ll want to eat a whole one.
The Quattro Stagioni pizza was very, very yummy. The ingredients tasted fresh and the prosciutto was excellent. I recommend getting one pizza per person just because they’re yummy. You probably won’t finish the entire thing, but you can have some leftovers. One pizza (12″) easily feeds two, though, so you’ll be fine if you order that. My fiancé got the Pomodoro pasta and was very happy with his choice. He really enjoys pomodoro sauce and said that Ciao had some pretty good sauce atop their pasta.
Service was kind of spotty and I wasn’t sure what was going on. The restaurant was relatively empty but the service was still kind of slow. They really need to work on that. There’s a neat bar right near the entrance that was pretty full as we were leaving. There’s TVs at the bar and the service seemed quick there, so Ciao could be a good spot to grab a cocktail or a glass of wine and watch some sports.
Ciao is definitely a welcome addition to Logan Square and I know I’ll be back.

Went here a couple of weeks ago, pizza was great as was the fried ricotta. Service was nice, atmosphere was nice. Only thing was it’s pretty expensive for the portions served. No parking either.

New sexy spot in Logan Square!!!
Made a decision to check out this new spot desparately needed in Logan Square this past rainy Friday night. Walked in and was greeted by the two staff members. The place looked full but not too full. They asked if we wanted to take a seat at the bar until there was seating available. We went with the bar seat and as soon as we sat down a table opened up. We got a seat by the window which gives you a pretty good view of all the traffic on Kedzie and Logan Blvd.
I took a look around and noticed how nice the place really was. They have exposed brick walls and dim lighting to set the mood. Took a look at the menu and went with the Bruschetta for an appetizer and went with the 18″ alla Diavola. The pizza came out and it came with a pizza cutter so we could carve our own slices out… nice, I like that! The pizza was so delicious that I could not stop cutting slices after being full and ready to burst. To drink I went with the La Fiera Pinot Grigio which was ok as well as the $ 4 Natia mineral water.
Our server Adrian was pretty cool as he took care of us and made sure we got everything we needed. Again much needed new spot for the Square and located right across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line Stop on the southeast corner of Kedzie & Logan Blvd.

If there’s one food my husband will always be in the mood for, it’s pizza, so we were happy to see a new pizza joint open up in the LS.
We checked out Ciao Napoli last night after work and I’m a little torn about the experience. My first impression is that it feels like they’re still trying to settle in and work out the kinks so shortly after opening. My hopes are that they get there.
We sat near the window, which was conducive to some fun people watching outside and even better, we were directly across from the pizza oven where we could watch the pizza chef at work (bonus, what an attractive chef at that! If the pizza thing doesn’t work out, perhaps Italian Vogue?)
Onto the food: my husband really enjoyed the mashed potato ricotta appetizer, which looked a little like 3 plump mozzarella sticks on a bed of greens.
There were so many good looking pizza choices on the menu, we had a hard time deciding but settled on one featuring eggplant. I was happy to see our crust wasn’t charred after reading some other reviews. If anything, it could’ve used a little more «crisp» on the bottom. We really like thin crust pizza, so that’s a plus.
The presentation was very simple, almost spare. The eggplant was sliced almost paper thin, the sauce was minimal, but the addition of fresh tomato was very nice. The fresh mozzarella was also at a bare minimum. If you love cheese, this will be very disappointing. If you’re avoiding it, you’re in luck. This pizza could very easily be consumed by vegans, as the cheese wasn’t present on several of the slices (and they do offer a straight-​up cheeseless version on the menu).
Unfortunately, after we finished, my husband was still pretty hungry and honestly, I think he would’ve considered ordering an entire 2^nd pizza, were it not $ 21.
So, my initial take is, the pizza’s promising in its thin crust, fresh ingredient goodness, but there seems to be a little disconnect between the price and what you get in return. I get that it’s not overloaded American-​style pizza, but if I order the eggplant, I’d love to see more of it. If there isn’t going to be more of it, maybe knock a few bucks off the price tag, because $ 21 for a lot of dough is well, a lot of dough.